Margarita Robles

In March 2020, the Prime Minister designated her as one of the four delegated authorities in charge of direct management of the health crisis of COVID-19. For this task, under her direction, Robles appointed the JEMAD, Miguel Ángel Villarroya Vilalta, as sole command of all the measures that his department carried out.

On January 30, 2019, she accompanied King Felipe VI on his trip to Iraq to mark the King's 51st birthday. They visited the contingent of more than 300 Spanish soldiers from the Besmayah "Gran Capitán" base.

In November 27, 2019, the Office of the Prime Minister announced that because of the departure of Foreign Minister Borrell to the European Commission, Robles would temporary assume the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs until a new government is formed. She assumed the office on November 30 and she left it in January 13, when Arancha González Laya assumed as new foreign minister.

In June 2018 following the successful vote of no confidence against Mariano Rajoy, Robles was appointed Minister of Defence by the new Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

On September 4, 2018, the Ministry of Defence announced that was studying to cancel a major contract with Saudi Arabia consisted in 400 laser-guided bombs because of the possible use of this weapons in the Yemeni War. However, a few days later the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister itself confirmed that the contract would go ahead to avoid a possible diplomatic conflict with Saudi Arabia that could put at risk Navantia's 2 billion contract.

On December 14, 2018, the Council of Ministers approved the military plan of Minister Robles to build five new F110 class frigates to replace the old Santa María class, 348 battle vehicles and upgrading the Eurofighter jet worth € 7.3 billion to be paid in the next 15 years.

On 25 June 2017, in an interview in La Sexta, Police Commissioner Villarejo accused her of commissioning a report against Garzón.

In May 2016 she was elected to the Congress of Deputies for the PSOE representing Madrid.

In May 2016, Robles jumped into politics when Pedro Sánchez announced she will occupy the second spot of the socialist list for Madrid at the upcoming general election.

She positioned with Sánchez in the ensuing leadership crisis that affected the PSOE following the elections. And in the investiture vote of Mariano Rajoy, she was one of the 15 socialist MP's not that abstained from voting against the party lines. At the 39th Socialist Congress she supported Pedro Sánchez's candidacy to Secretary-General of the party (Despite not being able to vote as she is not a card carrying member). After Sánchez won the congress, Robles was appointed spokesperson of the Socialist Parliamentary Group, replacing José Luis Ábalos.

In March 2010, Margarita Robles, along with conservatives Fernando de Rosa Torner and Gemma Gallego Sánchez, were challenged as members by the judge of the National Court, Baltasar Garzón, who asked the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court to keep him in his position, for being the three CGPJ members that have shown the most animosity against him.

In September 2008 she was elected member of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), being considered of one of its most active members. She served as such until December 2013. During her term as such, she supported the removal from office of the President of the General Council of the Judiciary and President of the Supreme Court, Carlos Dívar.

From May 2004 until May 2016 she was a Justice at the Supreme Court, in the third Chamber. She was a member of the General Council of the Judiciary from september 2008 until December 2013 on the proposal of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. she belongs to the progressive judge association Judges for Democracy.

After Gonzalez lost the 1996 General Elections, Robles returned to the judiciary and became a justice at the contentious-administrative chamber of the Audiencia Nacional. In 2004, she was appointed Justice of the third chamber of the Supreme Court, becoming the fourth woman ever to be appointed to the highest court.

Between 1994 and 1996, during the last government of Felipe González, Robles served as the first Secretary of State for the Interior, becoming the de facto second-in-command of the superministry of Justice and the Interior, also under Belloch.

With the appointment of Pedro Sánchez as Prime Minister of Spain, Robles was appointed by Sánchez a week later to assume the office of Minister of Defence thus vanishing the speculation that Robles could take over a "superministry" of Interior and Justice (as happened between 1994 and 1996 with minister Juan Alberto Belloch).

Close to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party in 1993 she was appointed Under Secretary of the Ministry of Justice under Juan Alberto Belloch. On her inauguration she established as her top priority to implement fast trials in Spain.

In 1981, at age 25, Robles entered the Judiciary, after completing her training at the Judiciary School, first of her class, and became the fourth women judge in Spain.

María Margarita Robles Fernández (León, November 10, 1956) is a Spanish judge and politician, currently serving as Minister of Defence since June 2018. From November 2019 to January 2020, she served as Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Robles was born in 1956 in León, the daughter of a lawyer and housewife, she undertook her primary education in the Teresian Carmelites school. At the age of 12, her family moved to Barcelona, where she graduated in Law at the University of Barcelona. Her younger brother is a doctor.