Madrid endorses Ribera to become Spanish Commissioner

Spain’s Minister of the Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, has been nominated to lead the centre-left PSOE into the European elections and is likely become Commissioner afterwards.

In 2019, the EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, became commissioner after leading the Spanish centre-left PSOE in the EU elections. Now, veteran minister Teresa Ribera is looking to do the same after being nominated by her party.

“An honour to be proposed to head the list of PSOE for the European Parliament, following in the footsteps of Josep Borrell,” she said on X.

The party’s federal committee will officially adopt the list on Saturday (27 April).

Ribera, who previously told Euractiv that “it is not me who takes the decision,” is running on a commitment to the Green Deal – the EU’s flagship initiative of climate and environmental action. 

Her party stressed that by nominating Ribera, “the Spanish socialists ratify their commitment to leading the energy transition in Europe.” 

As a senior politician from a large country like Spain, it is likely Ribera is keen to take one of the currently seven shortly available Commission vice-president positions. Given her background and current role, the portfolio overseeing energy environment is expected to be her top pick

More information is expected at a press point in Berlin on Thursday.

The Spanish minister is well-connected to her European colleagues, who met throughout the European energy crisis and are well-supported by Mediterranean countries but can boast ties to Vienna and Berlin, allies that support renewables rather than nuclear.

She previously said a renewable power system is “a way to build a proud Europe (…) to modernise our economy, to reindustrialise or modernise existing industry, to reduce social gaps, (and) to work against inequalities.”

[Edited by Alice Taylor]

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