MADRID – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday named Migration Minister Elma Saiz as government spokesperson in addition to her current portfolio, replacing Pilar Alegría, who is stepping aside to run as the Socialist candidate in Aragón’s regional elections.
The reshuffle follows a bruising defeat for Sánchez’s socialists (PSOE) in Extremadura – once a party stronghold. The PSOE secured 25.7% of the vote, its worst result there, while the centre-right People’s Party (PP) won 43% and far-right Vox more than doubled its share to 17%.
PSOE regional leader Miguel Ángel Gallardo admitted the result was “very poor”, as PP secretary general Miguel Tellado hailed a “total victory” and declared “the beginning of the end” for Sánchez – despite difficult coalition talks with Vox ahead.
The loss deepens the PSOE’s long-term territorial erosion. The party now governs just five of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities, compared with 11 run by the PP.
With the 2027 general election approaching, Sánchez is shifting focus to limiting damage in the next round of regional contests – in Aragón, Castilla y León and Andalucía in 2026.
To do so, the Spanish prime minister is increasingly turning to his own cabinet.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister María Jesús Montero is expected to run in Andalucía, joining ministers already selected as regional candidates – including Science Minister Diana Morant in Valencia, Digital Transformation Minister Óscar López in Madrid and Territorial Policy Minister Ángel Víctor Torres in the Canary Islands.
Analysts warn that years of centralisation have weakened the PSOE’s once federalised regional pipelines, leaving Sánchez to parachute national figures into local races.
With corruption probes mounting and parliamentary backing thin, critics say fielding serving ministers without requiring them to step down risks further destabilising Spain’s minority government at a moment of acute political fragility.
(cs)