Calviño argues that only "a strong bet" such as choosing her can lead to Spain choosing to preside over the EIB

CÁDIZ, 12 Aug. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The first vice president and acting Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Nadia Calviño, has maintained this Saturday, once the presentation of her candidacy to preside over the European Investment Bank (EIB) was made public this Friday, that this decision reveals that Spain "makes a strong commitment".

He has argued that before "the caliber of the rest of the competitors, President Sánchez and I saw clearly that only a candidacy with my name had the best options to prosper, that any other candidate, any other profile would be to fight by losing".

Calviño, in statements to the media in Cádiz, has reaffirmed her conviction that putting her name on the table translates into "a strong candidacy that gives our country the best options to succeed and achieve for the first time in our history the presidency of the European Investment Bank".

He has described as an "honor" that Spain "has presented my name" for this task, while he has described the European Investment Bank" as "a strategic institution" for Spain and Europe due to its relevance in the financing of public and private investments and big projects.

Calviño has explained the roadmap of the process, whose next milestone after the presentation of his candidacy this Friday will be the voting in autumn, so that "if successful, the new position would be assumed in January 2024".

The Acting Vice President and Minister of the Economy has taken pains to stress that "this candidacy does not interfere at all with my functions as First Vice President", for which she pointed out that "President Sánchez has clearly expressed his confidence, and I my commitment to him, to continue leading, directing and coordinating the government's economic policy in the coming months and in the next legislature".

He has stressed that his functions in the Government "would take place until the end of the year, not only in the coming weeks in an acting government, but in the new government of Pedro Sánchez in that new legislature."

In Calviño's opinion, opting to preside over the European Investment Bank, "for the first time in our history", is the icing on the cake of the "effort that for five years has led to Spain having a strong voice, great influence, respect and affection of the international community".

"We are putting our country in its rightful role as the fourth economy in the European Union", proclaimed the Vice President and Minister of Economy, who also stressed that if she were elected "it would be the first time that a woman presided over the European Investment Bank" because this community institution has had seven presidents and they have all been men.

The vice-president and minister has placed the strength of her candidacy as a reflection "of the result of the economic policy that we have carried out during these five years", which she has described as "a positive result, recognized by all international organizations, public and private", so that "all the economic data endorse the management that we have developed".

He has also highlighted his "international profile" to be able to govern the destinies of the EIB and "my previous experience in other international organizations", for which he has brandished in this sense "the presidency of the main advisory body of the International Monetary Fund".

"For this reason, let's say that only a candidacy with my name could give Spain the maximum options for this top-level position in Europe," said Calviño, who urged that "the reading that must be done is a reading positive" of this political initiative, before recalling that "for the first time in our history Spain can opt for a top-level position such as the presidency of the European Investment Bank" and that "what this reflects is respect, affection , the role, the prestige we have had".