2023-12-08 19:00:53
In Spain they are proud of Nadia Calviño. As the first female president of the European Investment Bank, Spain’s former economics minister will “strengthen presence and influence in multilateral international organizations,” according to her ministry. However, the departure of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s previous first deputy leaves a big gap in the new cabinet, which took the oath of office just two and a half weeks ago. The former career EU official has been part of Sánchez’s left-wing government since the beginning, i.e. since June 2018. She was one of its most important pillars. And it helped to allay initial concerns in the EU and ensured good relations with Brussels.
Hans-Christian Rößler
Political correspondent for the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb based in Madrid; previously correspondent in Israel.
The 55-year-old Calviño’s move to Luxembourg will have an impact on the economic and financial policies of the new minority government in Madrid and could strengthen the left wing – especially the political weight of Calviño’s rival Yolanda Díaz. The labor minister, who is also the chairwoman of the new left-wing alliance Sumar and herself has a communist party membership, has ambitious and expensive plans for Spanish social policy. Calviño had repeatedly slowed down Díaz, who is also the Prime Minister’s deputy. Only in the last few days did she reject the increase in unemployment benefits announced by Díaz and advocated for stronger incentives to look for work. Both ministers had previously argued about increasing the minimum wage and labor market reform.
Sánchez’s succession plan will soon shed light on the future course of the government, which, under pressure from Sumar, wants to further expand the welfare state despite a tight state budget. Employee rights are to be strengthened, the statutory minimum wage is to be further increased and working hours are to be reduced with full wage compensation. It was noticeable that Sánchez had strengthened the position of the socialist finance minister María Jesús Montero in the new cabinet and also appointed her as one of the deputy prime ministers; she is one of his closest confidants.
Hans-Christian Rößler, La Restinga Published/Updated: Recommendations: 2 Hans-Christian Rößler, Madrid Published/Updated: Recommendations: 3 Hans-Christian Rößler, Madrid Published/Updated: Recommendations: 8
José Luis Escrivá is mentioned as a possible new economics minister. After the cabinet reshuffle, the former Minister of Social Affairs lost responsibility for social insurance and migration and was given the newly created Ministry for Digital Transformation; Digitalization was previously located in Calviño’s Ministry of Economic Affairs. Escrivá, from whom Díaz supposedly expects a less difficult collaboration than with the “orthodox” Calviño, was responsible for pension reform in the last legislative period. Although there is a huge hole in the Spanish pension fund, it is not just the lower pensions that are increasing, while higher earners are expected to pay higher contributions.
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