The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, will temporarily take over the Transport and Sustainable Mobility portfolio following the resignation of Óscar Puente, as announced by Pedro Sánchez from La Moncloa.
A Royal Decree, published today in a special edition of the Official State Gazette (BOE), will formalise the handover, which will remain in place until the new Government is formed following the elections on 29 November.
Sánchez has tasked Cuerpo with ensuring the reforms continue, providing support to those affected by the Urda (Toledo) accident, which claimed 69 lives, and restoring the high-speed rail service to normal. He highlighted his “enormous managerial ability, integrity and character” and expressed his conviction that “he will do a great job”.
Cuerpo (Badajoz, 1980) is a civil servant specialising in economics; he holds a degree from the University of Extremadura and a master’s degree from a university in London. He worked at the European Commission and at AIReF, and in 2020 he returned to the Ministry of Economy. In 2021, he was appointed Secretary-General for the Treasury and International Finance. He has been a minister since December 2023, when he replaced Nadia Calviño, and has served as First Deputy Prime Minister since March. His technical expertise and calm demeanour have earned him a favourable reputation, and he has been ranked as the most highly rated minister in the CIS polls.
Sánchez has praised Puente for having “stood up” and for resigning with “empathy for the victims”. Puente took up his post as Transport Minister in November 2023 and announced his resignation yesterday at the Standing Committee of the Congress. He will also withdraw his candidacy for the Congress of Deputies on behalf of the PSOE on 29 November.