SPAIN (Agencies) As was predicted by most of the Spanish media, Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero (photo) announced a major cabinet reshuffle this morning, including the exit of his former First Vice Minister María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, also Minister for Government, who is now on the State Council. The new 'strong man', and Zapatero's right hand man, is Minister of the Interior Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, who takes over from Fernández de la Vega while keeping his ministry. The Ministry for Governemnt is now headed by EuroDeputy Ramón Jáuregui. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, has been replaced by Trinidad Jiménez, who was in charge of Health until this morning. Other changes include>
a new Minister of Labour, Valeriano Gómez, who replaces Celestino Corbacho, whose replacement appeared to start the reshuffle when he announced he wanted out last month.Rosa Aguilar, until now a Councillor on the Junta de Andalucía, takes over the Ministry for the Environment from Elena Espinosa.
Other news is the disappearance of the Ministries for Equality and Housing . Equality will now be part of the Ministry of Health, demoting former Minister Bibiana Aído to Secretary of State. Housing now becomes part of the Ministry of Development, and is headed by Beatriz Corrido, also demoted.
Former President of the Junta de Andalucía, Manuel Chaves, now Third Vice-President and Minister for Territorial Policy, takes over the Public Function area from De la Vega.
This isZapatero's third reshuffle in two and a half years, and the seventh since he arrived at the Moncloa Palace in 2004. Just 20 days ago, the Prime Minister (or President of the Government, his official title) said on national radio that he wasn't intending any "immediate" changes in his Cabinet.
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