Madrid
Esperanza Aguirre makes changes to her regional cabinet in Madrid
By h.b.
Jun 26, 2008 - 8:13 AM

The Partido Popular President of the Madrid region, Esperanza Aguirre, has made some surprise changes to her cabinet and lost five councillors, including Manuel Lamela and Alfredo Prada, considered to be politically close to the P.P. national leader Mariano Rajoy.

Three council places will be lost and the two new councillors, José Ignacio Echeverría and Antonio Beteta, one of the most loyal to Aguirre, will take up their new posts later today.

It means the number of councillors in the regional Madrid government is reduced from 15 to 12, and Aguirre will make a formal statement on the changes later today.