The Minister of Economy, Business, and Commerce, Carlos Cuerpo, who replaced Nadia Calviño in that position last December, lacks oversight and control from the PP in Congress. The opposition party has posed a total of 100 control questions to various members of the government in the past six months of this session, but none to Cuerpo. Of the 260 questions directed from various opposition parties towards ministers in these weekly sessions, only two were aimed at the Minister of Economy, both from the Podemos party. The lack of questions towards Cuerpo from the PP reflects their lack of interest in economic matters.
Carlos Cuerpo took office at the end of December, after Nadia Calviño left for the European Investment Bank on January 1, 2024. In his first session in Congress on February 7, he received a question from the opposition for the first time, posed by Ione Belarra regarding taxes on big banks. However, the PP has not found it necessary to question Cuerpo and has largely focused their inquiries on Vice President Maria Jesús Montero. The lack of questions towards Cuerpo from the PP reflects their lack of interest in economic matters, as the topics they choose for questioning do not relate to the economy.
The PP has chosen not to question Cuerpo as they believe it is not politically beneficial to do so. They view Cuerpo as more of a technical rather than political figure, and their focus remains on criticizing the Vice President of the government. The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and his team have highlighted the positive economic indicators in Spain, with growth forecasts, social security numbers, and public debt all showing improvement. Despite this, the PP continues to focus on other issues rather than economic matters.
In contrast, the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has posed questions to the President, Pedro Sánchez, but has not focused on economic issues. Feijóo’s questions often revolve around scandals or corruption cases, with a recurring theme of questioning the effectiveness of the government. Despite the positive economic indicators in Spain, the opposition continues to focus on criticizing the government on other grounds rather than economic performance.
Carlos Cuerpo has acknowledged the peculiar situation of the opposition ignoring his area of expertise, but he remains unfazed by this lack of attention. As an independent economist, Cuerpo maintains a more technical than political profile, focusing on international engagements and economic forums rather than political speeches. Despite the lack of attention from the opposition, Cuerpo remains committed to his role and continues to engage with media and international organizations to promote economic growth in Spain.
