He came to power as the result of a coalition government stemming from the 2012 Asturias General Council election held in March.

A parliamentary pact was made between the PSOE and the centrist Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD).

He appointed five women and three men to his cabinet, including economist Dolores Carcedo as the Minister of Finance.

[2] He retained the Presidency after the 2015 election, but governing in minority only with the support of the United Left of Asturias.

On 1 October 2016, Fernández was named by PSOE to lead the party's caretaker committee, after the resignation of Pedro Sánchez as secretary general.