Báñez served in center-right Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government from 2011 to 2018 and played a central role in Spain’s response to the eurozone crisis. During that period, she developed a warm personal relationship with Ursula von der Leyen, now European Commission president, who was then her counterpart in Germany’s labor ministry.
As employment minister, Báñez oversaw the conservative government’s controversial 2012 labor-market reform, which made it easier for companies to dismiss workers and drew fierce opposition from trade unions. The administration argued the changes would make hiring more flexible and accelerate the country’s economic recovery.
Speaking from the crash site Wednesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of national mourning. “All of Spain is mourning,” he said.
“It is unacceptable for a country like Spain to suffer two high-speed rail accidents in the same year,” Sánchez added. “We are going to get to the bottom of this, and if there has been negligence, it will be revealed, and if there have been failures in the system, we will act decisively.”
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the initial investigation suggested the collision was caused by an official at the national railway control center in Madrid who “inexplicably” instructed one high-speed train to proceed along a track where another had stalled.
Puente insisted Spain has “a safe transport system,” but acknowledged that “human action plays a role” and that, despite extensive safety regulations and protocols, “failures can occur.”