Pilar Alegria will be replaced in this position by the current minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations
The Spanish Prime Minister, the socialist Pedro Sánchez, replaced the Minister of Education and Government spokesperson this Monday and assured that he has the energy and will to conclude the legislature, one day after a historic electoral defeat in the Extremadura region.
The Government of Spain faces “the second half of the legislature”, starting in November 2023, with “will, renewed energy and charged batteries and willing to fight for the approval of each new initiative with a desire for dialogue and humility”, he stated, in a statement to the country from the Moncloa Palace, the headquarters of the Spanish executive, in Madrid.
In a statement lasting just a few minutes, Sánchez announced the departure of the Minister of Education and Sports, Pilar Alegría, to be the candidate of the Spanish socialists in the regional elections in Aragon in February.
Pilar Alegria was also the Government spokesperson and will be replaced in this position by the current Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations, Elma Saez.
The new Minister of Education is Milagros Tolón, until now the Government delegate in the autonomous region of Castile La Mancha.
The Spanish Government, Sánchez himself and the Socialist Party (PSOE) are experiencing a moment of crisis and special fragility, with party leaders, including a former minister, and family members of the Prime Minister involved in suspicions of corruption and other legal cases, as well as accusations of sexual harassment.
Last week, the left-wing Somar party, which is in the government coalition led by the socialists, even asked the prime minister to carry out a “radical remodeling, from top to bottom”, of the executive, speaking of “major deterioration” and “a very complicated situation”.
“It is not possible to continue like this,” said the Minister of Labor and leader of Somar, Yolanda Díaz.
Sánchez, who has apologized several times in recent months for corruption cases involving former socialist leaders and admitted errors in the management of sexual harassment complaints that reached the PSOE, has refused to comply with the coalition partner’s request and today only announced the replacement of a minister.
Today’s declaration followed, on the other hand, a historic electoral defeat for the PSOE, on Sunday, in Extremadura, a region considered a socialist fiefdom, where the party governed in nine of the 11 autonomous legislatures (seven of them with an absolute majority) and in which only in one of the elections (those of 2011) had it not received the most votes.
The Popular Party of Spain (PP, right) won the early elections in Extremadura, while the socialists had the worst result ever in this autonomy and the extreme right (Vox) doubled votes.
The elections in Extremadura mark the beginning of the new electoral cycle in Spain and these autonomous elections will be followed by others in February 2026 in Aragon, in March in Castile and Leon and in June in Andalusia; municipal and regional elections in most regions in May 2027; and, finally, national legislation in July of the same year.
