Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs

Last updated

Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Subsecretario de Asuntos Exteriores
Escudo de Espana.svg
Coat of arms of Spain
Logotipo de la Subsecretaria de Asuntos Exteriores, Union Europea y Cooperacion.png
Incumbent
Xavier Martí Martí
since 28 August 2024
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Undersecretariat of Foreign Affairs
Style The Most Excellent (formal)
Mr. Under-Secretary (informal)
Nominator The Foreign Minister
Appointer The Monarch
Formation16 June 1834;191 years ago (16 June 1834)
First holderAndrés Villalba
Website exteriores.gob.es

The under-secretary of foreign affairs is a government official within the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs responsible for assisting the minister in the daily management of the department. In this regard, the under-secretary supervises the department's policies concerning legal and consular assistance, human resources, protocol, budget and training of new diplomats. As responsible for human resources, the under-secretary is the head of the Diplomatic Service and has the rank and honors of ambassador. [1] It is appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the foreign minister.

Contents

Until the establishment of the position of secretary of state for foreign affairs in 1979, the under-secretary was second-in-command to the minister, having political responsibilities. Nowadays, it is a technical position, held by a diplomat or a senior civil servant. This position is comparable to the permanent secretary in some countries or the Under Secretary of State for Management in the United States.

The under-secretary is the chancellor of the Ministry's orders: the Order of Isabella the Catholic and the Order of Civil Merit.

History

The office of under-secretary was established by Royal Decree of 16 June 1834. This norm created the position for all government departments in order to assit and lighten the minister's workload. [2] On June 26, Andrés Villalba, introducer of ambassadors, was appointed the first under-secretary of the Ministry of State. [3]

For much of its history, the Undersecretariat has been structured around two sections: one for Policy and another for Trade and Consulates. Over time, these two sections were divided and specialized by subject. By the end of the 19th century, we can find up to eleven different sections, some dedicated to foreign policy (Europe; the Americas; Asia, Africa and Oceania; Trade; and Pious Work) and others to technical and administrative matters (Accounting, Chancellery, Consulates, Archives, etc.). [4]

In the 1930s the sections were renamed as directorates-general and the political ones were directly attached to the minister, although, as the second highest ranking official, the under-secretary continued to act as coordinator of the rest of the department's senior officials. The creation of the secretariats of state —foreign affaris, European Union and international cooperation— between the 1970s and the 1980s relegated this officer to a mere internal affairs manager.

Organization

The Undersecretariat is organized as follows: [5]

Undersecretariat Organization (2025)
Under-SecretaryTechnical Cabinet
Inspectorate-General of Services
Budget Office
International Legal Advice Office
Diplomatic School
Pious Work of the Holy Places
Office for the Protection of Classified Information
Introducer of Ambassadors Deputy Directorate-General for Trips, Official Visits, Ceremonial and Orders
Deputy Directorate-General for Chancellery
Technical Secretary-GeneralDeputy Technical Secretary-General
Deputy Directorate-General for Institutional Relations and Regional Collaboration
Deputy Directorate-General for Treaties and Other International Agreements
Division for Appeals and Relations with the Courts
Language Interpretation Office
Directorate-General for the
Foreign Service		Administrative Office
Deputy Directorate-General for Personnel
Deputy Directorate-General for Financial Administration
Deputy Directorate-General for Properties
Deputy Directorate-General for IT, Communications and Networks
Division for Control and Management Improvement
Directorate-General for Spaniards Abroad
and Consular Affairs		Deputy Directorate-General for Consular Protection and Assistance
Deputy Directorate-General for Consular Legal Affairs
Deputy Directorate-General for Visas and Travel Documents
Divison for Consular Emergencies

List of under-secretaries

Since 1834, these has been the people who served as under-secretaries: [6]

