Second government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 2nd government of José Luis R. Zapatero
Government of Spain
2008–2011
The government in April 2008 (top left), April 2009 (top right), November 2010 (bottom left) and July 2011 (bottom right).
Date formed	14 April 2008
Date dissolved	22 December 2011
People and organisations
Monarch	Juan Carlos I
Prime Minister	José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Deputy Prime Ministers	María Teresa Fernández de la Vega1st, Pedro Solbes2nd (2008–2009) María Teresa Fernández de la Vega1st, Elena Salgado2nd, Manuel Chaves3rd (2009–2010) Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba1st, Elena Salgado2nd, Manuel Chaves3rd (2010–2011) Elena Salgado1st, Manuel Chaves2nd (2011)
No. of ministers	17 (2008–2010) 15 (2010–2011)
Total no. of members	28
Member party	PSOE
Status in legislature	Minority government
Opposition party	PP
Opposition leader	Mariano Rajoy
History
Election(s)	2008 general election
Outgoing election	2011 general election
Legislature term(s)	9th Cortes Generales
Budget(s)	2009, 2010, 2011
Predecessor	Zapatero I
Successor	Rajoy I

The second government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was a group of leaders who ran Spain from 2008 to 2011. It was formed on April 14, 2008, after Zapatero was chosen as the Prime Minister of Spain. This happened because his political party, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), won the most votes in the 2008 Spanish general election.

This government followed Zapatero's first government. It lasted for about three and a half years, until December 22, 2011. The government included members from the PSOE and some independent politicians. It officially ended after the 2011 Spanish general election, but the ministers continued their work until a new government took over.

How the Government Was Formed

To become Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero needed to be approved by the Congress of Deputies, which is like Spain's Parliament. This process is called an "investiture."

• On April 9, 2008, Zapatero tried to get enough votes, but he didn't reach the required number.
• Two days later, on April 11, he tried again. This time, he only needed a simple majority (more "yes" votes than "no" votes). He succeeded and became Prime Minister.

Changes in the Government Team

During its time, Zapatero's second government had several changes in its ministers. These changes are often called "cabinet reshuffles."

First Changes in 2009

• On February 23, 2009, Mariano Fernández Bermejo, the Minister of Justice, resigned. He faced political pressure and was replaced by Francisco Caamaño.
• On April 7, 2009, there was a bigger change. Pedro Solbes, the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, left his role. Elena Salgado took his place.
• Other new ministers joined the team: Manuel Chaves became the Third Deputy Prime Minister, José Blanco became Minister of Development, and Ángel Gabilondo became Minister of Education. New ministers also took over the Culture and Health departments.

Changes in 2010

• On October 21, 2010, Celestino Corbacho, the Minister of Labour, stepped down to run in another election. Valeriano Gómez took his place.
• Prime Minister Zapatero used this opportunity for a major reshuffle. María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, the First Deputy Prime Minister, was replaced by Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba.
• Trinidad Jiménez became the new Minister of Foreign Affairs. Rosa Aguilar took over the Environment ministry, and Leire Pajín became the new Health minister.
• Some ministries, like Housing and Equality, were combined into other departments to make the government smaller.

Final Changes in 2011

• On July 12, 2011, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba left the government. He was chosen to be the main candidate for the PSOE in the upcoming general election.
• To fill the empty spots, Antonio Camacho became Minister of the Interior. José Blanco also took on the role of the government's spokesperson. The roles of the Deputy Prime Ministers were also adjusted.

Ministers in the Government

The government was made up of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, and various ministers leading different departments. At first, there were 17 ministries, but this number was reduced to 15 in October 2010.

See also

In Spanish: Segundo Gobierno Zapatero para niños