Zapatero government into office on 17 April. Zapatero's first cabinet was composed mainly by members of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and its sister party, the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC), as well as a number of independents. It succeeded the second Aznar government. The Council of Ministers was structured into the Prime Minister, two Deputy Prime Ministers, 16 ministries and the post of Spokesperson of the Government. The second Zapatero government was the government of Spain from 14 April 2008 to 22 December 2011, a total of days, or . Zapatero was elected Prime Minister by the Congress of Deputies
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Civilizations; the legalisation of same-sex marriage; reform of abortion law; a peace negotiation attempt with ETA; increase of tobacco restrictions; and the reform of various autonomous statutes, particularly the Statute of Catalonia. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was born in Valladolid, Castile and León, to Juan Rodríguez y García-Lozano (born 1928), a lawyer, and María de la Purificación Zapatero Valero (Tordehumos, Valladolid, 1927 – Madrid, 30 October 2000). He grew up in León, where his family originated. His paternal grandfather, Juan Rodríguez y Lozano (28 July 1893 – Puente Castro, León, 18 August 1936), was a Republican captain, executed by