As of July 2023, 17 women have served or are serving as the president of a Spanish Autonomous Community (including three acting presidents) and none have served or are serving as presidents of the autonomous cities. Currently, five women are serving as regional presidents.

History The first woman to act as regional president was María Antonia Martínez, who served as Acting president of Murcia for almost a month after former president Andrés Hernández Ros was forced to resign. She would be later, in 1993, elected as President of the region after once again another former president, Carlos Collado, was also forced to resign.

The first woman to assume office as regional president following a regional election was Esperanza Aguirre, who was elected on November 21, 2003, by the Assembly of Madrid, also becoming the first woman to held the position since María Antonia Martínez, and she also became the first woman to resign from her position following a corruption scandal. Since then, apart from the Region of Murcia and the Community of Madrid, eight other Autonomous Communities have elected female regional Presidents after their respective regional elections.

On 20 June 2023, Mae de la Concha became the first woman not to belong to one of the two main nationwide Spanish political parties to be appointed as regional president, although serving only in acting capacity.

To date, no woman has ever changed parties during her presidential term.

Demographics To date, ten Autonomous Communities have elected women as regional presidents, and only Navarre and the Balearic Islands have elected women from different political parties to hold the position. Navarre was also the first community where a woman followed another woman as president, and is the first and to date only community to have three women in a row being elected as president - although the Balearic Islands also have three women in a row as president. The Community of Madrid and Navarre are the communities that have elected the most women to the position, with three each.

As of 2021, a total of 7 autonomous communities have never had a woman as president. Those regions are: Asturias, the Basque Country, the Canary Islands, Castile and León, Catalonia, Galicia and the Valencian Community and the two autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Only one autonomous community (Castile and León) has never seen a major party nominate a woman in a regional election.

No women of color have been elected as regional president.

Esperanza Aguirre from the Community of Madrid has been the longest-serving female regional president, with a mandate of 8 years and 301 days while María Antonia Martínez from the Region of Murcia has been the shortest-serving female president.

From June 25 to July 1, 2015, from April 4 to May 3, 2017, and since July 14, 2023 there was a total of five women serving as regional presidents, making these the periods with the greatest number of women serving at the same time.

Histograph Starting Total Graph March 9, 1984 1 (5.3%) ❚April 1, 19840 (0%) May 3, 19931 (5.3%)❚ July 5, 1995 0 (0%)   November 21, 2003 1 (5.3%) ❚ June 22, 2011 2 (10.5%) ❚❚ June 28, 2011 3 (15.8%) ❚❚❚ July 14, 2011 4 (21.1%) ❚❚❚❚ September 18, 2012 3 (15.8%) ❚❚❚ September 6, 2013 4 (21.1%) ❚❚❚❚ June 25, 2015 5 (26.3%) ❚❚❚❚❚ July 5, 2015 4 (21.1%) ❚❚❚❚April 4, 20175 (26.3%)❚❚❚❚❚May 4, 20174 (21.1%)❚❚❚❚ April 26, 2018 3 (15.8%) ❚❚❚ January 19, 2019 2 (10.5%) ❚❚ August 17, 2019 3 (15.8%) ❚❚❚ August 29, 2019 4 (21.1%) ❚❚❚❚June 30, 20233 (15.8%)❚❚❚July 4, 20234 (21.1%)❚❚❚❚July 14, 20235 (26.3%)❚❚❚❚❚

Autonomous Communities

PortraitName(lifespan)StateTerm startTerm endTenurePartyNotesDepartureRefMaría Antonia Martínez García Region of MurciaMarch 9, 1984March 31, 1984Spanish Socialist Workers' PartyFirst woman serving as President of the Region of Murcia (in acting capacity).Not reelectedMay 3, 1993July 4, 1995First woman serving as President of the Region of Murcia. Shortest-serving woman in the post.Esperanza Aguirre y Gil de Biedma Community of MadridNovember 21, 2003September 17, 2012People's PartyFirst woman elected President of the Community of Madrid.First woman elected president in a regional election. First woman to resign from her post.

Longest-serving woman in the post.

First woman to be reelected.

First woman to be reelected twice.

First woman to win by absolute majority.ResignedMaría Dolores de Cospedal García Castilla-La ManchaJune 22, 2011July 1, 2015People's PartyFirst and only woman elected as President of Castilla-La Mancha. First woman to defeat an incumbent president.Not reelectedYolanda Barcina Angulo NavarreJune 28, 2011July 22, 2015Navarrese People's UnionFirst woman elected as President of Navarre.Not up for reelectionLuisa Fernanda Rudi Úbeda AragonJuly 14, 2011July 4, 2015People's PartyFirst and only woman elected as President of Aragon. Oldest woman to be elected as president (60).Not reelectedSusana Díaz Pacheco AndalusiaSeptember 6, 2013January 18, 2019Spanish Socialist Workers' PartyFirst and only woman elected President of Andalusia. Youngest woman to be elected as President (39).Not reelectedCristina Cifuentes Cuencas Community of MadridJune 25, 2015April 25, 2018People's PartyResignedUxue Barkos Berruezo NavarreJuly 22, 2015August 6, 2019Geroa BaiFirst woman to succeed another woman in office.Not reelectedFrancina Armengol Socias Balearic IslandsJuly 2, 2015June 20, 2023Spanish Socialist Workers' PartyFirst woman elected President of the Balearic Islands. Defeated an incumbent president.Resigned following electoral defeatDisposición 14603 del BOE núm. 146 de 2023María Dolores Pagán Arce Region of MurciaApril 4, 2017May 3, 2017People's PartyOnly serving in acting capacityMaría Chivite Navascués NavarreAugust 6, 2019IncumbentSpanish Socialist Workers' PartyDefeated an incumbent president. Third woman in a row to be elected President of Navarre.ServingIsabel Díaz Ayuso Community of MadridAugust 17, 2019IncumbentPeople's PartyServingConcha Andreu Rodríguez La RiojaAugust 29, 2019June 29, 2023Spanish Socialist Workers' PartyFirst and only woman elected President of La Rioja. Defeated an incumbent president.Not reelectedMae de la Concha Balearic IslandsJune 20, 2023July 6, 2023Unidas PodemosOldest woman to serve as President (68).

Succeeded another woman in office.Only serving in acting capacityMaría José Sáenz de Buruaga CantabriaJuly 4, 2023IncumbentPeople's PartyFirst and only woman elected President of Cantabria. Defeated an incumbent president.ServingMarga Prohens Balearic IslandsJuly 6, 2023IncumbentPeople's PartyThird woman in a row to serve as president of the Balearic Islands. Defeated an incumbent PresidentServingMaría Guardiola ExtremaduraJuly 14, 2023IncumbentPeople's PartyFirst and only woman elected President of Extremadura.Serving

Autonomous cities

As of January 2023, since the approval of the Statues of Autonomy for Ceuta and Melilla, no woman has held the role of president.

Timeline of women serving as presidents

See also

List of current presidents of the autonomous communities of Spain President (Autonomous communities of Spain)

Notes

References