The Vice-President of the European Commission for the Promotion of our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, stressed on Monday at the Forum Europa in the EU capital that “more Spain in Brussels” is needed and praised the fact that the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Spanish Nadia Calviño, has reached this position through a “truly competitive” process and not as a result of quotas, “positive discrimination” or pacts.
This is what Schinas said in this informative event organised by the New Economy Forum in Brussels, in which he intervened to introduce Calviño, who was the star of the event with a conference.
Schinas began by admitting that he is a “friend” of Spain and that this country is increasing its share in Europe, which he considered “good”. He called for “more Spain in Brussels”.
He highlighted the achievements of the Commission since the outbreak of the pandemic, such as the creation of European funds, aid for refugees, the purchase of arms, the implementation of “the biggest vaccination plan in human history”, and stated that all of this “is not enough”.
He called for a level-headed approach at this time, and at that moment he referred to Calviño, of whom he acknowledged that despite the differences between them, they have “many things in common”. He pointed out that both have been employed at the European Commission, are “believers in Europe”, work “hard” and both are technicians who have become politicians.
He stressed that Calviño “has made history as the first woman president of the EIB” and “what matters is that it is the result of a truly competitive process”, which is not the result of quotas, “positive discrimination” or agreements. She was chosen “for what Nadia is” and for what she “can achieve”, she added.
Calviño's name joins those of other women in positions of responsibility in Europe such as Christine Lagarde at the European Central Bank (ECB), Ursula von der Leyen at the head of the Commission and Roberta Metsola as President of the European Parliament. Schinas said this should make us “collectively very proud”.
At a time of turbulence, he stressed the importance of the EIB “acting” to boost security, defence, digitalisation, social investment and helping to “achieve what sometimes seems impossible”. He considered that the Bank is a “catalyst” for investment and that under Calviño's leadership “it will be possible”.
