María Jesús Montero, the rise of a devotee of Pedro Sanchez

2024-01-10 09:06:33

Little known to the French, on December 29, 2023 she became the first vice-president of the Spanish government, which places her between the head of the executive, Pedro Sanchez, and his ministers. Her name: María Jesús Montero, described in the Spanish press as the woman with the most political power in Spain in forty-five years of democracy. In this position, this woman with a left-wing heart is responsible for politically strengthening the cabinet, but also combines the function of Minister of Finance, a position she has held since 2018, and that of Deputy General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). ).

Trained doctor

The existence of “vice-presidencies” – there are four in the Sanchez III government, held by three women and one man – is guaranteed by article 98 of the 1978 Constitution, approved by referendum during the process. of the Spanish democratic transition, after the dissolution of the institutions of the Franco regime. The first vice-president is called upon to temporarily exercise the functions of the president in the event of vacancy, absence or illness of the head of government.

Before moving to Madrid, María Jesús Montero, born February 4, 1966 in Seville (57 years old), held several positions within the regional government of Andalusia. A doctor by training, she is a specialist in hospital management. She was then appointed advisor to finance and public administration. For five years, she passed a finance law every year even though the PSOE did not have an absolute majority and the Spanish government imposed strict public deficit criteria.

With María Jesús Montero, Pedro Sanchez opens a new page, keeping the same ministers but in different positions. And the faithful on whom he knows how to rely. In this system of the Sanchez III government, Sevillian is “the gravitational axis, the woman with the most power, her maximum collaborator, the “heart of the engine room””according to the Spanish press, which describes her as a skillful negotiator and “tough”. She forms with Félix Bolaños, the minister of the presidency and relations with the Cortes, the two pillars of the Sanchez government.

Spanish economic policy duo

Previously, upon the arrival of the socialist in La Moncloa in 2018, María Jesús Montero formed with Nadia Calvino, Minister of the Economy – who left on January 1, 2024, to lead the European Investment Bank (EIB) in Luxembourg, the first woman to do so. position in sixty-five years of existence of the institution –, the duo of the economic policy of the Spanish government.

At the dawn of this new legislature which will be difficult, with an implacable right-wing opposition, a population very divided around the amnesty law granted to the separatists, who will negotiate their support for the government at a high price, Pedro Sanchez has built himself a combat team “very political profile”, with ministers capable of“provide security” to hope to bring “ stability in the country » , in the words of the head of government. And which, from this Wednesday, January 10 at the Spanish Congress, will be faced with its first major challenge in 2024.