Montero Pushed for ‘Super Sunday,’ Sánchez Promised Campaign Involvement
María Jesús Montero is leaving the government but will remain seated on the Congress blue bench until Thursday. She will cast her final vote as first deputy prime minister and finance minister. That vote backs a package of measures related to the war in Iran.
A government reshuffle expected on Friday will reduce her role to that of a socialist deputy. She will campaign as the PSOE candidate for the Junta de Andalucía.
She formally left the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. Her farewell was emotional, colleagues said.
Campaign role and internal dynamics
Montero initially resisted taking charge of the Andalusian PSOE. When she accepted, she worked to prevent an electoral rout.
A government member told Filmogaz.com that Montero is aware the situation is very complicated. At one point, Montero Pushed for ‘Super Sunday,’ Sánchez Promised Campaign Involvement, but Moncloa rejected combining Andalusian and national ballots.
Some ministers considered a single election useful because of the president’s pull among progressive voters. Moncloa preferred to try to complete the mandate through 2027.
Sánchez did not consider advancing the general election. Political conversation also referenced Catalonia and Salvador Illa’s failure to pass budgets.
Sánchez agreed to take an active role in the Andalusian campaign. His team says he will “pour himself into” the effort, though fairs and other events complicate scheduling.
The 17 May event stands out as the campaign’s major test. The president’s presence will be read as an extension of the candidate’s performance.
Polls and electoral math
Internal PSOE polls place the party below the 30-seat threshold. Estimates range between 25 and 27 deputies.
That floor already materialised under Juan Espadas in 2022. Montero was positioned to blunt the party’s decline.
The aim is not to defeat Juanma Moreno outright. The immediate goal is to prevent a weakened PP from ceding ground to Vox.
Moreno seeks to keep the borrowed socialist vote and maintain his absolute majority. The broader field looks fractured, with the left split and Vox facing internal tensions.
Criticism and unfinished tasks
Critics have labeled Montero a “weekend candidate.” They noted her absence during the breast cancer screening crisis and other regional fights.
Her team said she wanted to close dossiers before returning home. Yet she departs without presenting national budgets or a new regional financing model.
She also leaves without advancing a proposed debt haircut. The political cost of commitments to independentist partners will weigh on the campaign.
Sánchez blocked a final ERC demand on IRPF, a move that forced Salvador Illa to withdraw his budgets. Moncloa insists that ministerial status is an asset for candidates.
Officials point to Pilar Alegría and to regional reindustrialization funded by EU resources. The campaign will decide if that argument holds up at the ballot box.
