One of his worst drunken binges was in his father and his wife’s town. With a drink they called the crusher: a shot – “I don’t know what it had” – that you had to hit on the table and drink. After months of tension and pressure, of a tough negotiation with Junts and ERC to approve the Amnesty Law and after managing to advance the investiture of Pedro Sánchez, Félix Bolaños could well have celebrated it with another crushing. The president of the Government’s man for everything rises in the Executive. He assumes power over everything important: he continues as Minister of the Presidency and Relations with the Courts, but, in addition, he adds Justice. A super-ministry that represents, de facto, almost a political vice presidency although it does not hold that rank.
Born in Madrid on December 17, 1975, he has a degree in Law from the Complutense University of Madrid. He was number one in his promotion both in the General Law Course of the Legal Practice School as in the Special Course on Labor Law at the School of Legal Practice. But, above all, she is Sánchez’s trusted person. There is a management, a problem, there is Bolaños. He was the architect of the states of alarm during the pandemic and now he has been the architect of the Amnesty Law, in addition to being an interlocutor with Junts and ERC – it was he who signed the agreement with Oriol Junqueras on the pact with the Republicans. .
Bolaños will continue to be in charge of greasing the Government from his position as Minister of the Presidency, as that glue between the two partners who share the Cabinet. Sánchez’s trusted man will continue to preside over the General Commission of Secretaries and Undersecretarieswhich is where the Councils of Ministers and where it is decided what is raised to approve and what is not. A job behind the scenes, in relations with partners, the preparation and coordination of the major laws and initiatives that he has been carrying out for years. Now with the spotlights pointing at him, before in the back room. He served as Secretary General of the Presidency of the Government from June 2018 until he was appointed Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Cortes and Democratic Memory in July 2021. Previously, and since 2008, he held the position of Lawyer of the Bank of Spain and, later, he was appointed head of the Labor Legal Advisory and Legal Documentation division.
Now Justice also assumes. Although in recent years this portfolio has been led by Pilar Llop, the truth is that de facto it can be said that he was the minister. He piloted the reform of the Penal Code to suppress the crime of sedition and reduce the crime of embezzlement as a nod to the independentists and commanded the negotiation – ultimately frustrated – with the PP to try to renew the General Council of the Judiciary. Now it is your formal responsibility.
And the fact is that the side of Justice is another challenge for the Government. First, because the Amnesty Law is going to mark the legislature. Second, because the Executive knows that it must explain and defend it in the face of criticism and censure from the opposition. Third, because Europe is vigilant and also needs explanations. Hence placing Bolaños, a profile with substance and a politician at the forefront.