Leire Pajín is the big surprise in the PSOE lists for the European elections, as revealed by socialist sources to EL PAÍS. The Minister of Health, Social Policy and Equality and former Secretary of Organization with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will be number eight on the list led by Teresa Ribera, the third vice president and Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge. Another woman, Iratxe García, will be in the second position, as she did in 2019 on the list led by Josep Borrell. Javi López, from the PSC, will be in the third position. A new addition to the list is Hana Jalloul, who is placed in the fourth position, which was initially reserved for Pajín. This change in the list pushes José Cepeda to the 20th position. Idoia Mendia and Sandra Gómez enter the list in the tenth and fourteenth positions respectively.
The presence of Lina Gálvez, Jonás Fernández, César Luena, Nicolás González Casares, Cristina Maestre, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, and Ignacio Sánchez Amor, among others, in the list was expected. Alicia Homs from the Balearic Islands has dropped four positions compared to her placement in 2019. Leire Pajín, currently the Director of International Development at IS Global, is the president of REDS, member of the UNSDSN Strategic Council, and president of the EU-LAC Foundation. She has held various advisory roles in the UNDP in New York and has also served as the Minister of Health, Social Policy and Equality in Spain from 2010 to 2011.
The federal lists commission of the PSOE approved the formation of the European candidacy in a meeting that lasted for an hour. The meeting was postponed to address the crisis that arose in the PSOE due to the uncertainty surrounding the decision of Pedro Sánchez to continue or resign as the President of the Government. The majority of current MEPs are expected to remain on the list for the upcoming elections, with minimal changes in the top positions. The European Parliament elections in Spain will elect 61 MEPs in 2024, and the candidates must be presented to the Central Electoral Board between May 1 and 6.
The campaign for the European elections will officially begin on May 24 and end on June 7. The approved candidates will be published in the Official State Gazette on May 14. The PSOE is preparing for the upcoming elections with a mix of current MEPs and new faces, including Leire Pajín, who brings a wealth of international experience to the table. The party is aiming to maintain its success in the European Parliament and secure a strong presence for Spain. Subscribe to EL PAÍS for the latest updates and unlimited access to news.
