The socialist from Lleida who you can find at the Aplec del Caracol and now also at the Ferraz headquarters

BarcelonaIn seven years, Montse Mínguez (Lleida, 1976) has gone from suffering a defeat in municipal politics in Lleida to becoming one of the PSC leaders with the greatest influence in Madrid, as of this Friday as spokesperson for the PSOE. Until now, the general secretary of the socialist group in Congress has been part of of the quartet that has temporarily led the PSOE's organizational secretariat, following the resignation of Santos Cerdán due to the alleged corruption scandal that rocked the party. From now on, she has broken new ground and for the first time in history, a member of the PSC will act as spokesperson for the Spanish Socialists, the sister party. Despite not having a particularly high media profile, the MP has been gaining power in Congress since arriving in 2019 and is also a member of the PSOE executive. Her name already appeared in the list of ministers when Pedro Sánchez was preparing his executive, in November 2023. The PSOE leader already entrusted her with leading the party's hot potato until the federal committee on July 5, and now to be the voice of the party.

Mínguez was 26 years old the first time she set foot in the Paeria plenary hall as a councilor, under the mandate of Mayor Antoni Siurana. Under Àngel Ros, she took over the city council's economic portfolio. A graduate in business administration and management, she earned a reputation for traveling around loaded with documents and folders and for building good relationships with her opponents. When Ros folded, Mínguez, the first deputy mayor, became the acting mayor of Lleida.

But her dream of being the first female mayor crumbled when she lost the primary to Félix Larrosa for the mayoral leadership in 2018. Now, the relationship between the two is good, according to party sources, despite the fact that she eventually left the City Council to enter Spanish politics shortly after. In Madrid, she has been surprised by the "lack of respect" within politics, as she admitted to the newspaper. Segre. A phenomenon she experienced firsthand when far-right activist Bertrand Ndongo hounded her through Madrid a few months ago while asking her questions about the Begoña case and blocking her way.

A mother of two teenage children and an athlete, Mínguez maintains a friendly relationship with the residents of Lleida and, during the campaign, even tried her hand at TikTok. "She's a very approachable woman. She's well-educated, and at the same time, you can easily find her having a good time at the Aplec del Caragol," Socialist Teresa Cunillera, also a former member of Congress for Lleida, told ARA. She also emphasizes that she is a "cheerful person, always happy." A quality that may be welcomed at the Ferraz headquarters, where a rather funereal attitude has prevailed in recent weeks.