Luis Ayllón
The Government has decided to extend the stay of Spain’s current ambassador to Germany, Ricardo Martínez, until the end of the Spanish Presidency of the European Union, scheduled for the second half of 2023, according to reliable sources, who have told The Diplomat.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by José Manuel Albares, has informed the ambassador that it wishes him to remain in Berlin beyond the four years that is the usual period of stay in an embassy of the level of the German one. Martínez was appointed to take charge of the Embassy in Germany in September 2018, which means that, in principle, he would be relieved of his duties around the same month in 2022,
According to the same sources, the Executive considers that it is convenient to keep him in his post, not only because a new government is about to be formed in Germany, led by the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz – with whom Martínez also has a good relationship – but also because of the bilateral and European calendar for the next two years.
In the European sphere, the main reason is that Spain will assume the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July 2023, and it is well known in EU circles that any initiative that is to be taken forward must have the knowledge of Germany if it is to prosper.
In the bilateral field, the most immediate challenge, apart from some contact between the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and Scholz, is the resumption of the Spanish-German summits, which were interrupted in 2013. The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the then head of the Spanish government, Mariano Rajoy, opted for personal meetings for several years, and then, when the COVID pandemic hit, any possibility of a bilateral summit was ruled out.
Now, the two governments want to bring back these meetings, which bring together, together with the heads of government, a good number of ministers from the two countries, before the summer of next year.
In addition, on the horizon of 2022, there is another propitious moment to intensify bilateral relations. The Frankfurt Book Fair will be held in October, with Spain as the guest country, and His Majesty the King has expressed his wish to attend.
