Escrivá, in the “chair game” waiting to replace Calviño in the economic portfolio

2023-11-21 07:04:10

Pedro Sánchez’s “chair game” has left José Luis Escrivá without the Social Security chair and has placed him on the Digital Transformation stool. Although the President of the Government has recovered an Escrivá who seemed out of the Executive for a long time to deal with a minor ministry dependent on European funds, his decision to keep Work and Social Security separated and resign from the “super ministry” of Yolanda Díaz has granted an opportunity to continue in the legislative plans.

Additionally, the play on the mat may have an additional carom. Apparently, Escrivá seems to be one of the great victims of this new governmental remodeling, with an evident loss of space, importance and weight in the new Executive. He has been “forced” to “give up” one of the key portfolios to assume a low-profile one, despite the large amount of money coming from European funds through the Perte for the development of digitalization and Artificial Intelligence (AI), telecommunications and new digital infrastructures can elevate this department and position it as one of those that manages the most money over the next three years. Escrivá will have to deal with the reconfiguration of the telecommunications sector and also with the Executive’s commitment to being the pioneer in the regulation of artificial intelligence, which is not a sweetheart given the growing weight of this sector in the GDP.

But the blow may come if Nadia Calviño finally achieves the presidency of the European Investment Bank (EIB), for which she has been yearning for a year. Her departure from Economic Affairs and Commerce would open several scenarios. The first, create a “macro-ministry” of Economy and Finance that, incidentally, would elevate María Jesús Montero to the first vice presidency. Although it was discussed during the negotiations to form the new Executive, it was finally discarded in the short term, pending the resolution of the EIB soap opera. If in the end this merger were to take place, Sánchez could return to the times of the governments of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, in which Pedro Solbes and Elena Salgado led that joint rein.

Escrivá would enter a second equation, who would have accepted a smaller portfolio with the promise that if Calviño’s departure was confirmed, he would be considered the first option to be the Government’s top economic official. A third option would leave him out: appoint a new minister to keep Calviño’s inheritance.

But, for now, he will have to focus on his new department, with many pending issues. The Government’s commitment to anticipate future regulation of the European Union should be completed before the end of the Spanish presidency, so time is against it. It must also extend broadband coverage to 100% of the population or promote the Strategic Semiconductor Plan.