Those who know José Manuel Albares in the diplomatic world agree that the Foreign Minister has “a difficult character.” Government sources consulted by LA RAZÓN explain that a good part of the Executive has already tired of the “infantilism” with which the minister treats some of his particular personal wars, such as the one he maintains with the head of the Royal House, the diplomat Camilo Villarino. «His confrontations with Camilo are considered pathetic. And, although there is already resignation, in truth there is also a bit of fatigue due to the childishness with which he handles all this,” says a source familiar with the situation within the Executive.
The truth is that Albares’ battle with Villarino, 61, goes back a long way. Both are old acquaintances after dedicating a good part of their respective lives to diplomatic careers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The head of the Royal House, recognized in the diplomatic world for his “professionalism and sense of state”, arrived in Zarzuela in February of last year, where he replaced Jaime Alfonsín. But before that he held some key positions in places essential to Spain’s international interests, such as Brussels, Washington and Rabat, and has been chief of staff for several foreign ministers, including Albares’ two immediate predecessors, the socialists Josep Borrell and Arancha González Laya. However, his relationship with Albares is more than tense.
The current minister, as soon as he took office in 2021, blocked the appointment of Villarino as ambassador to Moscow, despite already having Russian approval. That disagreement brought to the surface their deep professional and personal differences. Villarino, who was a close collaborator of González Laya, with whom he managed the controversial Brahim Ghali case, was acquitted of any possible crime related to this case.
This episode, which raised the tension between Spain and Morocco to levels never seen since the Green March, was what caused the sudden departure of Villarino from Foreign Affairs, which was executed by Albares without mercy. The minister considered that Villarino acted with opacity in the “Ghali case”, while the diplomat’s entourage saw his exclusion as a political and personal retaliation. The reality is that Villarino did not return to occupy positions in the Foreign Affairs structure.
Although the now head of the Royal House, in any case, was not left stranded, since he was claimed by Borrell as director of cabinet while he was the High European Representative for Foreign Policy. Villarino, according to the sources consulted, values professional excellence above partisan interests and that has contributed to his distancing from Albares, who has faced criticism from the diplomatic world for prioritizing political affinities in his management.
Without going any further, the Government’s deliberate clash with the United States is not to the taste of a good part of the diplomats or of Villarino himself, according to the account of these same sources. But Villarino is not the only one with whom Albares maintains a tense relationship. His Sumar teammates are not to his liking either. Albares is suspicious of the head of Culture, Ernest Urtasun – also a diplomat. What’s more, when he appointed his team, Albares cried foul because he feared that Culture would become a parallel Foreign Ministry. And, those who know him explain, there is nothing that makes Albares more tense than not controlling everything that is done, not only in his ministry, but in the diplomatic world, always plagued by suspicions. But things do not stop at Urtasun, the second vice president of the Government, Yolanda Díaz, has also suffered Albares’ disdain.
The minister once prohibited him from traveling to the Middle East and their personalities clash head-on, according to the sources consulted. All these frictions have been wearing down the Moncloa teams for some time, where the minister is seen as a complicated person for politics.
Foreign sources, regarding this information, make the following rectification: “Regarding what was published in La Razón, we want to make it clear that it is false that Minister Albares has blocked any favor granted at any time. It is false that he has blocked any trip organized by any minister at any time. All the information about Minister Urtasun is flatly false. Likewise, official ministry sources maintain that “it is flatly false that Camilo Villarino had a lightning departure’ of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as indicated in the article. “He continued working at the Ministry for months until, by his own decision, he went to work at the EEAS.”