<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) union has warned of the "mental burden" borne by "a large portion" of Foreign Service personnel as a result of "perennial understaffing" and the "complexity of an overwhelming bureaucracy."</strong></h4> In the April bulletin of the CCOO's General State Administration sector, the union warns that these problems generate "a work environment that, although not always immediately apparent, can have serious consequences for the mental health of our group." Recently, CCOO recalls, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "has finally presented a draft intended to assess psychosocial risks through the F-PSICO questionnaire," the most widely used quantitative tool in Spain for measuring exposure to psychosocial factors. “However, at CCOO we are very aware that a document alone is not enough to address these issues objectively and effectively,” the union warns. “It is essential that no colleague be excluded from this evaluation process, regardless of their connection to the Administration (civil servant, employee, or temporary staff),” it adds. CCOO also emphasizes that “the conditions and realities are not the same in all destinations,” since “the situation of a small Consulate in a city in the European Union differs substantially from the circumstances of any Consulate in Latin America, the vast majority of which are saturated by an enormous workload.” Therefore, it continues, “it is vital that the specific nature of each destination, each job position, and what it entails to live and work in these environments be taken into account.” Furthermore, the union also warns that “the results of these evaluations cannot be ignored or relegated to a drawer.” “At CCOO, we will demand that these measures be taken seriously and will ensure that concrete actions are implemented that respond to the results and needs identified,” he continues. “We will not allow these evaluations to become just another formality and fall on deaf ears,” Comisiones asserts. “The mental health of our staff should not be an issue that is shelved or overlooked. It is a matter of vital importance that requires attention, resources, and effective measures to ensure a healthier and more sustainable work environment,” he adds. “For CCOO, the time has come to act and take care of those who care for others and provide public services hundreds or thousands of kilometers from Spain,” he concludes. <h5><strong>Lack of human resources</strong></h5> On the other hand, the Association of Spanish Diplomats (ADE), the majority among members of the Diplomatic Service, recently warned of the lack of human and material resources suffered by the Foreign Service, especially in a consular network that has been saturated for years and cannot cope with the growing number of Spaniards abroad, according to the Europa Press agency. In statements to the agency, the president of the ADE, Alberto Virella, warned that the current number of professionals—around 1,000 diplomats—is insufficient to represent Spain with the ambition proclaimed by its governments, and specified that this figure also includes those on leave or working for institutions such as the European External Action Service. "We are extraordinarily cheap for Spain and the Spanish people," he stated. Spain currently maintains nearly 130 embassies and representations before international organizations, as well as some 90 consulates spread throughout the world. In the ADE's opinion, this infrastructure does not correspond to the political, economic, and population weight of the country, which has more than 49 million inhabitants and more than three million citizens residing abroad. For example, Poland, with 37.6 million inhabitants, has 1,700 diplomats; Denmark, with only 6 million citizens, has 1,300; And Portugal, with 10.6 million, has almost 500 diplomats (and key figures in international organizations such as António Guterres at the UN or António Costa at the European Council). The situation is especially critical in consulates, according to ADE, where, in addition to the usual procedures (civil registry, certificates, visas, etc.), they have been overwhelmed by nationality applications arising from laws such as the Historical Memory and Democratic Memory laws. Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has attempted to strengthen the network with 150 new positions and new consulates in places like the United Kingdom and China, staffing remains clearly insufficient, according to ADE. Separately, Virella acknowledged that the ADE welcomes the Ministry's announcement to review diplomatic deployment "from top to bottom" as part of the current development of the new Foreign Action Strategy, but warned that "traditionally, the Ministry of Finance only allows growth if no new expenses are incurred."
