Pedro Sánchez announces changes to his Government

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

Sánchez announced that the ministerial structure of the government will be maintained, but the vice-presidencies will be reduced to three, with Nadia Calviño as first vice-president, Yolanda Díaz as second vice-president and Teresa Ribera as third vice-president; all three will retain their respective current responsibilities.

New ministers

The new ministers, who will take office next Monday and participate in their first Council of Ministers next Tuesday, are as follows:

• Minister for Justice, Pilar Llop.
• Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares.
• Minister for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez Jiménez.
• Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Pilar Alegría.
• Minister for the Presidency, Parliamentary Relations and Democratic Memory, Félix Bolaños.
• Minister for Territorial Policy and Government Spokesperson, Isabel Rodríguez Jiménez.
• Minister for Science and Innovation, Diana Morant Ripoll.
  In addition to the new appointments, Sánchez has reported other changes in the government: the minister Miquel Iceta will become the head of the Ministry of Culture, and the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, will add the Public Function to her responsibilities.

A new team to tackle a fair, digital, green and feminist recovery

Pool Moncloa / Borja Puig de la BellacasaThe Chief executive assured that, with 30 months of the legislature remaining, the Government "is entering a new phase" with the "incorporation of young women and men of extraordinary worth, very experienced in public service and with a spirit of closeness to the citizens". "A team that receives a great boost to undertake a fair recovery, bringing youth and approachability".

In this sense, Sánchez stressed that, once the hardest part of the pandemic has been overcome, the new government "will have the primary task of consolidating economic recovery and job creation" and "managing the enormous opportunity represented by European funds" to underpin the modernisation of our economy.

"As of today, the Recovery Government begins. A Government of women and men to completely overcome the worst calamity experienced by humanity in decades and to take advantage of an exceptional opportunity to build a better Spain," he said.

A recovery that -the president insisted- "will be social", unlike what has happened on previous occasions, so that "the fruits of growth reach the whole of society, starting with those who most need public support"; "it will be digital", because a more productive and competitive economy, as we need, entails a huge leap forward in digitalisation; "it will be green, because after the enormous COVID-19 crisis we are all even more aware that we must avoid a climate emergency against which there is no vaccine other than energy transition and environmental policies" and "it must also be feminist, because only with the full incorporation of women on equal terms can we build the better Spain to which we all aspire".

A generational renewal and a reinforcement of the presence of women

Pedro Sánchez also stressed that the new government represents, firstly, "a generational renewal", as the average age will be 50, compared to the 55 of the previous Government, and "reinforces, even more, the presence of women at the head of ministries, which goes from 54% to 63%, making our country once again a benchmark in gender parity".

He also pointed out that the Government "incorporates profiles from municipal action and local politics, with successful track records in the management of their respective cities".

Thanks to outgoing ministers

Finally, Sánchez thanked all the members of the Government who are leaving their posts in this new phase for their work, who "have given all their time, all their talent and all their effort to Spain", demonstrating "an extraordinary vocation for public service in the most extreme situation that our country has experienced in decades".

"I would like to expressly thank Carmen Calvo, Arantxa González Laya, Juan Carlos Campo, José Luis Abalos, Isabel Celaá, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes and Pedro Duque for their personal, political and professional dedication during the time they have been at the head of their ministries", as "they have given their all in defence of the public good in the toughest circumstances", he remarked.

Non official translation