Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the composition of the new Spanish government

• More than half of the 22 ministries from the previous Sanchez government were retained
• Formally, the radical leftist Podemos, a coalition ally of Sanchez’s previous cabinet and currently part of the Sumar bloc, is formally out of government.
• Radically left-wing Sumar will lead five ministries – labor, culture, health, social affairs, as well as a new ministry for children and youth
• The leader of the largest opposition party, the center-right People’s Party (PP), Alberto Nunez Feijoo, announced that the opposition will fight the new government “with all available means.”
• As reported today by the online daily Vozpopuli, citing sources in the security department of the prime minister’s office, Pedro Sanchez received additional police protection in connection with the ongoing protests

More than half of the 22 ministries from the previous Sanchez government were retained. The functions of some government administration offices were combined and established two new ministries — for digital transformation and for children and youth. Appointed eight new ministers.

The new cabinet will have four deputy prime ministers – one more than the previous one. The first deputy prime minister and minister for economic affairs was appointed Nadia Calvino (PSOE).

She became the second deputy prime minister and minister of labor Yolanda Diaz, leader of the Sumar bloc. Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Ecological Transformation and Demographic Challenges – Teresa Ribera (PSOE), and the fourth is the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Public Functions – Maria Jesus Montero (PSOE).

She remained the Minister of Defense Margarita Robles (PSOE), Minister of Interior – Fernando Grande-Marlasca (PSOE), and the Minister of Foreign Affairs – Jose Manuel Albares (PSOE).

Podemos is formally outside the government

Formally, the radical leftist Podemos, a coalition ally of Sanchez’s previous cabinet, is formally out of government. Currently, the party is part of the Sumar bloc, which co-creates the new government.

According to Podemos, in Sanchez’s third government, “the conservative wing gained more in key ministries.” Podemos spokesman Pablo Fernandez criticized Sanchez and leader Sumar for “throwing Podemos out of the government to make PSOE have a more comfortable situation.”

— They kicked us out so we wouldn’t say uncomfortable things, like that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu should be detained for war crimes, or that Spain should do much more to stop Israel’s genocide in Palestine – break off diplomatic relations with Israel and impose an arms export embargo on top of that country, Fernandez said.

However, the media noticed that the radical leftist Sumar would head five ministries – labor, culture, health, social affairs, as well as a new ministry for children and youth, headed by Sira Rego, a spokeswoman for the United Left, a member of Sumar, with Palestinian roots.

Feijoo: the opposition will fight by all means

The leader of the largest opposition party, the center-right People’s Party (PP), Alberto Nunez Feijoo, announced that the opposition will fight the new government “by all available means, through parliament, courts and social mobilization.”

The PP won the parliamentary elections on July 23, but its leader did not receive a vote of confidence in Congress in September.

The Socialists came second in the elections, but reached an agreement with the Sumar bloc and the Catalan and Basque separatist parties in exchange for their support in Congress.

The agreement includes many concessions, including: amnesties for convicted Catalan separatists for organizing the independence referendum in 2017, the aim of which was to separate Catalonia from Spain.

According to the right-wing opposition – the center-right PP and the right-wing Vox – the amnesty violates the principle of the rule of law.

Pedro Sanchez with additional police protection

For several days now, demonstrations have been taking place in Spain against the pacts and concessions made by the socialist PSOE with the separatists in exchange for their support for the third Sanchez government. As reported today by the online daily Vozpopuli, citing sources in the security department of the prime minister’s office, Pedro Sanchez received additional police protection in connection with the protests.

One of the anti-government rallies organized on November 10 in Malaga led to traffic chaos and serious difficulties in organizing a meeting between Sanchez and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in this Spanish city.

— Currently, the Prime Minister is accompanied by 19 vehicles during his trips (from his headquarters – PAP), which is more than twice as many as before, Vozpopuli said.

The information about the assignment of additional protection to the Spanish Prime Minister coincides with the police revealing that on Saturday, during the evening demonstration in front of the PSOE headquarters in Madrid, officers overpowered and detained a man in possession of a firearm.

According to the investigators’ findings so far, the man protesting in front of the socialist building is a standard-bearer of the Spanish army.