First government of Diego Martínez Barrio

The first government of Diego Martínez Barrio was formed on 9 October 1933, following the latter's appointment as Prime Minister of Spain by President Niceto Alcalá-Zamora and his swearing-in the same day. It succeeded the first government of Alejandro Lerroux and was the government of Spain from 9 October 1933 to 16 December 1933, a total of 69 days, or 2 months and 8 days.

The cabinet comprised members of the Radical Republican Party, the Radical Socialist Republican Party, Republican Action, the Republican Left of Catalonia, the Galician Republican Party, the Progressive Republican Party and the Radical Socialist Left.

The main purpose of the government was the organization of the next general elections to solve the parliamentary deadlock that arose as a result of the animosity between the left and the radicals, making impossible the formation of a new government. With its main purpose completed, the new government resigned after the elections.^[1]

The Constitution of 1931 enshrined Spain as a semi-presidential republic, awarding the President of the Republic the capability of appointing government ministers at will unless the Cortes refused explicitly, that is to say, through a motion of no confidence.^[2] He could also inspect and ultimately control executive acts by granting or denying the signature of presidential decrees ^[3] and dissolve the Cortes.^[4]

The President of the Republic, Alcalá-Zamora, held a round of negotiations as well as several individual interviews to solve the political crisis arising from Lerroux's resignation. The round of consults was carried out on 4 October and several interviews were carried out on 6 October and 7 October to seek solutions to the crisis after the failure of the successive candidates to form a governing coalition:

After the round of consultations, Alcalá-Zamora nominated Sánchez Román, who refused to form a government with catalanist ministers. He then nominated José Manuel Pedregal who refused after facing the opposition of the PRRS and the PRRSI. The next nomination was Gregorio Marañón who rejected outright to form a government but accepted helping the President of the Republic to carry out negotiations to seek an agreement.^[9] González Posada was then nominated but refused after failing to create an agreement between the radicals and the socialists. Finaly, the fifth nomination, Martínez Barrio, managed to create a coalition and formed a government.^[10]

• On 29 November 1933, Botella Asensi resigns as Minister of Justice due to infighting within the government, being replaced by Domingo Barnés Salinas.^[11]