In the biography of Maria Jesus Montero Everything seems like a game of impossible balances. His life moves between extremes that touch without mixing: the Catholic faith and agnosticism, devotion to Andalusia and its rise in national politics, scientific training and the fight for social justice. Now, the Minister of Finance and first vice president of the Government is preparing to close the circle. He returns to his land, Andalusia, with the aim of reconquering it for the PSOE in the regional elections of 2026. He has a year and a half to recover the largest and most populated autonomous community for the socialists.
Born in the Triana neighborhood of Seville, Montero grew up among the bustle of neighborhood patios, Holy Week processions and a firm sense of community that her parents, both teachers, instilled in her from childhood. His father, Manuel, a professor at the José María Izquierdo school, represented academic rigor. His mother, Conchita, was the emotional core that combined tradition with a latent progressivism. In that breeding ground, Montero learned to see knowledge as a weapon of change and faith as a pillar, not a dogma.
The vocation for medicine emerged early, but his time at university in Seville in the 1980s diverted his course slightly. On the one hand, he joined the Communist Party, attracted by the promise of social justice that this militancy offered her. On the other hand, her religious training led her to participate in grassroots Christian movements such as the Christian Worker Youth. In his own terms, he never saw any contradiction: “My faith has always spoken to me about caring for others, and that is politics in its purest form,” he once declared.
It was during that time of ideological effervescence when he met Rafael Ibáñez Reche, by then, a young law student who was active in Izquierda Unida. A confessed atheist and defender of the workers’ struggle, Ibáñez represented the polar opposite of what Montero had known at home. However, between heated debates and long nights shared, a bond emerged that defied all predictions. Against all convention, they married in the Church, and from that union two daughters were born, who over the years would become the epicenter of their life. Montero has always been a woman of paradoxes. While building his political career, rising from health management in Andalusia to the offices of power in Madrid, he maintained an ambivalent relationship with his faith. Despite his religious training, his political positions often challenged the most conservative lines of the Church. She defended progressive laws and, from her position as Minister of Finance, has promoted policies that according to her seek to reduce social inequality.
In 2019, the relationship with Ibáñez went through a turning point. He, retired from active politics, found refuge in his work as a lawyer at CC.OO., while she continued accumulating responsibilities in the central government. Although there was never an official divorce announcement, both spoke publicly of an “emotional separation.” It was a turn in her personal life that, like so many others, Montero assumed with the discretion that characterizes her. Today, at 57 years old, he returns to Andalusia with a mixture of ambition and nostalgia.
Between Che Guevara and Lina Morgan
At the event where she announced her candidacy to lead the Andalusian PSOE, the minister presented herself with the self-confidence of someone who knows the roots of her land. Amid applause, he first cited Che Guevara and then Lina Morgan, alternating ideological winks with lighter ones that caused laughter among the militants. “Andalusia is my home and my driving force,” he stated. His speech, marked by references to health, education and public services, revealed his intention to regain the trust of a community that the PSOE governed for 37 years before losing it in 2018. The challenge is not minor. Juanma Moreno, current president of the Board and leader of the Andalusian PP, has consolidated a majority that seems unbreakable. However, Montero is confident in his ability to connect with the bases. She knows that her experience as Minister of Health and Finance during the Andalusian socialist governments gives her credibility. And, above all, he believes in the power of mobilization. “This is a long-distance race, and politics, like life, is a relay race,” he stated in a gesture towards Juan Espadas, the outgoing leader of the Andalusian PSOE.
During his speech, Montero did not avoid the shadows of the past. He acknowledged errors, but also vindicated the historical achievements of his party in Andalusia. “We have made mistakes, but we have also built this land. It is time to look to the future without giving up our history.” Medina Azahara’s music resonated in the background, underlining the words of a woman who combines the pragmatism of an experienced politician with the charisma of someone who knows her land well. “Andalusia hurts me,” he said with an emotion that did not seem fake. “But I also know that this land has more talent than any other. Let’s speak up.” While the attendees chanted his name, Montero took a moment to greet the youngest members of the party. “This is not about me, but about you. The strength of Andalusia is in its people.”
María Jesús Montero returns home as a woman marked by contradictions and, at the same time, strengthened by them. Catholic and communist in her youth, wife of an atheist and devout mother, doctor and manager, defender of faith and secular laws, she is a reflection of the complexity of the Andalusia that she now aspires to lead. Like the Guadalquivir that meanders between opposite banks, his life is a testimony of how opposites can not only coexist, but complement each other.
The road to the 2026 elections will be arduous, but if Montero has shown anything throughout his career, it is that he knows how to navigate turbulent waters. Perhaps, after all, it is precisely that ability to reconcile the irreconcilable that makes her the figure that Andalusia needs to face the future.
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