Spain Madrid, Reuters, Nov. 3, 2016 – Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy refreshed his cabinet for a new era of minority government on Thursday, bringing in six new faces and handling an expanded role to Economy Minister Luis de Guindos, who has a key budget-coordinating role with Brussels.
The new, younger 13-member cabinet includes five women and gives a new role to Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, who will take charge of relations with Spain’s autonomous regions at a time when the wealthy northeastern Catalonia region plans an independence referendum.
The Conservative Rajoy won a parliamentary confidence vote on Saturday, taking power after two indecisive elections that led to 10 months of political paralysis.