President of Foundation for International Relations and Foreign Dialogue (FRIDE); Chairman of Spain-China Forum; former Minister of Economy and Treasury of Spain

Born in 1942 in Pinoso, Alicante, he was agriculture and fisheries minister (1991–1993) and finance minister (1993–1996) in Felipe Gonzalez’s cabinets, also MP representing Alicante for the same party until 1999. Appointed by Spanish premier José María Aznar, he was a European commissioner for economic and monetary affairs in the European Commission. Then he served as second vice president and minister of economy and finance in the government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero which he held from 2004 to 2009.