Editor’s note: This article was first published in April 2012. All positions it describes refer to that month, shortly after Mariano Rajoy’s PP government took office.
A little while ago I was talking with Gregorio Horga, from MyFinanzas, about the job destruction going on in Spain. Gregorio told me that Spain is creating jobs. I told him that was impossible, but he insisted on showing me the proof, so I had no choice but to shut up, because he’s absolutely right. Spain is creating jobs. Below we show 23 of the jobs it has created and the workers who will be able to fill them.
You can find their skills, letters of recommendation and professional achievements under “Relation”, in case anyone has any doubts about the candidates’ merits.
1. Elisa Robles Fraga
- Position: Director General of the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), an agency that reports to the Secretary of State for Research, Development and Innovation.
- Relation: Niece of Manuel Fraga Iribarne.
2. Víctor Calvo Sotelo
- Position: Secretary of State for Telecommunications.
- Relation: Son of Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo, former Prime Minister.
3. José Ramón Bujanda Sáenz
- Position: Chairman of SAECA, a public company owned by SEPI (the state holding company) and the Ministry of Agriculture.
- Relation: Brother-in-law of Miguel Arias Cañete, Minister of Agriculture.
4. José Miguel Martínez
- Position: Chairman of the state lottery company, Sociedad Estatal Loterías y Apuestas del Estado (SELAE), which reports to the Ministry of Finance.
- Relation: Related by marriage (concuñado) to Cristóbal Montoro, Minister of Finance.
5. Ángeles Alarcó Canosa
- Position: Chair and CEO of Paradores Nacionales (the state-owned hotel chain).
- Relation: Ex-wife of Rodrigo Rato, former Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of Bankia.
6. Ricardo Cospedal García
- Position: Next director of the Fundación Carolina.
- Relation: Brother of María Dolores de Cospedal, Secretary General of the PP and President of Castilla-La Mancha.
7. Ignacio López del Hierro
- Position: Nominated as a director of Red Eléctrica. Once the news became public, he was forced to step aside.
- Relation: Husband of María Dolores de Cospedal.
8. Rafael Rodríguez Ponga
- Position: Nominated as Secretary General of the Instituto Cervantes. In the meantime, he remains a member of parliament.
- Relation: Brother of María Flavia.
9. María Flavia Rodríguez Ponga
- Position: Director General of Insurance and Pension Funds.
- Relation: Sister of Rafael Rodríguez Ponga.
10. Alberto Nadal Belda
- Position: Deputy Secretary for Economic, Labour and International Affairs at CEOE (the Spanish employers’ confederation). Nominated as a director of Red Eléctrica; once the news became public, he was forced to step aside.
- Relation: Brother of Álvaro Nadal Belda.
11. Álvaro Nadal Belda
- Position: Director of the Prime Minister’s Economic Office, with the rank of Secretary of State.
- Relation: Brother of Alberto Nadal and married to María Teresa Lizaranzu Perinat.
12. María Teresa Lizaranzu Perinat
- Position: Director General of Cultural Policy and Industries and of Books.
- Relation: Married to Álvaro Nadal Belda.
13. Rafael Catalá Polo
- Position: Secretary of State at the Ministry of Public Works (Fomento).
- Relation: Brother of Raquel Catalá Polo.
14. Raquel Catalá Polo
- Position: Special Delegate of the Tax Agency in Madrid.
- Relation: Sister of Rafael Catalá Polo.
15. José Canal Muñoz
- Position: Technical Secretary General of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport.
- Relation: Married to Sonia Ramos Piñero.
17. Sonia Ramos Piñeiro
- Position: Director General for Support to Victims of Terrorism.
- Relation: Married to José Canal Polo.
18. Carmen Gámir
- Position: Press officer for the Secretary of State for Budgets.
- Relation: Partner of Alberto Núñez Feijóo, President of the Xunta de Galicia (the Galician regional government).
19. Marcelino Oreja Arburúa
- Position: Appointed Chairman of FEVE, the state-owned narrow-gauge railway company.
- Relation: Son of Marcelino Oreja Aguirre, former member of parliament and former Foreign Minister.
20. Miguel Cardenal Carro
- Position: President of the Consejo Superior de Deportes (Spain’s national sports council).
- Relation: Son of Jesús Cardenal, former Attorney General under José María Aznar.
21. Álvaro Ramírez de Haro y Aguirre
- Position: Adviser to the Secretary of State for Trade, Jaime García-Legaz.
- Relation: Son of Esperanza Aguirre.
22. María Zaplana Barceló
- Position: Adviser at the Secretary of State for Tourism.
- Relation: Daughter of former minister Eduardo Zaplana.
23. Iván de la Rosa
- Position: Lawyer in Telefónica’s legal department.
- Relation: Husband of Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, Deputy Prime Minister.
In short: with this data, plus a roast chestnut stall I saw the other day outside the door of a hospital, I have no doubt whatsoever: we’re on a job-creation roll 🙂
Featured image: Yeray Díaz Zbida, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
