Alex Trelinski
CAROLINA Darias has been named as Spain’s new Health Minister, replacing Salvador Illa, who will be standing for the PSOE Socialists in next month’s Catalunya regional elections.
The appointment of 55-year-old Darias comes as little surprise and she is familiar with health matters as she is the current Territorial Policy minister.
Darias hails from the Canary Islands and served as president between 2015 and 2019.
She has attended the weekly inter-regional health meetings between the country’s regions and the Health Ministry, which co-ordinate the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Her old post will be filled by Miguel Iceta, who is general secretary of the Socialist party in Catalunya.
Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, announced the changes this afternoon(January 26) after informing King Felipe of the changes.
Darias and Iceta will be sworn into their posts tomorrow.
Pedro Sanchez said: “They know their portfolios well with plenty of experience.”
Carolina Darias added that she knows all of the regional presidents and health ministers, and has worked with her predecessor, Salvador Illa, on a ‘day to day’ basis during the pandemic.
She has personal experience of COVID-19, having been the second Spanish minister to contract it back in March.
