biotechnology company PharmaMar is the smallest in the world with a value of one billion euros. IBEX 35. He remains senior chairman of the large Spanish company founded in 1986 by José María Fernández-Sousa. He’s been on the job for 36 years. Board of Directors, two political weights Spanish. One, from PSOE, former very powerful Minister of Industry, then Minister of Economy Carlos Solchaga; the other is Eduardo Serra, Minister of Defense with the Government of José María Aznar.
existence Former politicians still common in Spanish companies. They come in almost all colors. Before Gas Natural became Naturgy, it was on the board of former Prime Minister Felipe González (2010-2015), coinciding with former Vice President Narcís Serra. Another former Aznarista minister, Ángel Acebes, coincides with Isabel García Tejerina at the Iberdrola energy company, a former minister in the government of Mariano Rajoy.
Another former socialist minister and today in charge of the foreign policy of the European Union, Joseph BorrellHe was the director of Abengoa From 2009 to 2016, before its bankruptcy. Another former Minister of Foreign Affairs as well as industry, Josep Piqué was, among other positions, chairman of Vueling, chairman of the construction company OHL, and director of EADS/Airbus, where he served as its director from 2017 to January. 2021. In the eighties and first half of the nineties, he is the director of the ACS, headed by Florentino Pérez, and also the secretary of the ACS, the founder of a law firm surnamed Miquel Roca i Junyent, a strongman of the CiU in Madrid. Board of Banco Sabadell. David Vegara, the Zapatero government and former Secretary of State for the Economy, is the director of this bank. Maurici Lucena, a former deputy and spokesman for the PSC in the Catalan parliament, also worked for Sabadell before being appointed chairman of Aena. Belén Romana, who held senior positions in the Ministry of Economy with Rodrigo Rato, is today the director of Banco Santander. Former Secretary General of Socialist Youth (1984-1993), director of Telefónica since December 2007, Javier de Paz has always had a long career as a business manager. From Tabacalera to Panrico.
are some examples. relations and effects between Spanish political power and great Business They’ve always been very close. From the industrial development of the eighties to the privatization of large government groups in the next decade. “As long as these managers’ skills precede their experience, revolving doors are necessary between politics and business. agenda is very important“, explains Santiago Tarín Puig, managing partner of Master Consulting. “Having a well-prepared politician on a council is positive. They know how the Administration and the Government work, they have very good relationships,” adds Consuelo Castilla, president and partner of the headhunting firm Adqualis.
In theory, these former politicians who have the state on their minds are accompanied by the presence of other former politicians. finger placed, as directors or independent directors, in Ibex 35 companies in which the State still has a stake. There are five with an added market value of more than 16,000 million euros. The jewel in the crown is airport manager Aena. Its President, Lucena, has even come to be referred to as a possible Minister of Economy of the Generalitat if Salvador Illa, who won the last Catalan election, was able to form a Government. Its name has always sounded like a ministry. In Aena, former CiU politician Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida, a strongman of Catalan nationalism in Madrid before drifting towards independence, sits as an independent director.
Three former ministers (one former Generalitat head), Ana Palacio (PP), José Blanco (PSOE) and José Montilla (PSOE) are directors of Enagás, the network that controls gas distribution in Spain. Antoni Llardén has headed Enagás since 2007. He started his career at PSC and served as Undersecretary of Public Works with Josep Borrell as minister before joining the private sector at Gas Natural. Llardén endured the presidency of Enagás under the PP and PSOE governments.
Beatriz Corredor, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and real estate registrar and former socialist minister, presided by Redeia, owner of electricity distributor Red Eléctrica and satellite operator Hispasat, chaired by the former socialist mayor of Barcelona, Jordi Hereu. Corredor replaced another former PSOE minister, Jordi Sevilla, in February 2021. The asset in CaixaBank as a shareholder of the State through Frob is the product of the Bankia acquisition. Minister Cristina Garmendia, Zapatero’s former Minister of Science and Research, previously held the post.
The last storm by the government at an Ibex company, India. appointment in May 2021 Marc Murtra, former partner of the Closa investment group, as chairman Suggested by Sepi, Indra served to recall the time when another former mayor of Barcelona, Joan Clos, served as the former chief of staff. After the stormy departure of five independent directors, Indra’s board nomination committee recommended six potential directors after they were rejected by the bounty-hunting firm Korn Ferry, pending analysis and approval. Meanwhile, the Amber Capital fund, which is the main shareholder of Prisa, publisher of El País, and owns 29.7% of the capital, will increase its stake in Indra to 9.99%.
Hidden economic power? As long as there is transparency, there is nothing to fear.