• Politics The PSOE believes that Podemos already sees Feijóo as a winner and works for a future with Irene Montero
  • Analysis "Pedro Sánchez's operation is to save Yolanda Díaz from the clutches of Podemos"

Three years of legislature and five government crises. Pedro Sánchez undertakes a new remodeling of his Executive by the forced departure of the ministers Reyes Maroto and Carolina Darias as candidates for the municipalities of Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canarias, respectively. Changes that are limited to the departments of Industry and Health: José Manuel Miñones will be the replacement of Maroto in Industry and Héctor Gómez will be the new Minister of Health.

The President of the Government maintains his commitment to the coalition with Unidas Podemos and does not force changes in the purple sector of the Executive, despite the serious crisis following the reform of the law of only yes is yes and the discomfort in the PSOE with the ministers of Podemos for their attacks.

Except for the important remodeling carried out in July 2021, with the purpose of renewing the image and profile of the Government trusting in a prosperous horizon that does not finish consummating -the hackneyed "wind in favor" that La Moncloa longs for-, Sánchez has evidenced his commitment to punctual, "surgical" changes that call. This is not obvious for the fact that in just over three years of mandate he has starred in five government crises, up to a dozen ministers have left the Executive and since January 2020 up to 34 members have passed through the Council of Ministers. A baggage with a very unbalanced balance: of the 12 changes, 10 correspond to ministries of the PSOE and only 2 to departments of Unidas Podemos.

This philosophy has also led to the permanence of the broad structure of the Government, with 22 ministries, the largest number of ministers and secretaries of state in recent democracy.

The coalition agreement made it clear that the Socialists ruled and decided in their areas and the purples would do the same in theirs. This rule left Sánchez's hands de facto tied, because despite being president of the Government, in theory he had no decision-making capacity in five ministries. This fact and their willingness to preserve the coalition have led to the fact that again, and despite the serious crisis that has shaken the Executive, there is no rupture of the partners, not even cessations in the purple ministries.

The clash over the reform of the only yes is yes has increased the discomfort within the PSOE with Podemos, with the ministers Ione Belarra and Irene Montero. But in La Moncloa, as has been demonstrated, they did not contemplate either the option of the rupture or the departure of Montero, which would imply the rupture. While in the socialist formation they complain about the forms and ways of the ministers of Social Rights and Equality, lamenting that "they go free" and "make stability very difficult", in Sánchez's team they are aware that their only way to try to add up against the right and continue governing is to reissue the coalition with Unidas Podemos, in the future they hope that with Sumar, the political project headed by Yolanda Díaz.

That, added to the political and electoral cost that may have to be the one that breaks, lead Sánchez to preserve the coalition, despite the fact that coexistence is increasingly complicated and the aura of collegiate body fades with the passage of days. Also the awareness that a break with Podemos would put Vice President Yolanda Díaz on the edge of the precipio. Between a rock and a hard place and with an important toll he will make the decision he makes. The PSOE assumes that it needs Díaz's project to take flight, take shape and manage to bring together the parties to the left of the socialises, including Podemos, so that in the December generals it aspires to be the third political force ahead of Vox, something key to see which block will add more. They cannot and do not want to put more stones in the way of Díaz's already tense relationship with Podemos.

Sánchez believes that it is more profitable right now to maintain the coalition than to break up. It also allows him to exhibit the message of stability by comparing himself with the executives of PP and Cs that broke or advanced elections or with European governments that have fallen as in the United Kingdom or Italy. The rupture would be an important flow of political and dialectical ammunition for the opposition. They know it in the presidential complex and, today and waiting for what happens in the municipal and regional elections, they want to avoid it.

5 government crises and 34 ministers

- January 2020. Coalition formation. Sánchez announces his 22 ministers

Carmen Calvo, Pablo Iglesias, Nadia Calviño, Teresa Ribera, Arancha González Laya, Juan Carlos Campo, Margarita Robles, María Jesús Montero, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, José Luis Ábalos, Isabel Celáa, Yolanda Díaz, Reyes Maroto, Luis Planas, Carolina Darias, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, Salvador Illa, Pedro Duque, Irene Montero, Alberto Garzón, José Luis Escrivá, Manuel Castells

- January 2021. First crisis.

Enter: Miquel Icelta

Sale: Salvador Illa

- March 2021. Second crisis.

Enter: Ione Belarra

Sale: Pablo Iglesias

- July 2021. Third crisis.

Enter: Félix Bolaños, José Manuel Albares, Pilar Llop, Raquel Sánchez, Pilar Alegría, Isabel Rodríguez, Diana Morant

Departures: Carmen Calvo, Arancha González Laya, Juan Carlos Campo, José Luis Ábalos, Isabel Celáa, Pedro Duque, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes

- December 2021. Fourth crisis.

Enter: Joan Subirats

Sale: Manuel Castells

March 2023. Fifth crisis.

Enter: José Manuel Miñones and Héctor Gómez.

Coming out: Reyes Maroto, Carolina Darias

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  • Can
  • United We Can
  • PSOE
  • Add
  • Pedro Duque
  • Juan Carlos Campo
  • Irene Montero
  • Salvador Illa
  • Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes
  • Reyes Maroto
  • Isabel Celaá
  • Jose Luis Abalos
  • Pablo Iglesias
  • Arancha González Laya
  • Manuel Castells
  • Margarita Robles
  • Maria Jesus Montero
  • Isabel Rodriguez Garcia
  • Alberto Garzón
  • Luis Planas
  • Pedro Sanchez
  • Carolina Darias
  • Yolanda Diaz