Four deputy presidents: Iglesias and three PSOE women

Leader of left-wing Podemos, Pablo Iglesias, who struck a coalition agreement with elected president Pedro Sánchez of the PSOE (socialists) within 48 hours of the country's going to the polls, will be the 'main' deputy, and supporters of leftist parties believe the combination will work well: the PSOE is more centre-left than 'true' left-wing, whilst Podemos is dubbed 'far left' by its antagonists, meaning the two men will keep each other's policies 'in check' and ensure a good balance.

This is, however, the first coalition government Spain has had since the Transition to democracy in 1975, and is the first left-wing government since 2011, meaning time will tell whether it will be a success or whether at the November 2023 elections, Spaniards opt once again for a right-wing leader.

Current acting deputy president, the PSOE's Carmen Calvo, will continue in the rôle, whilst the present minister for the economy and former director-general for budgets with the European Commission, Galicia-born Nadia Calviño, 51, will join her.

The fourth name was confirmed today (Thursday) as energy transition and environment minister Teresa Ribera, 50 – a Madrid-born politics graduate who was head of the Sustainable Development and International Relations Institute in Paris in the four years leading up to her ministerial position.

Like Ribera, Carmen Calvo, 62, from Sevilla, is a university professor – she has a PhD in Constitutional Law and was minister for culture on José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's socialist government between 2004 and 2007 as well as regional minister for culture in Andalucía prior to this, from 1996.

As well as deputy president, she is also minister for presidency, Parliamentary relations and equality.

The photograph shows all three female deputy presidents – from left to right, Carmen Calvo, Nadia Calviño and Teresa Ribera.