Brussels, 24/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - José Luis Zapatero, President of the Spanish government, has stated as an acquired fact that top Moncloa official Bernardino León has been elected as EU special envoy for the southern Mediterranean and the democratic transition process. Zapatero was speaking in Brussels on Friday 24 June after the meeting of the European Council.
According to Zapatero, the 27 EU member states are unanimous that Bernardino León should be appointed to the post. His nomination will be made in the next few days, once administrative procedures have been completed.
The Spanish president states that León is well versed in EU foreign policy and knows the field well. León is currently secretary general of the presidency of the Spanish government.
José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has, moreover, said that the EU has given a generally positive assessment of the reform programme that the Spanish executive is implementing (as part of the recommendations by the EU27 for each of the countries on 2012 budgets and reforms). (L.C./transl.jl)