Other ministers named: Health, defence, justice, employment and education

Constantino Méndez, who was secretary of State for defence under former socialist president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, is now minister of the same department.

Health minister, replacing the PP's Dolors Montserrat, is Carmen Montón, from the Valencia regional government – a woman who has started the process of de-privatising hospitals and GP surgeries in Alzira (Valencia), Dénia (Alicante) and with others set to follow.

Sra Montón and her team also defied the right-wing PP government's decision to cease all but emergency free healthcare for undocumented migrants, insisting that medical treatment should be universal and available to all, not just those with the means to pay for it.

Probably the person with Spain's most crucial role is Magdalena Valerio (pictured), minister of work and pensions, who has already admitted 'there is a lot to do' once she starts in earnest.

This is her first elected role since 2014, when she was forced to give up her seat in the Lower Chamber after being diagnosed with breast cancer, aged 55.

She briefly resigned as party leader for the province of Guadalajara, where she was born, in 2016 – ostensibly to focus on her recovery from her illness, but implied as largely being because she was concerned about the PSOE's situation and its in-house 'freak show' at a time when Pedro Sánchez had been forced out due to his refusal to back Mariano Rajoy (PP) in his presidential investiture.

Now in full health and back in action, Magdalena will need to put all her skills and experience gained during her jobs with the unemployment office recruitment service and on the board of the Toledo Pact, covering State pensions, to good use.

PSOE (socialist) president Pedro Sánchez's cabinet is the first in Spain's history with more women on board than men – at least, so far.

In addition to Sánchez himself, only four men have been nominated – astronaut Pedro Duque as minister of science, innovation and universities; Catalunya-born anti-separatist Josep Borrell as foreign affairs minister; Constantino Méndez, and José Luis Ábalos as public works minister.

But nine women have ministerial roles – in addition to Carmen Montón, Dolores Delgado, Magdalena Valerio and Isabel Celaá, Sánchez has appointed European Commission budgetary advisor Nadia Calviño as economy minister, Teresa Ribera for environment and energy transition, Meritxell Batet for territorial administration, María Jesús Montero for the treasury, and Carmen Calvo as deputy president and party spokeswoman, as well as head of the ministry of equality.

This ministry was merged with health during the PP's reign, having been created by the last socialist president, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

Zapatero has, until now, been the only president of Spain who achieved gender parity in his cabinet, with nine men and nine women in charge of ministries.