The start of the XIII Andalusian legislature has reshaped the region's political field. After 24 years in government roles, including Minister of Finance and First Deputy Prime Minister, María Jesús Montero has become the PSOE's opposition leader in Andalusia. Following the 2026 regional election, she also became secretary general of the PSOE-A and the party's parliamentary spokesperson. The PSOE won 28 seats, a historically weak result that leaves it seeking to rebuild its regional base while challenging the government led by Juanma Moreno. The PP begins a third term in coalition with Vox. Under the agreement, Vox's Manuel Gavira becomes second vice president, a departure from the previous legislature, when Moreno governed without a formal Vox vice presidency.
With left-wing parties occupying the opposition benches, the Socialists see an chance to offer voters a more distinct alternative. Those parties are the PSOE, Adelante Andalucía and Por Andalucía. The timing of the next general election remains uncertain. The PP-Vox agreement links budget commitments to executive appointments and parliamentary coordination. Its reported measure 150 commits representatives of both parties to vote together on government initiatives, matters affecting government stability, budgets and bills. The measure also covers opposition requests for investigative or study commissions. That arrangement gives Vox a formal role in government and makes its support impressive to maintaining the coalition's parliamentary majority.
Montero's leadership style is already evident in the Andalusian Parliament. She has set up her office in the parliamentary building rather than at the PSOE's regional headquarters, and holds weekly press conferences focused on national issues and the party's corruption allegations. She consults closely with individual party leaders and keeps in regular contact with Pedro Sánchez. This has prompted speculation, both from the PP and within her own party, about how long she will remain in Andalusia. Montero's recent appointment as deputy spokesperson in the Senate has fueled those doubts, though she insists on her long-term commitment to rebuilding the PSOE in the region. The task also reaches beyond regional politics. The party is seeking to recover four Andalusian constituencies, Huelva, Málaga, Granada and Jaén, which it lost in the 2023 general election after its vote fell by more than 35,000.
Despite the PSOE's 28 seats in the regional parliament, party members agree that internal conflict should wait until after the general election. Montero has met with all eight provincial executives to prepare for the 2027 municipal elections, focusing on candidate selection in basic cities where the PSOE is currently in opposition. She has urged the party to minimize internal primaries and avoid further divisions. She has also called on members to remain vigilant against corruption, distinguishing between cases affecting the party at national level.
The current configuration of the Andalusian Parliament, with no right-wing parties in opposition, raises questions about the potential for a unified left-wing bloc. The PSOE aims to maintain cooperative relations with Adelante Andalucía and Por Andalucía, but differences in strategy and positioning remain. Por Andalucía appears disoriented after recent results, while Adelante Andalucía is seen as assertive and critical. Its criticism has focused particularly on housing and corruption, as well as regional financing. Both parties have said coordination is possible on certain issues, but a stable opposition bloc is unlikely.
Andalusia's political dynamics now center on the PP-Vox coalition in government and a fragmented left in opposition. A Centra poll reported in October 2026 projected 18.9% support for the PSOE-A, down 3.9 percentage points, and between 23 and 26 seats, below its existing 28. The same estimate put the PP at 41.5% and 52 to 53 seats in the 109-member parliament. It projected a combined PP-Vox vote of 57.6%. The figures point to a large lead for the governing bloc, but the PP's projected seat total would remain short of an outright majority, leaving Vox strategically impressive. These are projections, not election results. For the PSOE, the immediate challenge is to restore its standing as Andalusia's leading political force, rebuild morale and prepare for upcoming electoral contests.
The coalition's policy direction is also taking shape in public administration. Reporting on implementation of the agreement described the withdrawal of initial grants for nongovernmental organizations serving migrants and homeless people. The pact commits the government to reduce, and potentially eliminate, public subsidies that do not contribute directly and verifiably to Andalusians' quality of life. It gives particular attention to international-development aid. The decisions show how the agreement reaches beyond parliamentary arithmetic to shape the allocation of public funds.
Montero has used parliamentary scrutiny to draw a contrast between the PSOE and the PP-Vox government. On 23 October 2026, she accused Moreno of transferring responsibility for assistance to women experiencing gender violence to Vox. She cited more than 11,600 recorded complaints in Andalusia in the second quarter of the year. Montero argued that only a progressive government could protect women and their children, and counter machismo and violence. The exchange has become one point of contention as the coalition's governing arrangements translate into policy.
Andalusia has long been a basic region in Spanish politics, historically dominated by the PSOE until recent years. The rise of new political forces and shifting alliances reflect broader trends across Spain, where coalition governments have become more common and parliaments more fragmented. The PSOE's performance in Andalusia is often seen as a bellwether for national politics, making Montero's leadership and the party's recovery efforts particularly impressive as the country approaches another electoral cycle.
