FORMER defence minister Pedro Morenés has been named as Spanish ambassador in the USA in Spain's bid to 'get closer' to Donald Trump's administration.
Mariano Rajoy's cabinet wants to gain 'greater access' to the Republican leader's government through contacts Morenés maintains in the US military, given the North American nation's concerns about national security and defence.
Morenés will be the second non-diplomat to take on an ambassador role, after ex-education minister José Ignacio Wert became Spain's representative for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is based in Paris.
New foreign affairs minister Alfonso Dastis has said he prefers such roles to be given to actual diplomats – of which he is one – but the PP-led government says that in 'exceptional circumstances', this does not need to be the case and Morenés' contacts in the US make him the ideal candidate.
Among the opposition, left-wing Podemos has called for Morenés to speak to Parliament and explain his strategic plans for Spain's future relations with Trump's government.
Other Spanish ambassadors are about to be moved around – the current director-general for north Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East, Manuel Gómez-Acebo Rodríguez-Spiteri, will become ambassador for Spain in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Spanish Consul in Melbourne, Australia – Miguel Gómez de Aranda – will now become ambassador in Mali.
