The newly appointed first vice president of the Government and minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, has promised this Friday to keep alive the path of transformation of a Spain “that grows and advances” and work so that “the Spanish-style American dream is not lost” among future generations.
In his/her speech after receiving from the hands of María Jesús Montero the portfolio of the First Vice-Presidency, Cuerpo has insisted on the importance of preserving the idea that “the future will be better than the present” and has stressed that towards that objective will remain oriented, with all the “energy” and the “effort”, the economic policy of the Executive.
“First of all, of course, transforming our country, accelerating the modernization of our productive structure, so that Spain is not only capable of adapting to what is coming, but that we can lead it, for example, in energy or innovation matters. Secondly, not forgetting that progress has to be reflected in the well-being of citizens, protecting them, giving them security in times of uncertainty and also making them participants and main actors. May the macro reach the micro,” he stressed.
The first vice president, who has sworn in early in the morning before King Felipe VI, has warned that the world is experiencing a period of profound changes, marked by the reconfiguration of geopolitical balances, the redefinition of employment linked to the technological revolution and the impact of climate change, “which imposes a transition that admits no delay.”
“And Europe, our Europe, has to find its voice and its strength on an increasingly complex board,” has emphasized the head of Economy.
The advice of Sánchez and the legacy of Montero
During his speech, Cuerpo has thanked Pedro Sánchez for the trust placed in him, "which he does not take for granted", to assume the First Vice-Presidency, and has revealed the recommendation that the president has conveyed to him regarding this new responsibility: to "continue being himself".
“It’s something one always longs to hear from their bosses, or not only from their bosses, but also from people. What he has told me is to keep being myself, as simple as that. And I believe this is the best way to start a stage, and to that I commit myself”, he stated.
Cuerpo has also dedicated some words to her predecessor, María Jesús Montero, whom she has described as a “tenacious negotiator, a vice president with character, and a dialoguer, with a silk glove”, in addition to “a tireless worker, a generous colleague, always willing to lend a hand or give advice”.
“And precisely these days I also take with me one of his pieces of advice, which is to try to enjoy the journey. It sounds almost contradictory in a job like ours and even more so in times like those we are living, where urgency is the norm and responsibility can become overwhelming, but it is essential to find satisfaction in public service”, Cuerpo pointed out.
The minister has stated that it has been “an honor and a privilege” to be able to learn from two vice presidents “of extraordinary stature” like Nadia Calviño and María Jesús Montero. “I carry their teachings with me and of course I hope to live up to the legacy, I know it won't be easy,” he acknowledged.
The economic head has also wished “much success” to the new Minister of Finance, Arcadi España, considering that “the successes of the Ministry of Finance are the successes of everyone”, and has extended his thanks to his team, friends and family.
"The path we travel does not depend only on us, it depends on our families, on strong public institutions, on a true Welfare State that makes the American dream possible, but in the Spanish way," the minister indicated, who recalled the figure of his grandfather, forced at 9 years old to start working in the Wolfram mine located on the outskirts of his town.
The image of Spain in the exterior and future challenges
“They see a country that leads, that modernizes, resilient, supportive, even in the most difficult moments. But I believe they also see something deeper, the true concept of what Spain is. A people with an extraordinary capacity for reinvention, with a creativity that emerges in the most difficult moments, with a culture of effort that is transmitted from parents to children, supportive. And a capacity to laugh at ourselves that, deep down, is an element of collective intelligence,” he has explained.
Those traits, he added, are what Spain needs to face “what is coming.” “Because what is coming demands as much or more from us,” the vice president stressed.