Spokesperson of the Government of Spain

Last updated
Spokesperson of the
Government of Spain
Logo La Moncloa 2022.svg
Logo of the Palace of La Moncloa
Pilar Alegria 2023 (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Pilar Alegría
since November 21, 2023
Office of the Prime Minister
Style Excelentísima Señora
Type Minister without portfolio
Member of Cabinet
Appointer President of the Government
FormationNovember 11, 1918;105 years ago (1918-11-11)
First holder Carlos Esplá
Deputy Secretary of State of Press
Moncloa Palace's Press Room Moncloa Palace's press room.jpg
Moncloa Palace's Press Room

The Spokesperson of the Government of Spain is a high ranking of the Government of Spain whose purpose is to inform and communicate to society the political and institutional action of the central government. Its headquarters is located in the denominated Complex of La Moncloa. Currently the holder of the position enjoys the rank of Minister.

Contents

History

The need to inform public opinion about government actions began in 1918 with the creation of the Ministry of Public Instruction and Fine Arts which had an Information Office. With the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera two successive organisms are created; First, the Bureau of Information and Press Censorship, during the Military Directory (1923), and the next in the Civil Directory (1925) with the Office of Information and Press Censorship.

During the Second Republic was born the Press Section affected the General Secretary of the President of the Republic (1932) and during the civil war, Largo Caballero, the prime minister, created the Ministry of Propaganda that had an ephemeral life.

In Francoist Spain the Ministry of Information and Tourism (1951) was created, a ministerial department that was in charge of controlling information, press and radio. To this, was added the administration of Tourism, an industry that had a significant flourishing during those years.

The return to democracy demanded the communication to the citizens about the government's actions, reason why it became necessary the appearance of the figure of the spokesperson. Following the Ministry of Information and Tourism, the next link in the chain of the Spanish Communicative Administration, is the Office of Information Services, created in October 1977 within the Presidency of the Government. [1]

In 1982, with the arrival of PSOE to the power, the Office of the Spokesperson of the Government directed by Eduardo Sotillos was created. In 1985, he was replaced by Javier Solana, Minister of Culture, who assumed both responsibilities simultaneously.[ citation needed ] In 1988, Prime Minister Felipe González decided to elevate the Office to rank of Minister, appointing Rosa Conde as the first Minister-Spokesperson. [2]

With her resignation in 1993, the position was assumed by the Minister of the Presidency, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba. With the arrival to power of the People's Party, the position returned to have the same category as in 1985, assuming the position other Cabinet members, with the exception of the period from 2000 to 2003 in which it was again an independent position. It was later linked to the Ministry of the Presidency.

From 2004, the Government Spokesperson role was assumed by the Deputy Prime Minister, up until 2009, when it was delegated to by the Minister of Public Works.

In 2016, this position was conferred on the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo.

In 2018, after the Motion of no confidence, Isabel Celaá became the new Spokesperson of the Government of Spain. She was also named Minister of Education and Vocational Training. [3]

List of Spokesperson of the Government of Spain

Second Spanish Republic

Political Party
   PSOE
   IR
NamePictureTermPolitical PartyGovernment
Carlos Esplá Rizo (1)4 November 193617 May 1937 IR Francisco Largo Caballero

Francoist Spain

Political Party
   Falange
NamePictureTermPolitical PartyGovernment
Gabriel Arias-Salgado Gabriel Arias-Salgado durante una visita a Berlin, en 1943.jpg 18 July 195110 July 1962 Falange Francoist Government
Manuel Fraga Iribarne Manuel-Fraga-Iribarne.jpg 10 July 196229 October 1969 Falange Francoist Government
Alfredo Sánchez Bella Coat of arms of Spain (1945-1977).svg 29 October 196911 June 1973 Falange Francoist Government
Fernando de Liñán y Zofio Coat of arms of Spain (1945-1977).svg 11 June 19733 January 1974 Falange Francoist Government
Pío Cabanillas Gallas (Cabanillas) Adolfo Suarez junto a Pio Cabanillas, ministro de Cultura, en una tasca de Orense durante la campana de UCD en las elecciones generales de 1 de marzo de 1979 (cropped).jpeg 3 January 197411 March 1975 Falange Francoist Government
León Herrera Esteban Coat of arms of Spain (1945-1977).svg 11 March 197512 December 1975 Falange Francoist Government

