Aranca Gonzalez Laja, who is an expert in international trade, will be the new Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, the office of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced today.
Former chief of staff of Pascal Lamy at the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 2005 to 2013, Gonzalez has been the head of the Center for International Trade since 2013, a joint agency of the WTO and the UN tasked with making companies in developing countries more competitive.
Sánchez continued today to form his new government, which will be composed of internationally known figures and ministers representing the radical left Podemos, with which the socialists will rule in a coalition.
Sánchez was due to present the composition of his government to King Felipe VI on Sunday, ahead of his swearing-in on Monday and the first cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Fifty-year-old Aranća Gonzalez, who speaks English, French, German, Italian and Basque, will lead the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where "economic diplomacy will have priority", her service stated.
Her predecessor at the head of Spanish diplomacy was Josep Borrell, who became the head of European diplomacy at the end of 2019.
Prime Minister Sánchez retained Nadja Calvino as Minister of Economy and promoted her to Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Economy, as well as Teresa Ribera as Minister for Environmental Transition, who was also appointed Deputy Prime Minister.
The government will also have a third vice-president, Carmen Calvo, the real number of two prime ministers, who has already been in that position since 2018 and will be in charge of complex issues of relations with the fragmented parliament.
The fourth deputy prime minister will be Pablo Iglesias, head of the radical left party Podemos, in charge of social rights.
Podemos will have a total of five seats in the new government.
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