# Spokesperson of the Government of Spain

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.

## 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.
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. In 1988, Prime Minister Felipe González decided to elevate the Office to rank of Minister, appointing Rosa Conde as the first Minister-Spokesperson.
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.

## List of Spokesperson of the Government of Spain
### Second Spanish Republic

* Political Party
* PSOE
* IR
| Name | Name | Picture | Term | Term | Political Party | Government | Government |
| | Carlos Esplá Rizo (1) | | 4 November 1936 | 17 May 1937 | IR | Francisco Largo Caballero | |

### Francoist Spain

* Political Party
* Falange
| Name | Term | Term | Political Party | Government |
| Gabriel Arias-Salgado | 18 July 1951 | 10 July 1962 | Falange | Francoist Government |
| Manuel Fraga Iribarne | 10 July 1962 | 29 October 1969 | Falange | Francoist Government |
| Alfredo Sánchez Bella | 29 October 1969 | 11 June 1973 | Falange | Francoist Government |
| Fernando de Liñán y Zofio | 11 June 1973 | 3 January 1974 | Falange | Francoist Government |
| Pío Cabanillas Gallas | 3 January 1974 | 11 March 1975 | Falange | Francoist Government |
| León Herrera Esteban | 11 March 1975 | 12 December 1975 | Falange | Francoist Government |

### Juan Carlos I

* Political party
* UCD
* PSOE
* PP
* Falange
| Name | Term | Term | Political Party | Prime Minister |
| Adolfo Martín-Gamero | 12 December 1975 | 5 July 1976 | Falange | Third Arias Navarro Cabinet |
| Andrés Reguera | 5 July 1976 | 4 July 1977 | UCD | Adolfo Suárez |
| Manuel Ortíz Sánchez (2) | 4 July 1977 | 1979 | UCD | Adolfo Suárez |
| Josep Meliá Pencas (2) | 1979 | October 1980 | UCD | Adolfo Suárez |
| Rosa Posada (2) | October 1980 | 26 February 1981 | UCD | Adolfo Suárez |
| Ignacio Aguirre Borrell (2) | 26 February 1981 | 2 December 1981 | UCD | Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo |
| Eduardo Sotillos (2) | 7 December 1982 | 5 July 1985 | PSOE | Felipe González |
| Javier Solana (3) | 5 July 1985 | 7 July 1988 | PSOE | Felipe González |
| Rosa Conde (4) | 7 July 1988 | 13 July 1993 | PSOE | Felipe González |
| Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba (5) | 13 July 1993 | 5 May 1996 | PSOE | Felipe González |
| Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Bajón (6) | 5 May 1996 | 16 July 1998 | PP | José María Aznar |
| Josep Piqué (7) | 16 July 1998 | 27 April 2000 | PP | José María Aznar |
| Pío Cabanillas Alonso (4) | 27 April 2000 | 9 July 2002 | PP | José María Aznar |
| Mariano Rajoy (5) | 9 July 2002 | 3 September 2003 | PP | José María Aznar |
| Eduardo Zaplana (8) | 3 September 2003 | 17 April 2004 | PP | José María Aznar |
| María Teresa Fernández de la Vega (9) | 17 April 2004 | 21 October 2010 | PSOE | José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero |
| Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba (10) | 21 October 2010 | 12 July 2011 | PSOE | José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero |
| José Blanco López (11) | 12 July 2011 | 21 December 2011 | PSOE | José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero |
| Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría (9) | 21 December 2011 | 4 November 2016 | PP | Mariano Rajoy |

### Felipe VI

| Name | Term | Term | Political Party | Prime Minister |
| Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría (9) | 21 December 2011 | 4 November 2016 | PP | Mariano Rajoy |
| Íñigo Méndez de Vigo (12) | 4 November 2016 | 1 June 2018 | PP | Mariano Rajoy |
| Isabel Celaá (13) | 7 June 2018 | 13 January 2020 | PSOE | Pedro Sánchez |
| María Jesús Montero (14) | 13 January 2020 | 12 July 2021 | PSOE | Pedro Sánchez |
| Isabel Rodríguez García (15) | 12 July 2021 | 21 November 2023 | PSOE | Pedro Sánchez |
| Pilar Alegría (16) | 21 November 2023 | Incumbent | PSOE | Pedro Sánchez |
* (1) Minister of Propaganda
* (2) Secretary of State for Information (1977-1981), Secretary of State of Communication (1981-1982).
* (3) He combined it with the position of Minister of Culture (December 3, 1982 - 7 de July 7, 1988).
* (4) Spokesperson Minister of the Government
* (5) Minister of the Presidency.
* (6) Secretary of State of Communication, acted as Spokesperson de facto of the Government.
* (7) He combined it with the position of Minister of Industry and Energy (May 6, 1996 - April 27, 2000).
* (8) He combined it with the position of Employment and Social Affairs (July 10, 2002 - April 17, 2004).
* (9) She combined it with the position of Vicepresident, Minister of the Presidency and Spokesperson of the Government.
* (10) She combined it with the position of Vicepresident and Spokesperson of the Government.
* (11) He combined it with the position of Minister of Public Works (April 7, 2009 - December 21, 2011).
* (12) He combined it with the position of Minister of Education, Culture and Sport.
* (13) She combined it with the position of Minister of Education and Vocational training.
* (14) She combined it with the position of Minister of Finance.
* (15) She combined it with the position of Minister of Territorial Policy.
* (16) She combined it with the position of Minister of Education, Vocational training and Sports.