The reshuffle of the Executive carried out yesterday by Pedro Sánchez, to resolve the departure of Nadia Calviño to the presidency of the European Investment Bank (EIB), contributes to "reinforcing the high political profile and proven technical solvency of the progressive coalition Government."
This was highlighted by the head of the Executive himself, during the appearance he made early in the morning at the Moncloa palace to announce some appointments of which he had previously informed the head of State, Felipe VI.
More political weight and more technical profile, therefore, to face the turbulence of an uncertain legislature, on a political and economic level, since this first government crisis of Sánchez's new mandate, forced by the departure of Calviño, implies the promotion from María Jesús Montero to the first vice presidency of the Executive, the incorporation of Carlos Body as the new Minister of Economy, and the transfer of the Public Function competence to the portfolio headed by José Luis Escrivá, to deploy a profound reform of the public administration.
After Sánchez's announcement, the protagonists of the remodeling promised their new positions before the King in the Zarzuela palace. And, with their appointments already published in the digital edition of the Official State Gazette, they quickly took possession of their respective portfolios.
Sánchez highlighted that the same qualities that assisted Calviño, “solvency and honesty”, are those that determined the election of Carlos Corpo (Badajoz, 1980) as the new Minister of Economy, Commerce and Business. The until now Secretary General of the Treasury was, precisely, the person proposed by Calviño herself to replace him, which guarantees the continuity of his policies. And the alignment with the economic orthodoxy of Brussels.
“Solvency and honesty are the traits that define Carlos Corpo's career,” the head of the Executive stressed. “A young professional, but with proven competence, and a public servant with an exemplary career within the Administration,” he stressed.
Corps will direct the Government's economic policy and preside over its powerful Delegate Commission for Economic Affairs, which until now was directed by Calviño with an iron fist. Sánchez highlighted that he thus assumes responsibility for a key portfolio, “an economist of enormous prestige both at the national level and in the European institutions and in the multilateral financial organizations.”
“His predecessor sets the bar very high for him, but I am convinced that Carlos Cuerpo will brilliantly provide continuity and depth to the exceptional work done by Nadia Calviño,” he highlighted.
Sánchez also promotes the Minister of Finance and until now fourth vice president, María Jesús Montero (Seville, 1966), to the first vice presidency of the Government. With the endorsement of three consecutive general state budgets approved in the previous legislature, “in time and form”, Montero adds her new institutional stripes as number two in the Government to her organic position as deputy general secretary of the PSOE.
The highest hierarchical level in the Executive, only below Sánchez in the ranking, is once again made up of three vice presidents. Montero, the first; the second is the Minister of Labor, and leader of Sumar, Yolanda Díaz; and the third is Teresa Ribera, Minister for the Ecological Transition. The remodeling implies the elimination of the fourth vice presidency.
Sánchez pointed out that it is not even necessary to mention Montero's background in all the responsibilities carried out to date alongside him. "But I do not want to fail to emphasize that our economic achievements, as well as the reinforcement of the welfare state compatible with the fiscal consolidation policies that this Government has been carrying out, would not have been possible without the intense and also brilliant work of Montero," stressed the president. . Montero has accompanied him as head of the Treasury since he arrived at Moncloa in June 2018.
Finally, the Secretary of State for Public Function, until now attached to the Treasury, is transferred to the Ministry of Digital Transformation directed by José Luis Escrivá. The objective, Sánchez justified, is to “reinforce the commitment to a modern, more agile and efficient Administration, which takes advantage of all the opportunities of digitalization and artificial intelligence to improve the quality of public services.”
