Albares tipped to lead PSOE election list in Andalucia

Spain’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares, looks set to lead the Socialist list in Andalucia in Spain’s forthcoming general election, Spanish media reported on Tuesday.

Mr Albares, who played a critical role in the negotiation for the UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar. Was one of three potential candidates to head the list of PSOE candidates in Andalucia, the other being the Minister for the Interior, Fernando Grande Marlaska, and Margarita Robles, the Defence Minister.

Mr Marlaska, whose ministerial brief includes political responsibility for Spain’s law enforcement agencies, had been heavily criticised following the deaths of two Guardia Civil officers in Barbate in 2024.

The appointment of Mr Albares as the lead candidate has yet to be formally confirmed by the party, which is expected to announce its decision this week.