Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has assigned Cuerpo the role temporarily after Óscar Puente resigned following the Urda rail crash. The assignment is to last until a new government is appointed after the 29 November election.
Spain’s economy minister, Carlos Cuerpo, is to run the Transport Ministry after Óscar Puente’s resignation, Politico said. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the temporary assignment on 4 November.
Puente announced on 3 November that he was leaving the government and withdrawing as a Spanish Socialist Workers' Party election candidate. He made the announcement while appearing before Congress’s Permanent Deputation to discuss the Urda rail crash in Toledo, which killed 69 people.
Cuerpo, the first deputy prime minister, is to add transport to his responsibilities as minister of Economy, Trade and Enterprise. His transport assignment is to last until a new government is appointed after the 29 November general election, Europa Press said.
Cuerpo is an economist who has served as economy minister since 2023. Puente took charge of transport in November 2023, after serving as mayor of Valladolid from 2015 to 2023.
Sánchez said the handover was intended to continue transport reforms, assist those affected by the Urda crash and restore normal high-speed rail service. He said Puente had resigned out of empathy for the victims, consistency and dignity.
A royal decree formalizing the replacement and transfer of duties was due to appear in an extraordinary edition of Spain’s official gazette on the morning of 4 November, Europa Press said.
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