Spain unveils pro-EU, female-dominated gov’t

MADRID — Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s new pro-European Union (EU) government was to be sworn in on Thursday with the most women in modern history, with 11 female and six male ministers.

The new executive composed by the 46-year- old, who ousted conservative veteran Mariano Rajoy as prime minister last Friday in a no-confidence vote, includes astronaut Pedro Duque as science minister.

As Brexit gathers pace and with Italy now led by a euroskeptic, populist government, Spain’s new executive is distinctly pro-EU.

Nadia Calvino — director general for budget at the European Commission with a 12-year experience in high-level postings in Brussels — will become economy minister and Josep Borrell, who was European Parliament president between 2004 and 2007, foreign minister.

Mr. Sanchez said his executive was “a reflection of the best in society.” But it is also a minority government, as the Socialists only have 84 lawmakers in the 350seat parliament.

As such, the government will have a tough time governing Spain, relying as it will on the votes of far- left party Podemos as well as Basque and Catalan nationalist lawmakers who supported his no-confidence motion.

The new executive includes two veteran Socialists — Carmen Calvo, vice- president, and Mr. Borrell. Ms. Calvo, who was culture minister from 2004 to 2007, will also be in charge of equality, a priority for Mr. Sanchez’s government in a country where women staged an unprecedented strike to defend their rights on March 8.

Anti- terror prosecutor Dolores Delgado will be justice minister, former Supreme Court judge Margarita Robles defense minister, and other women have been put in charge of education, employment or health.

Fernando Grande-Marlaska, a former judge at Spain’s top-level National Court, where he took on cases against Basque separatist group ETA, will head up the interior ministry.

Maria Jesus Montero will become budget minister after playing a similar role at a regional level in southern Andalusia. In the name of maintaining “stability,” Mr. Sanchez has promised to implement the 2018 budget crafted by the previous conservative government. Among the budget’s key measures are a 1-3% rise in the lowest pensions and a salary hike for civil servants, ahead of municipal, regional and European elections next year.

The new government’s “main priority” will be to respect Madrid’s deficit reduction commitments to the EU, Mr. Sanchez has said. Spain has promised to reduce its deficit to 2.2% of gross domestic product in 2018, thus finally going under the three percent limit set by Brussels.

On a day-to-day basis, Meritxell Batet has been put in charge of relations with Spain’s regions, while award- winning author Maxim Huerta will serve as culture minister. —