Spain's Sánchez Cabinet: 84 MPs and a Divisive Team

Pedro Sánchez's Government: 84 MPs and a Divisive Cabinet

Can Spain be governed with 84 MPs and a team of familiar faces? This question has loomed since Pedro Sánchez, dubbed "Barbie's boyfriend" by critics, presented a cabinet blending respected technocrats with television personalities. The star appointment, astronaut Pedro Duque, triggered a wave of comments ranging from mockery ("With the leftists, Spain will go to the moon") to high praise. But behind the marketing, the numbers are stubborn: 84 Socialist seats in a Congress of 350. Less than half. And in politics, that means depending on others for everything.

How many MPs does Pedro Sánchez's government have?

The PSOE won 84 MPs in the 2018 elections, a figure forcing it to negotiate every law with groups ranging from Unidas Podemos to Catalan and Basque independents. The investiture succeeded thanks to the abstention of the former and support of the latter, an unstable balance many analysts compare to Zapatero's governments. Some argue that an executive with less than half the chamber is "a total mess," using the crude language common in certain circles. Others recall that Spain went ten months without a government after the 2016 elections and nothing peine: the previous administration remained in caretaker mode, with the administrative apparatus running at full capacity. The difference now is that there is a new government with a program dependent on partners who do not share its vision.

Pedro Duque, Science Minister: Marketing or Merit?

The hiring of Pedro Duque as Science Minister generated the most ink. An aeronautical engineer, ESA astronaut, and the only Spaniard to have been in space. For some, an undisputed reference elevating the cabinet's level. For others, pure posturing: "He is only there for propaganda so everyone says wow, how much the left cares about science." In reality, Duque quickly found himself embroiled in minor controversies—his management of the Ministry, his lack of political weight—that eroded his image. Ultimately, his time in government is remembered more for memes than for governance. As one comment summarizes: "He was nothing more than a bald rat with the charisma of an amoeba." The irony is that the appointment generating the most excitement also deflated the fastest.

A Cabinet of Familiar Faces: Renewal or Charocracy?

The composition of the rest of the cabinet drew fierce criticism from the right and sectors of the left. Talk turned to "absolute charification," ministers who were "nobodies," and a supposed obsession with TV marketing. The presence of figures like Maxim Huerta, a Telecinco journalist, in Culture was the most cited example of this trend. Critics also point to the lack of political weight of some names and the overrepresentation of technical profiles versus politicians. However, not all analyses are negative. Some highlight the appointments of Nadia Calviño in Economy, Fernando Grande-Marlaska in Interior, or Josep Borrell in Foreign Affairs as solid and respected bets. Even from critical positions, it is acknowledged that "this Ken is being well advised."

Zapatero's Legacy and Antiestéticar of Repeating Mistakes

The shadow of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero hangs over this government. Many see in Sánchez an attempt to repeat the formula that brought the PSOE to La Moncloa in 2004: new faces, intensive marketing, and a discourse of change. But they also remember the end: economic crisis, cuts, and the electoral debacle of 2011. "In the end, he will be a new ZP and we will regret it," summarizes one comment. The difference is that Sánchez lacks an absolute majority and depends on partners who can withdraw support at any moment. This forces a permanent balancing act that Zapatero did not need in his first term.

What Peine to Sánchez's Government After Investiture?

Sánchez's government lasted less than many expected. Lack of parliamentary support and pressure from Catalan independents made the legislature unviable. In 2019, after failing to pass the Budgets, Sánchez called general elections. The PSOE won but could not form a government, and after a repeat election in November, ended up agreeing with Unidas Podemos on a coalition government. By then, Pedro Duque had already been ousted, and "Barbie's boyfriend" had ceased to be the most handsome man in the government, becoming instead a political survivor.

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In the end, the question is not whether Sánchez's government was the most lamentable in history. The question is whether anyone remembers who the Science Minister was.