Spain's Energy Minister Ribera to lead Spanish socialists in European elections

Her candidacy is "a bid for the leadership of ecology transition in Europe", the Spanish socialist party posted on X. Ribera has shepherded Spain's ambitious green agenda since 2018, championing a harder, faster transition to a zero-carbon economy, preferring renewable energy such as solar and wind over gas and nuclear, whose plants she advocated phasing out.

Spain's outspoken Energy and Environment Minister Teresa Ribera will lead the list of nominees by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to stand in the European Parliament election in June, the party said on Wednesday, paving the way for her to be Sanchez's candidate for a commissioner's post.

Ribera will face a campaign in which the European Socialists face a resurgence of right-wing parties and as the European Union's green agenda faces resistance. Her candidacy is "a bid for the leadership of ecology transition in Europe", the Spanish socialist party posted on X.

Ribera has shepherded Spain's ambitious green agenda since 2018, championing a harder, faster transition to a zero-carbon economy, preferring renewable energy such as solar and wind over gas and nuclear, whose plants she advocated phasing out. Issues such as the nuclear phase-out and the biogas industry generated tension with big energy players and business lobbies, while environmental groups criticised the country's energy plan for not doing enough to tackle climate change.

Ribera's role and significant international exposure meant that she is seen as a frontrunner to represent Spain in the next European Commission, particularly since Economy Minister Nadia Calvino was picked to lead the European Investment Bank. Ribera persuaded nearly all EU countries to support the bloc's energy market reform and negotiated the Iberian Exception with Brussels that capped natural gas prices to shield consumers from spikes.

Since Spain held the EU's rotating presidency, she was a key figure at the COP28 climate change conference in Dubai, reinforcing her image as one of the loudest proponents of Europe's agenda to combat climate change. A polls average compiled by Euronews suggested Spain would secure the most seats in the centre-left S&D group, so party and government sources expect a Spanish Socialist to get a high-profile commission job.

Each country names a candidate commissioner for a five-year term, with factors including size of the political family in the European Parliament, the candidate profile and their country's representation all playing a role in the portfolio they get. "In this campaign, I see myself as an important asset of my government and my party," Ribera said earlier in April when asked about a possible European job.

In January, she told Reuters that she would be happy to keep working to consolidate the green agenda in Spain but that she could not rule out a future in Brussels. "I do what my boss tells me to do," she said.

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