The Deputy First Minister for Wales can be the deputy leader of the Welsh Government, the devolved administration for Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

. The post was created October 2000 when Mike German of the Welsh Liberal Democrats

Welsh Liberal Democrats

The Welsh Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties of the federal Liberal Democrats and operate within Wales, the others being the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England....

 was appointed Deputy First Minister as part of a coalition government

Coalition government

A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...

 with Welsh Labour. Since the office was created, the holder has been the leader party of the junior partner in coalition with Welsh Labour.

The last holder was Ieuan Wyn Jones

Ieuan Wyn Jones

Ieuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency...

 of Plaid Cymru

Plaid Cymru

' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...

 who was also the Minister for the Economy and Transport

Minister for the Economy and Transport

The Minister for the Economy and Transport was a member of the Cabinet in the Welsh Assembly Government. The Minister had responsibility for the Department for the Economy and Transport, which combined two devolved functions of the Welsh Government: Business and Economy, and Transport...

. Ieuan Wyn Jones served in the office as part of the One Wales

One Wales

One Wales is the coalition agreement for the National Assembly for Wales between Labour and Plaid Cymru agreed to by Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of Wales and leader of Welsh Labour, and Ieuan Wyn Jones, leader of Plaid Cymru, on 27 June 2007. It was negotiated in the wake of the preceding...

 agreement between Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour.

List of Deputy First Ministers

Name		Picture	In office	Political party	Government	Other office held
	Michael German		16 October 2000 – 8 May 2003 Acting: Jenny Randerson 6 July 2001 – 13 June 2002	Liberal Democrats Welsh Liberal Democrats The Welsh Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties of the federal Liberal Democrats and operate within Wales, the others being the Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England....	Labour – Liberal Democrat Coalition	Minister for Economic Development Minister for the Economy and Transport The Minister for the Economy and Transport was a member of the Cabinet in the Welsh Assembly Government. The Minister had responsibility for the Department for the Economy and Transport, which combined two devolved functions of the Welsh Government: Business and Economy, and Transport...
Office not in use 8 May 2003 – 11 July 2007
	Ieuan Wyn Jones Ieuan Wyn Jones Ieuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency...		11 July 2007 - 13 May 2011	Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...	Labour – Plaid Cymru Coalition One Wales One Wales is the coalition agreement for the National Assembly for Wales between Labour and Plaid Cymru agreed to by Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of Wales and leader of Welsh Labour, and Ieuan Wyn Jones, leader of Plaid Cymru, on 27 June 2007. It was negotiated in the wake of the preceding...	Minister for the Economy and Transport Minister for the Economy and Transport The Minister for the Economy and Transport was a member of the Cabinet in the Welsh Assembly Government. The Minister had responsibility for the Department for the Economy and Transport, which combined two devolved functions of the Welsh Government: Business and Economy, and Transport...
Office not in use 13 May 2011 – present