The Diplomat
The appointment on Tuesday of former culture minister Miquel Iceta as the new permanent representative ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the former Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Héctor Gómez as permanent representative to the the UN confirms the tendency of governments to appoint politicians to these posts, to the detriment of diplomats, who have on several occasions expressed their dissatisfaction.
Both Unesco and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), both based in Paris, and even the Organisation of American States (OAS), based in Washington, have in recent years become a desirable destination for former ministers or senior leaders of the main political parties.
At Unesco, for example, the former education minister in the first government of socialist José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, María Jesús San Segundo, was appointed permanent representative in 2006 and held her post until 2010, shortly before her death.
In 2018, the Valencian socialist leader Juan Andrés Perelló was appointed permanent representative, until he left the post in 2021 to become head of Casa Mediterráneo. Perelló was taken over by José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, who has just stepped down as Minister of Culture. His replacement at the head of the Ministry, Miquel Iceta, also replaces him at the Embassy.
In the case of the OECD, both PP and PSOE have appointed ‘political’ ambassadors. From 2000 to 2004, the PP government of José María Aznar appointed Elena Pisonero, who had been Secretary of State for Trade, as permanent delegate to the OECD. And in 2015, José Ignacio Wert, who had been Minister of Education, was chosen, in this case by the government of Mariano Rajoy, also of the Popular Party.
In 2018, with the arrival of Pedro Sánchez at La Moncloa, the former Socialist deputy Manuel Escudero became the head of the Delegation to the OECD.
As for the Organisation of American States (OAS), there has been less ‘politicisation’. In 2008, Javier Sancho, who is not a career diplomat but had been head of foreign minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos’ cabinet, was appointed to the post of ambassador. He remained in the post until 2012.
In 2020, following the dismissal of Carmen Montón as health minister in Sánchez’s first government, she was appointed ambassador.
