MADRID – In the middle of the third peak of Covid-19, Salvador Illa, Spanish Minister of Health resigns. His focus will now be on the Catalan elections as leader of the socialist PSC. All eyes are on his replacement who will be appointed tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 26 is the Spanish Health Minister, Salvador Illa’s last day. Then, on Wednesday, January 27, the official appointment of Spain’s new Minister of Health will take place.
La Moncloa remains silent around the identity of the new Minister of Health. The main concern is that Illa’s replacement should be someone from the medical world, Spanish newspaper, El Confidencial wrote on Monday. Further more, healthcare workers have criticised the fact that few Public Health officials have a healthcare or medical background.
Government sources speculate about new Spanish health minister
If various Spanish newspapers, such as El País, are proved correct, the Spanish government will not respond to the concern. Government sources claim that in all likelihood, Carolina Darias will replace Salvador Illa. Darias is the current head of the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Public Function. In addition, she has a background in law as a politician in the Canary Islands.
Darias has shared management of the corona pandemic with Illa several times in recent months. And according to government sources, she is the candidate with the most potential to replace Illa. These same sources designate Miquel Iceta, the current party leader of the Catalan PSC, as the new Minister of Territorial Policy and Public Function. However, these names will not officially be confirmed by the Spanish Prime Minister until Wednesday during the appointment of the new ministers.
Illa continues as party leader Catalan PSC
The election campaign for the Catalan elections will start on Thursday, although it is not yet confirmed whether they will take place on 14 February. According to polls from the research institute CIS, Illa and his party have an excellent chance of winning the elections. Last week, the CIS reported that the Socialists could achieve 23.9% of the vote. A 3% lead over the ERC.
Salvador Illa, together with Fernando Simón of the corona crisis center, was the figurehead in the fight against the corona pandemic in Spain. He has been the Minister of Health in Spain since January 2020.
