María Jesús Montero Cuadrado (; born 4 February 1966) is a Spanish hospital administrator and politician currently serving as Senator and Member of the Parliament of Andalucia since 2026. At party level, she serves as Deputy Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since 2022 and as Secretary-General of the Andalusia PSOE's branch since 2025.

Montero has held important political positions throughout her career. Between 2018 and 2026 she served as Minister of Finance,Paul Day (June 5, 2018), Spain's Socialist cabinet takes shape, fate of 2018 budget unclear Reuters. as Government Spokesperson from 2020 to 2021 and as Deputy Prime Minister from 2023 until her resignation. She also served as Member of the Congress of Deputies representing Seville from 2019 to 2026. Prior to that, between 2004 and 2018, she served as regional minister in different portfolios of the Regional Government of Andalusia.

Education and early career The daughter of teachers, Montero has a Degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Seville and master's degree in management from the EADA Business School in Barcelona.

At institutions like the Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Montero subsequently worked as a hospital administrator, holding various positions of responsibility throughout her career, mainly linked to the specialization of health management.Daniel Dombey (November 30, 2020), Spain set to approve budget to increase role of state and taxes Financial Times.

Political career Montero chaired the Committee on Marginalization of the Andalusia Youth Council between 1986 and 1988, and later, general secretary of the same until 1990.

Montero served as a Socialist deputy in the Parliament of Andalusia, representing the electoral constituency of Seville.Montero Cuadrado, María Jesús

Regional Minister of Andalusia (2004–2018) Between September 2002 and April 2004 Montero held the position of Deputy Minister of Health of the Junta de Andalucía, after which she was appointed head of the Regional Ministry of Health, a responsibility she held until May 2012, the date from which she assumed the Health portfolio and Social Welfare.

During Montero's tenure at the head of the Ministry of Health, new health rights were regulated, such as the second medical opinion, access to preimplantation genetic diagnosis, genetic counseling or dignified death. Also under her leadership, Andalusia defied a 2012 ban on free healthcare for undocumented immigrants, imposed by the central government as part of spending cuts to avoid an international bailout amid the European debt crisis.Nigel Davies (August 24, 2012), Spain regions, doctors defy immigrant healthcare ban Reuters.

In partnership with other institutions and the business sector, biomedical research has also been promoted, through a network of centers such as the Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine (CABIMER), the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBIS), Center for genomics and oncology research (GENYO) or the Research Center for Innovative Medicines (MEDINA).

From 9 September 2013 to 6 June 2018, Montero served as Minister of Finance and Public Administration of the Junta de Andalucía. At the head of this department, developed and approved five budgets without an absolute majority in Parliament, one with Izquierda Unida and four with Citizens. Andalusia is currently one of the few communities that complies with the rules of budgetary stability and financial sustainability (goal of deficit, debt and expenditure rule), in addition to becoming the common system community that previously pays its suppliers. Likewise, during these years important regulatory advances have been promoted in the Finance area, such as the decree of payment terms guarantees, with which the Junta de Andalucía self-imposed to reduce the maximum payment time in sectors to only 20 days. priority areas such as health, education and social services.

Government minister (2018–2026)

Montero was chosen by prime minister Pedro Sánchez, following the motion of no confidence that the PSOE presented against the previous government of Mariano Rajoy (PP) and that was approved by the Congress of Deputies on 1 June 2018, to be Finance Minister in new Spanish cabinet.María Jesús Montero, ministra de Hacienda Felipe VI sanctioned by royal decree of June her appointment as the first female holder of the portfolio of Minister of Treasury of Spain.Real Decreto 357/2018, de 6 de junio, por el que se nombran Ministros del Gobierno On 7 June she took office as Minister before the King at Palace of Zarzuela.Los 17 del "Consejo de Ministras y Ministros" de Sánchez prometen ante el Rey Real Decreto 357/2018, de 6 de junio, por el que se nombran Ministros del Gobierno

By January 2019, Montero presented her minority government's first budget proposal of 472.7 billion euro ($543 billion), promising to reduce its deficit to 1.3 percent of gross domestic product but also increase social spending by over 6 percent;Belen Carreño (January 11, 2019), Spanish draft budget ups social spending, taxes rich in vote hunt Reuters. the proposal failed to get parliamentary approval and instead prompted a snap election.Belen Carreño and Ingrid Melander (February 13, 2019), Spain's government loses budget vote, paving way for early election Reuters.

In early 2020, after the November general election of 2019, Montero was confirmed by the Prime Minister to continue in the Finance portfolio.Nathan Allen (January 9, 2020), Socialist Maria Jesus Montero named Spain budget minister Reuters. In addition, she was appointed government spokeswoman.Paola Luelmo and Belén Carreño (January 10, 2020), Factbox: Main figures in Spain's new government Reuters.

Following recommendations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) aimed at reviving the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, Montero led efforts in 2020 to suspend the constitutional commitment to any deficit targets for two years and allow the government to spend and borrow at will.Belén Carreño (October 20, 2020), Spain's constitutionally enshrined fiscal pledge falls victim to pandemic Reuters.

In 2021, Montero steered the government’s negotiations that resulted in the Chamber of Deputies approving a total central government budget of 196 billion euros –the biggest budget in the country's history–, after Prime Minister Sánchez had won the support of the Catalan pro-independence Republican Left of Catalonia.Daniel Dombey (25 November 2021), Spain passes biggest budget in its history Financial Times.Emma Pinedo (25 November 2021), Spain's draft budget clears another hurdle in parliament Reuters. That year, she also reported that Spain's budget deficit had narrowed to 6.76% of gross domestic product from over 10% in 2020.Inti Landauro, Nathan Allen, Belén Carreño and Emma Pinedo (31 March 2022), Spain's 2021 budget gap narrows more than expected, further cut seen Reuters.

However, she failed on three occasions during the 2024–2026 period to comply with the constitutional mandate to present a budget to parliament for its approval, a fact that would be brought before the Constitutional Court by the Senate, with a majority of the People's Party, and which is pending resolution.

In March 2026, she left her government positions to run as a candidate in the 2026 Andalusian regional election.

Return to regional politics In January 2025 she was proclaimed Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party of Andalusia as no other candidate ultimately obtained the necessary endorsements. Her formal proclamation took place at the regional Congress held between February 22 and 24 of that year in Armilla, Granada.

Following the call for elections by Juanma Moreno for May 2026, Montero left her government posts—although she retained her seat in the Congress of Deputies—to focus on the election campaign.

Political positions In a letter sent to their counterparts in the European Commission – Pierre Moscovici and Miguel Arias Cañete – in May 2019, Montero and Environment Minister Teresa Ribera called on the European Union to assess a potential carbon tax on power imports to protect the bloc’s interests and help it to pursue its environmental targets amid growing public concern over climate change.Belen Carreño (May 27, 2019), Spain proposes EU carbon tax on energy imports Reuters.

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