Under-SecretaryTermUnder-SecretaryTerm
1Andrés Villalba1834 – 183553Eugenio Ferraz y Alcalá Galiano1913 – 1918
2Julián Villalba1835 – 1836-Juan Pérez-Caballero y Ferrer1918 – 1919
-Gabriel José García, a.i. 1836 – 183854Emilio de Palacios y Fau1919 – 1923
-Julián Villalba, a.i. 1838 – 183955Fernando Espinosa de los Monteros1923 – 1927
-José García Pérez de Castro, a.i. 1839 – 184056Bernardo Almeida y Herreros1927 – 1929
3Hipólito de los Hoyos1840 – 184357Emilio de Palacios y Fau1929 – 1930
4Francisco María Martín1843 – 184658Domingo de las Bárcenas1930 – 1931
5 The Count of San Luis 184659Francisco Agramonte Cortijo1931 – 1932
6Antonio Caballero1846 – 185160Justo Gómez Ocerín1932 – 1933
7 Luis López de la Torre Ayllón y Kirsmacker 185161Antonio de la Cruz Marín1933
8Antonio Riquelme1851 – 185362Manuel Aguirre de Cárcer
9Antonio Caballero1853 – 185463José María Doussinague1933 – 1934
10Juan Antoine y Zayas1854 – 185564José María Aguinaga y Barona1934 – 1936
-Jacinto Albístur, a.i. 185565Rafael de Ureña y Sanz1936
-Miguel de los Santos Álvarez, a.i. 1855 – 1856-Valeriano Casanueva Picazo [a] 1936 – 1937
11 Augusto Ulloa y Castañón 1856-Alfredo Nistal Martínez [a] 1937
-Tomás Ligués, a.i. - Carlos Esplá [a] 1937 – 1938
12 The Marquess of Valmar 1856 – 1857-José Quero Morales [a] 1938
13Juan Tomás Comyn1857 – 1862-Pablo de Tremoya y Alzaga [a]
14Tomás Ligués1863 – 1864- Eugenio Espinosa de los Monteros [b] 1938 – 1939
15Miguel de los Santos Bañuelos1864 – 1865-José Quero Morales [a]
16 The Count of Casa Valencia 1865 – 1866-Domingo de las Bárcenas [b] 1939
17Facundo Goñi1866 – 186766Juan Peche y Cabeza de Vaca1939 – 1941
18Rafael Jabat Hernández de Alba1867 – 186867José Pan de Soraluce y Español1941 – 1944
19 The Count of Xiquena 186868Cristóbal del Castillo y Campos1944 – 1945
20 Juan Valera y Alcalá-Galiano 1868 – 186969Tomás Suñer Ferrer1945 – 1947
21Eduardo Gasset y Artime1869 – 187070 The Count of Casa Miranda 1947 – 1951
22 Bonifacio de Blas y Muñoz 1870 – 187171The Count of Navasqüés1951 – 1955
23 Pío Gullón 1871 – 187272 The Marquess consort of Santa Cruz 1955 –1958
24Manuel Merelo y Calvo1872 – 187373 Pedro Cortina Mauri 1958 – 1966
25Miguel Morayta y Sagrario187374Germán Burriel Rodríguez1966 – 1968
26Tomás Rodríguez Pinilla75 Gonzalo Fernández de la Mora 1970
27Melchor Almagro Díaz1873 – 187476Gabriel Fernández Valderrama1970 – 1974
28 Pío Gullón 1874 – 187577Juan José Rovira1974 – 1975
29Cayo Quiñones de León187578 The Marquess of Oreja 1975 – 1976
30Rafael Ferraz1875 – 188179Miguel Solano Aza1976 – 1978
-Jacobo Prendergast y Gorgón, a.i. 188180 José Joaquín Puig de la Bellacasa 1978 – 1980
31Felipe Méndez de Vigo1881 – 188381Joaquín Ortega Salinas1980 – 1982
32 José Gutiérrez de Agüera 1883 – 188482Leoncio Gonzalo Puente Ojea1982 – 1985
33Rafael Ferraz1884 – 188583Fernando Perpiñá-Robert Peyra1985 – 1988
34 José Gutiérrez de Agüera 1885 – 188884 Inocencio Arias 1988 – 1991
35Francisco Rafael Figuera1888 – 188985 Máximo Cajal López 1991 – 1994
36José Fernández Jiménez1889 – 189086Jesús Ezquerra Calvo1994 – 1996
37Rafael Ferraz1890 – 189287José de Carvajal Salido1996 – 2000
38José Fernández Jiménez1892 – 189388Carlos Carderera Soler2000 – 2002
- José Gutiérrez de Agüera, a.i. 189389José Pedro Sebastián de Erice [7] 2002 – 2003
39Joaquín Valera y Aceituno1893 – 189490 María Victoria Morera [8] 2003 – 2004
40 The Marquess of Villa-Urrutia 1894 – 189591Luis Calvo Merino [9] 2004 – 2007
41Rafael Ferraz1895 – 189792María Jesús Figa [10] 2007 – 2010
42 José Gutiérrez de Agüera 1897 – 189893Antonio López Martínez [11] 2010 – 2012
43Luis Polo de Bernabé1898 – 189994Rafael Mendívil Peydro [12] 2012 – 2014
44 The Duke of Arcos 189995Cristóbal González-Aller Jurado [13] 2014 – 2017
45Enrique Dupuy de Lóme y Paulín1899 – 190096 Beatriz Larrotcha Palma [14] 2017 – 2018
46 Juan Pérez-Caballero y Ferrer 1900 – 190397 Ángeles Moreno Bau [15] 2018 – 2020
47 Antonio de Castro y Casaléiz 1903 – 190598María Celsa Nuño García [16] 2020 – 2021
48Emilio de Ojeda y Perpiñán1905 – 190699Luis Manuel Cuesta Civís [17] 2021 – 2024
49Julio de Arellano y Arróspide1906 – 1907100Xavier Martí Martí [18] Since 2024
50The Marquess of Herrera1907 – 1909
51Ramón Piña y Millet1909 – 1911
52 Manuel González-Hontoria 1911 – 1913

