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Madrid expects ‘respect’ from Milei on next Spain trip

Spain has urged Argentine President Javier Milei to show "respect" if he visits Madrid as planned later this week after he sparked a political crisis during his last trip.

Published: 19 June 2024 09:12 CEST
Madrid expects 'respect' from Milei on next Spain trip
Argentina's President Javier Milei gestures during the commemoration of the 214th anniversary of the May Revolution that led to the independence from Spain, at Plaza San Martin in Cordoba, Argentina, on May 25, 2024. (Photo by Diego LIMA / AFP)

Spain withdrew its ambassador to Argentina last month after Milei refused to apologise for telling a Madrid conference organised by Spanish far-right party Vox in May that Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has “a corrupt wife”.

Sánchez in April considered resigning after prosecutors opened a preliminary corruption investigation against his wife, Begoña Gómez, into allegations she used her position to peddle influence.

Sánchez has dismissed the allegations as part of a smear campaign.

“My wife is an honest professional, serious and responsible, and my government is clean,” Sánchez told parliament last month.

Milei is scheduled to travel to Madrid to receive on Friday an award from the Juan de Mariana Institute for his “exemplary defence of the ideas of freedom”.

If this trip takes place, Spain expects Milei “to show respect at all times for the institutions of this country and for the Spanish people”, government spokeswoman Pilar Alegria told a news conference after a weekly cabinet meeting.

A self-declared “anarcho-capitalist”, Milei won elections last November with a vow to cut Argentina’s vast public debt to zero. He has instituted an austerity programme that has seen the government slash public subsidies.

Argentina’s outspoken president has also sparred with the leaders of Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and Brazil.

READ ALSO: Argentina’s Milei calls Spain’s PM ‘laughing stock of Europe’

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POLITICS

Spain approves its new gender equality law

The Spanish government has given the green light to the gender parity law this Thursday, which will see more women in positions of power.

Published: 27 June 2024 16:51 CEST
Spain approves its new gender equality law

The law was first pre-approved back in March 2023, but ultimately dropped due to the general election taking place in July last year.

It was then re-approved in December 2023 and was forwarded to the Spanish Congress of Deputies to await another vote, before finally given the green light this Thursday.

The parity law aims to guarantee the presence of women in positions of power and means that it will be compulsory for there to be at least a 40 percent representation of women in government, on the boards of directors of large companies, and in constitutional bodies.

READ ALSO: How Spain’s new gender parity law will affect companies and government

It’s also designed to guarantee equal opportunities between men and women, especially in important positions, both in the public and private sectors.  

The bill passed with 177 votes in favour, despite the rejection of PP and Vox, and will now be sent to the Senate, where it is expected to undergo some modifications before final approval and it ultimately coming into force.

READ ALSO: Why do laws in Spain take so long to come into force?

“Today is a great day,” the Spanish Minister for Equality Ana Redondo celebrated at the close of the debate. “A social and historical injustice is removed”, since “there is no merit and capacity without equality”, she continued. 

Socialist deputy Andrea Fernández also praised the law saying it “will allow no girl to grow up ever again without a reference to look to, if she wants to be a magistrate, lawyer, executive, union member, nurse or lawyer”.

Ione Belarra, general secretary of Podemos was happy that the PSOE accepted an amendment from her party to eliminate “men’s quotas”, which means that women can now represent 100 percent of the workforce in the public and private sectors.

The previous draft of the bill had capped the percentage of women in public and private management bodies to 60 percent.

The law will affect those on electoral lists and constitutional bodies, which includes the government, Constitutional Court, Council of State, Fiscal Council and Court of Accounts.

READ ALSO: Spanish govt creates app to highlight gender imbalance in household chores

In terms of the government, it means that 44 percent of the seats in Spain’s Congress and 39 percent in the Senate must be occupied by women.

The Council of Ministers (or Spanish Cabinet) must also have an equal number of men and women, so that each sex must represent at least 40 percent of the total. 

The law will also affect senior management of the state institutional public sector, the administrators of listed companies, and the composition of bodies, as well as boards of directors and large listed companies.

Ibex 35 companies will have until June 30th, 2026 to adapt their management bodies, while the rest of the stock market companies will have until June 30th, 2027 to make sure enough women are represented.

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