Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez has carried out a far-reaching reshuffle of his government as his ruling Socialists seek to regain the initiative after a series of setbacks on the political, economic and diplomatic fronts.
In a much wider ranging reshaping of the government than expected, Sánchez promoted Nadia Calviño, Spain’s economy minister, to become his new number two, as several of the government’s most prominent figures left office.
In an address to the nation, Sánchez announced the formation of what he described as a new government that would focus on economic recovery and the use of the €140bn in EU funds that Spain hopes will help it bounce back from the ravages of the pandemic — and which the government hopes will help retrieve its fortunes.