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Under-Secretary of the Republican Ministry of State
  2. 1 2 Under-Secretary of the Rebel Ministry of State.

References

  1. ↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs (24 July 1955). "Decreto de 15 de julio de 1955 por el que aprueba el Reglamento Orgánico de la Carrera Diplomática" [Decree of July 15, 1955, approving the Organic Regulations of the Diplomatic Career.]. Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  2. ↑ Office of the Prime Minister (2 July 1834). "Royal Decree of 16 June 1834 creating the position of under-secretary in all the ministries" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  3. ↑ Office of the Prime Minister (2 July 1834). "Royal Decree of 26 June 1834 appointing Andrés Villalba, introducer of ambassadors, as Under-Secretary of State" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  4. ↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs (27 September 1888). "Royal Decree of September 25, 1888, reorganizing the Ministry of State" (PDF). Gaceta de Madrid (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  5. ↑ Ministry of Foreign Affairs (29 November 2024). "Real Decreto 1184/2024, de 28 de noviembre, por el que se desarrolla la estructura orgánica básica del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, Unión Europea y Cooperación" [Royal Decree 1184/2024, of November 28, which develops the basic organic structure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.]. Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  6. ↑ Ochoa Brun, Miguel Ángel (2000). "History of the Spanish Diplomacy - DIPLOMATIC REPERTOIRE- CHRONOLOGICAL LISTS OF REPRESENTATIVES - From the Early Middle Ages to the year 2000" (PDF). www.exteriores.gob.es (in Spanish). pp. 297–300. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  7. ↑ Miguel, Ramón de (10 May 2020). "José Pedro Sebastián de Erice, un hombre bueno en la diplomacia y la empresa". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  8. ↑ Egurbide, Peru (31 May 2003). "Palacio sustituye al subsecretario de Exteriores por su jefa de gabinete". El País (in Spanish). ISSN   1134-6582 . Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  9. ↑ EFE (16 July 2011). "El malagueño Luis Calvo Merino, nombrado embajador en Suecia". Diario Sur (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  10. ↑ Press, Europa (26 October 2007). "España.- El Gobierno designa nuevos embajadores en Italia, Bélgica, Colombia, Lituania, Guinea y Omán". www.europapress.es. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  11. ↑ González, Miguel (10 September 2010). "Moratinos aborda la segunda oleada de cambios en Exteriores". El País (in Spanish). ISSN   1134-6582 . Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  12. ↑ "El diplomático Rafael Mendívil será el subsecretario de Asuntos Exteriores". Diario ABC (in Spanish). 4 January 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  13. ↑ "Margallo cambia de subsecretario y nombra a once nuevos embajadores". Diario ABC (in Spanish). 7 June 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  14. ↑ "Exteriores nombra subsecretaria a Beatriz Larrotcha y embajadores en Austria, Bolivia, Grecia y ante la ONU en Ginebra". El Periódico (in Spanish). 21 July 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  15. ↑ Press, Europa (13 July 2018). "Borrell completa la renovación de la cúpula de Exteriores nombrando subsecretaria a Ángeles Moreno". www.europapress.es. Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  16. ↑ Abellán, Lucía (25 May 2020). "González Laya completa el equipo de Exteriores con una nueva subsecretaria". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  17. ↑ González, Miguel (27 July 2021). "Un diplomático y ex alto cargo de Defensa, nuevo subsecretario de Exteriores". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
  18. ↑ Periódico, El (27 August 2024). "El diplomático Xavier Martí, nuevo subsecretario del Ministerio de Exteriores". El Periódico (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 October 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.