First government of Pedro Sánchez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 1st government of Pedro Sánchez
Government of Spain
2018–2020
The government in June 2018 (top left), July 2018 (top right) and October 2018 (bottom).
Date formed	7 June 2018
Date dissolved	13 January 2020
People and organisations
Monarch	Felipe VI
Prime Minister	Pedro Sánchez
Deputy Prime Minister	Carmen Calvo
No. of ministers	17
Total no. of members	19
Member party	PSOE
Status in legislature	Minority government (2018–2019) Caretaker government (2019–2020)
Opposition party	PP
Opposition leader	Pablo Casado
History
Outgoing election	April 2019 general election November 2019 Spanish general election
Legislature term(s)	12th Cortes Generales 13th Cortes Generales
Incoming formation	2018 vote of no confidence
Outgoing formation	2019–2020 government formation
Predecessor	Rajoy II
Successor	Sánchez II

The first government led by Pedro Sánchez was formed in Spain on June 7, 2018. This happened after Sánchez became Prime Minister of Spain on June 2. He was chosen by the Congress of Deputies, which is like Spain's parliament. This change came about because a special vote, called a motion of no confidence, was successful against the previous leader, Mariano Rajoy.

This government took over from the second Rajoy government. It was in charge from June 7, 2018, until January 13, 2020.

The government included members from the PSOE and some independent people. The media often called it the "beautiful government" (gobierno bonito). This was because the new ministers were announced slowly, creating excitement and positive news. It also made history by having the most female ministers in Spain's history, and even in the world at that time. Out of 17 government departments, 11 were led by women, which is about 64.7% of the total.

The government faced a challenge when its plan for the 2019 national budget was not approved by parliament. Because of this, Pedro Sánchez decided to end the parliament's term early and call a snap election, which is a quick election. This made it the shortest Spanish government since Spain became a democracy, lasting only 10 months before a new election was held. The government was officially dismissed on April 29, 2019, after the April 2019 election. However, it continued to act as a temporary government until the next government was officially formed.

How the Government Started

The government of Pedro Sánchez began after a special vote called a "motion of no confidence." This vote is a way for parliament to show that they no longer support the current prime minister. If enough members vote "yes," the prime minister has to step down.

In this case, the motion was against the prime minister at the time, Mariano Rajoy. For the motion to pass, 176 out of 350 votes were needed.

Motion of no confidence Pedro Sánchez (PSOE)
Ballot →		1 June 2018
Required majority →		176 out of 350 Y
	Yes • PSOE (84) • UP–ECP–EM (67) • ERC (9) • PDeCAT (8) • PNV (5) • Compromís (4) • EH Bildu (2) • NCa (1)	180 / 350
	No • PP (134) • Cs (32) • UPN (2) • FAC (1)	169 / 350
	Abstentions • CCa (1)	1 / 350
	Absentees	0 / 350
Sources

Important Changes in the Government

During its time, Pedro Sánchez's first government had a few changes in its ministers.

• On June 13, 2018, Màxim Huerta stepped down as Minister of Culture and Sports. He was replaced by José Guirao.
• On September 11, 2018, Carmen Montón resigned as Minister of Health, Consumer Affairs and Social Welfare. She was replaced by María Luisa Carcedo.

After the April 2019 general election, Sánchez's government became a "caretaker government." This means they continued to manage daily tasks but could not make big new decisions. This period lasted until a new government was officially formed. During this time, some ministers left their positions. Their duties were then taken over by other ministers because new replacements could not be appointed.

• On May 21, 2019, Meritxell Batet was chosen as the President of the Congress of Deputies. This job meant she could no longer be Minister of Territorial Policy and Civil Service. Luis Planas, who was the Minister of Agriculture, took over her duties.
• On November 30, 2019, Josep Borrell left his role as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He became a high-ranking official in the European Union. Margarita Robles, the Minister of Defence, then took on his responsibilities.

Who Was in the Government?

The government, also known as the Council of Ministers, included the prime minister, the deputy prime minister, and 17 other ministers. There was also a spokesperson who communicated the government's decisions.

Images for kids

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  Pedro Sánchez

• 

  Carmen Calvo

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  Josep Borrell

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  Margarita Robles

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  Dolores Delgado

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  María Jesús Montero

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  Fernando Grande-Marlaska

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  José Luis Ábalos

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  Isabel Celaá

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  Magdalena Valerio

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  Reyes Maroto

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  Luis Planas

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  Meritxell Batet

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  Teresa Ribera

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  Màxim Huerta

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  José Guirao

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  Nadia Calviño

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  Carmen Montón

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  María Luisa Carcedo

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  Pedro Duque

See also

In Spanish: Primer Gobierno Sánchez para niños