María Teresa Velilla, new Director of Institutional Communication for the Government

The Council of Ministers, upon the proposal of the President of the Government, has agreed to the appointment of María Teresa Velilla de la Rocha as director of the Department of Institutional Communication of the Secretary of State for Communication. The dismissal and appointment are formalized by Royal Decree 734/2026, of September 15, published in the Official State Gazette number 229, of September 16, 2026.

The decision was adopted following deliberation by the Council of Ministers at its meeting on September 15, 2026. The decree is signed by Felipe R. and countersigned by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, in his capacity as the head of the competent department.

A key position in the Executive’s communication

The Department of Institutional Communication is part of the Secretary of State for Communication, a body dependent on the Ministry of the Presidency that coordinates the Government’s information strategy and the dissemination of its actions to the media and the public.

The new director assumes the responsibility of leading the Executive’s institutional communication, an area that encompasses the coordination of institutional advertising campaigns and liaison with the various ministerial departments.

Appointment details

The appointment is recorded in section II.A (Authorities and personnel, appointments) of the gazette, with the following data:

• Official reference: cve BOE-A-2026-19256.
• Regulation: Royal Decree 734/2026, of September 15.
• Issuing body: Presidency of the Government.
• Publication: BOE no. 229, Wednesday, September 16, 2026, page 122403.
• Position: director of the Department of Institutional Communication of the Secretary of State for Communication.

Relevance of the position

The Directorate of Institutional Communication is one of the central pieces of the Government’s information architecture, as it is responsible for coordinating the delivery of the Executive’s messages and policies. The appointment, which is direct and non-competitive, reflects the president’s confidence in the new head to steer the communication strategy during a time of high media exposure.

With this decree, María Teresa Velilla de la Rocha becomes the top official responsible for the Government’s institutional communication, with the mission of ensuring the coherence and effectiveness of official messages before public opinion.

Source: Official State Gazette, no. 229, September 16, 2026, Sec. II.A, page 122403 (official reference: BOE-A-2026-19256).