The Diplomat. Madrid
The transparency website just published a 35-page report with the gross salaries of the 151 advisors of the Government of Mariano Rajoy in 2012 and 2013. After reading it, the fact that several of the advisors of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are the worst paid of the General Administration of the State stands out.
In this situation are Inmaculada Pardo and Juan José Jiménez –two of the five advisors of the Minister José Manuel García-Margallo-, who earned a total of 41,985 and 42,165 euros, respectively, in 2013. Both figures are the lowest from this group inside the Government. Other of the advisors in the Secretary’s Office of State for International Cooperation and Ibero-America, Francisco Quesada, is the fourth worst paid of the Administration with 45,573 gross euros, since there is a temporary worker at the Ministry of Education –Ana Collado- who gained a little less than him -45,566 euros-.
The best paid advisor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is Rafael Luengo –from Margallo’s team- with 58,802 euros, but his salary is below that of most advisors in the Government, whose payments fluctuate between 60,000 and 70,000 euros. At the top of the ranking are the two advisors of the Secretary’s Office of State for Budget and Expenditure –dependent on the Ministry of Finance- with payments above 86,000 gross annual euros.
One of the first royal decrees of the Government of Rajoy (the 1887/2011, of 30 December) established the number of advisors that the members of the Government can have. Except for the vice-president (who has 9 advisors), each minister can have a maximum of 5 advisors and each Secretary of State a maximum of 3.
Margallo has reached the maximum, as well as the secretary of State for the EU, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo. For his part, the secretary of State for International Cooperation and Ibero-America, Jesús Gracia, has two advisors, whereas the Secretary’s Office of State for Foreign Affairs –previously led by Gonzalo de Benito and now by Ignacio Ybáñez- has no advisors.