Juan Carlos I

Political party
   UCD
   PSOE
   PP
   Falange
NamePictureTermPolitical PartyPrime Minister
Adolfo Martín-Gamero Coat of arms of Spain (1945-1977).svg 12 December 19755 July 1976 Falange Third Arias Navarro Cabinet
Andrés Reguera Coat of arms of Spain (1945-1977).svg 5 July 19764 July 1977 UCD Adolfo Suárez
Manuel Ortíz Sánchez (2) Coat of Arms of Spain (1977-1981).svg 4 July 19771979 UCD
Josep Meliá Pencas (2) Josep Melia i Pericas, delegado del Gobierno en Cataluna, tras su toma de posesion.jpeg 1979October 1980 UCD
Rosa Posada (2) Rosa Posada ofrece la rueda de prensa posterior al Consejo de Ministros junto al ministro del Interior (cropped).jpeg October 198026 February 1981 UCD
Ignacio Aguirre Borrell (2) Escudo de Espana (mazonado).svg 26 February 19812 December 1981 UCD Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo
Eduardo Sotillos (2) Eduardo Sotillos ofrece la rueda de prensa posterior al Consejo de Ministros (cropped).jpg 7 December 19825 July 1985 PSOE Felipe González
Javier Solana (3) Javier Solana 1999.jpg 5 July 19857 July 1988 PSOE
Rosa Conde (4) Rosa Conde en la rueda de prensa posterior al Consejo de Ministros (21 de noviembre de 1989).jpg 7 July 198813 July 1993 PSOE
Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba (5) Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba (diciembre de 2010).jpg 13 July 19935 May 1996 PSOE
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Bajón (6) Miguel Angel Rodriguez durante la rueda de prensa posterior al Consejo de Ministros junto a la ministra de Justicia. Pool Moncloa. 23 de agosto de 1996 (cropped).jpeg 5 May 199616 July 1998 PP José María Aznar
Josep Piqué (7) Josep Pique en 2008.jpg 16 July 199827 April 2000 PP
Pío Cabanillas Alonso (4) Pio Cabanillas en la rueda de prensa posterior al Consejo de Ministros. Pool Moncloa. 1 de noviembre de 2002 (cropped).jpg 27 April 20009 July 2002 PP
Mariano Rajoy (5) Mariano Rajoy 2015 (cropped).jpg 9 July 20023 September 2003 PP
Eduardo Zaplana (8) Eduardo Zaplana en la rueda de prensa posterior al Consejo de Ministros (cropped).jpg 3 September 200317 April 2004 PP
María Teresa Fernández de la Vega (9) De la Vega2 cropped.jpg 17 April 200421 October 2010 PSOE José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba (10) Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba (diciembre de 2010).jpg 21 October 201012 July 2011 PSOE
José Blanco López (11) Acto en Badajoz, con Blanco, Vara, Perez y Fuentes (cropped).jpg 12 July 201121 December 2011 PSOE
Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría (9) Soraya Saenz de Santamaria 2015b (cropped).jpg 21 December 20114 November 2016 PP Mariano Rajoy

Felipe VI

NamePictureTermPolitical PartyPrime Minister
Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría (9) Soraya Saenz de Santamaria 2015b (cropped).jpg 21 December 20114 November 2016 PP Mariano Rajoy
Íñigo Méndez de Vigo (12) Inigo Mendez de Vigo visita la radio escuela municipal M21 - 02 (cropped).jpg 4 November 20161 June 2018 PP
Isabel Celaá (13) Isabel Celaa 2020b (cropped).jpg 7 June 201813 January 2020 PSOE Pedro Sánchez
María Jesús Montero (14) Maria Jesus Montero 2020b (cropped).jpg 13 January 202012 July 2021 PSOE
Isabel Rodríguez García (15) Isabel Rodriguez 2021 (cropped).jpg 12 July 202121 November 2023 PSOE
Pilar Alegría (16) Pilar Alegria 2023 (cropped).jpg 21 November 2023Incumbent PSOE


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