Zap's named his new Cabinet, with some changes, but mostly continuity.
María Teresa Fernández de la Vega: First Deputy Premier and Cabinet chief. Holdover.
Pedro Solbes: Second Deputy Premier and Economics. Holdover.
Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba: Interior. Holdover.
Elena Salgado: Public Administration. Holdover.
Carme Chacón: Defense. Last legislature: Minister of Housing.
Celestino Corbacho: Labor and Immigration. Last legislature: Mayor of Barcelona suburb L'Hospitalet.
Mariano Fernández Bermejo: Justice. Holdover.
Bernat Soria: Health. Holdover.
Miguel Ángel Moratinos: Foreign Affairs. Holdover.
Miguel Sebastián: Industry, Tourism, and Commerce. Lost 2006 mayoral campaign in Madrid.
Mercedes Cabrera: Education, Social Affairs, and Family. Last legislature: Deputy from Madrid.
César Antonio Molina: Culture. Holdover.
Elena Espinosa: Agriculture and Environment. Holdover.
Cristina Garmendia: Research and Development. From the private sector.
Magdalena Álvarez: Public Works. Holdover.
Bibiana Aido: Equality. Last legislature: Deputy from Cadiz in Andalusian parliament.
Beatriz Corredor: Housing. Last legislature: Member of Madrid city council.
So that's a Cabinet made up of 17 ministers, nine women and eight men, though of the women only De la Vega, Chacón, and Álvarez hold top posts. It's the first time that a Cabinet has had more women than men, and the first time there's been a woman Defense minister.
Solbes is the minister who is most trusted by the Spanish public. I'm surprised Zap didn't fire Maleni Álvarez. Spain's most important international posts, Foreign Affairs and Defense, are in very weak hands, a wimp and an airhead. Rubalcaba is a holdover against his desires; he'd wanted to change posts. He's done OK at Interior, I have to admit. At least they got the new research and development minister from the private sector, so she might actually do a good job.
I have no idea what a minister of Equality is going to do; I suspect it's going to involve gender quotas. I thought Miguel Sebastián's political career was over after that embarrassing 2006 defeat; Zap must have owed him a big one in the favor bank. Former Barcelona mayor Joan Clos got booted at Industry; I wouldn't hire Clos to paint my back fence. And Cristina Narbona's head rolled at Environment, as I'd speculated.
3 comments:
Miguel Sebastian was partnered with David Vergara, Secretary of State of the Economy underneath Solbes, to run CIMD/Intermoney, a sort of Cantor Fitzgerald of cash, money market, and short-term government debt instruments and general money laundering. Can't imagine what the favor or ass-covering might involve.
Your airhead Carme Chacon, according to Wikipedia,
"Realizó estudios de postgrado en el Osgoode Hall Law School (Toronto, Canadá), la Universidad de Kingston y la Université Laval de Montreal."
Maybe just one or two seminars, perhaps... What kind of centres are those? Top flight? Just a place to go and get a title?
I don't think Celestino Corbacho's very good at painting fences either, but he's spent the last year bringing out poorly printed tourist booklets simply to give himself some name recognition, so by all means let the man go to Madrid and have a decent shag.
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