Spain's foreign minister, Josep Borrell, will lead PSOE's candidacy for the European election on 26th May this year. The rumours were confirmed today by government sources; speculation is now that territorial policy minister Meritxell Batet may head the party's list for Barcelona for the 28th April snap general election.
It wouldn't be Borrell's first turn in the Parliament: he was its president from 2004 to 2007. It could mean that Borrell, one of the most controversial members of the current administration, might leave his role in Madrid. This is despite Sánchez's intention having been for his cabinet to head his party's candidate lists for the general election.
Borrell, who turns 72 in April, has been in Sánchez's cabinet since he came to power last summer. He'd entered the European Parliament for the first time in 2004 as the head of PSOE's candidacy, becoming the chamber's president a month later. He remained an MEP for two years afterwards, until 2009. He had previously been a member of Spain's Congress for over a decade, in which time he spent periods as minister of public works and as leader of the opposition.
As foreign minister, the Catalan politician has spearheaded the international fight against the independence movement, with the new "Global Spain" campaign. One of the latest initiatives has been the creation of a "quick reaction cell" to save "Spain's reputation" during the independence trial.