First government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 1st government of José Luis R. Zapatero
Government of Spain
2004–2008
The government in April 2004 (top left), April 2006 (top right), June 2007 (bottom left) and July 2007 (bottom right).
Date formed	18 April 2004
Date dissolved	14 April 2008
People and organisations
Monarch	Juan Carlos I
Prime Minister	José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Deputy Prime Ministers	María Teresa Fernández de la Vega1st, Pedro Solbes2nd
No. of ministers	16
Total no. of members	23
Member party	PSOE
Status in legislature	Minority government
Opposition party	PP
Opposition leader	Mariano Rajoy
History
Election(s)	2004 general election
Outgoing election	2008 general election
Legislature term(s)	8th Cortes Generales
Budget(s)	2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Predecessor	Aznar II
Successor	Zapatero II

The first government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was formed in Spain on April 18, 2004. This happened after he was chosen as the Prime Minister of Spain by the Congress of Deputies. His political party, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), won the most votes in the 2004 Spanish general election. This government took over from the previous one led by José María Aznar. It was in charge from April 18, 2004, until April 14, 2008.

The government included members from the PSOE and some independent politicians. It officially ended on March 10, 2008, after the 2008 Spanish general election. However, it continued to work until the next government was ready.

How Zapatero Became Prime Minister

After the 2004 general election, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero needed to be approved by the Congress of Deputies. This process is called an investiture. To become Prime Minister, he needed more than half of the votes from the 350 members of the Congress. This meant he needed at least 176 votes.

On April 16, 2004, Zapatero received 183 votes in favor. This was more than enough to become Prime Minister. Most of the "yes" votes came from his own party, the PSOE. Other parties also voted for him, like the ERC and IU. The main opposition party, the PP, voted against him.

Changes in the Government

During its time, Zapatero's first government had a few changes. When a minister leaves, the Prime Minister usually appoints a new one. This is called a cabinet reshuffle.

• On April 7, 2006, José Bono stepped down as the Minister of Defence. He left for personal reasons. José Antonio Alonso took his place. Then, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba became the new Minister of the Interior. Also, Mercedes Cabrera replaced María Jesús San Segundo as the Minister of Education and Science. These new ministers started their jobs on April 11.

• On September 8, 2006, José Montilla left his role as Minister of Industry, Tourism and Trade. He wanted to run for a different important job in Catalonia. Joan Clos, who was the Mayor of Barcelona, took over his ministry.

• On February 12, 2007, Mariano Fernández Bermejo became the new Minister of Justice. He replaced Juan Fernando López Aguilar, who decided to lead his party in an election in the Canary Islands.

• On July 9, 2007, there was another big change in the government.
  • Bernat Soria became the Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs, replacing Elena Salgado.
  • Elena Salgado then moved to become the Minister for Public Administrations, taking over from Jordi Sevilla.
  • Carme Chacón became the Minister of Housing, replacing María Antonia Trujillo.
  • César Antonio Molina became the new Minister of Culture, replacing Carmen Calvo.

Who Was in the Government?

The government was led by the Prime Minister. It also had two Deputy Prime Ministers and 16 different ministries. Each ministry was in charge of a specific area, like foreign affairs, justice, or education. The government also had a Spokesperson, who was in charge of sharing information with the public.

Here are some of the key people and their roles:

Images for kids

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  José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

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  María Teresa Fernández de la Vega

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  Pedro Solbes

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  Miguel Ángel Moratinos

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  Juan Fernando López Aguilar

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  José Bono

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  José Antonio Alonso

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  Magdalena Álvarez

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  María Jesús San Segundo

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  Jesús Caldera

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  José Montilla

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  Elena Espinosa

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  Jordi Sevilla

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  Carmen Calvo

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  Elena Salgado

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  Cristina Narbona

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  María Antonia Trujillo

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  Mariano Fernández Bermejo

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  Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba

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  Mercedes Cabrera

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  Joan Clos

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  César Antonio Molina

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  Bernat Soria

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  Carme Chacón

See also

In Spanish: Primer Gobierno Zapatero para niños