“At a key moment for the European Union, having @NadiaCalvino as our new economy minister is a guarantee that Spain will continue increasing its influence in European institutions,” she said.
Sanchez has promised his “main priority” will be to respect Madrid’s deficit reduction commitments to the EU and to implement the 2018 budget.
The Socialists have yet to make a formal announcement about who will be in their new government, but names have been gradually filtering out.
A party source told AFP on Monday that former European parliament president Josep Borrell would become foreign minister.
The 71-year-old is from Catalonia and has been vocal in his opposition to the northeastern region’s separatist drive, drawing criticism from independence supporters there.
Lawmaker Meritxell Batet, also a Catalan, will become minister in charge of relations with Spain’s regions.
As such, she will have the prickly task of trying to ease the situation in her deeply divided home region.