Telefónica signs former PNV president

Barcelona / MadridInterestingly, this week the telecoms sector has been looking to politics. On the one hand, Telefónica has appointed former PNV president Andoni Ortuzar to its board of directors. A controversial appointment, given that it comes amidst negotiations for a workforce reduction plan. On the other hand, Sateliot approached the socialist Meritxell Batet, president of the Congress of Deputies between 2019 and 2023, formerly Minister of Public Administration (2018-2019), and currently president of the National Council of the PSC (Socialist Party of Catalonia). In addition, the Eurogroup has a new president, and Oriol Oró is stepping down as director of Fira de Lleida after 18 years. These are the most notable appointments of the week:

Telefónica appoints former PNV president

Telefónica is fishing within the PNV. telecom Telefónica Audiovisual Digital, chaired by Catalan Marc Murtra and in which the Spanish state holds a 10% stake through SEPI, has appointed former PNV president Andoni Ortuzar to the board of directors of Telefónica Audiovisual Digital, the parent company of Movistar+, according to sources familiar with the process who spoke to ARA. The appointment, which comes amid negotiations for a workforce reduction plan (ERE) at Telefónica, involves an average salary of around €80,000, according to reports. The Country.

A journalist by profession, Ortuzar was replaced as president of the PNV in March 2025, after 12 years at the helm of the main party in the Basque Country. It was then that Former congressman Aitor Esteban took over as leader the Basque political party. Although the former politician has since disappeared from the public eye, he has continued to participate in some PNV events. Ortuzar, who before holding political office worked in media outlets such as He saidEiTB has also hired the consulting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers as an external advisor. The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) has viewed the arrival of its former leader at Telefónica as "normal," while parties like the People's Party (PP) have criticized him for his close ties to the Spanish government. In fact, the PP wants Murtra to appear before Congress to explain his position. Telefónica has also appointed Marcos Contreras, an independent member of CriteriaCaixa, the company's largest shareholder after the Spanish government, to the board of directors of Movistar+. Sateliot has appointed Meritxell Batet as an independent director.

The board of directors of Sateliot, dedicated to satellite telecommunications for 5G connectivity, has agreed to propose to the general shareholders' meeting the appointment of Meritxell Batet as an independent director, and has taken note of the designation of José María García Orois as an observer of the board representing the Spanish Society for Trans Business.

Batet, Speaker of the Congress of Deputies from 2019 to 2023, holds a law degree from Pompeu Fabra University, where she was a professor of Constitutional Law. She has served as a member of parliament for the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) and as Minister of Territorial Policy and Public Administration (2018-2019). In the private sector, she has experience as an independent director of Ebro Foods. Her appointment as a board member of Sateliot must be ratified by the Shareholders' Meeting to be held by the company in the last week of the year.

Oriol Oró leaves his position as director of Fira de Lleida after 18 years

Oriol Oró announced this week that he is stepping down as director of Fira de Lleida after 18 years at the helm. He stated that his decision was "well-considered, thoughtful, and made in consultation" with the fair's governing bodies: the Lleida City Council, the Provincial Council, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Catalan Government. Oró explained that he wants to pursue "new professional challenges" and affirmed that he is leaving the fair at an "optimal moment, with growth potential and a new pavilion." This year saw significant changes, such as the replacement of the traditional Sant Miquel Fair with the Mos trade show and the launch of the new agricultural fair, Agrobiotech, which took place in November but drew fewer attendees than anticipated.

A meeting of the fair's board of trustees has been convened this Monday to ratify Oró's decision and begin the process of filling the director position. The mayor of Lleida and president of the fair's governing body, Fèlix Larrosa, emphasized that two key factors will be considered: experience and track record, as well as the candidate's proposed project for the institution, aimed at consolidating its position as the second largest fair in Catalonia.

Greek Economy Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis is the new president of the Eurogroup

Greek Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis has been elected the new president of the Eurogroup, the forum that brings together the finance ministers of the eurozone and works, among other objectives, to consolidate the single market. The new president took office on December 12 for a two-and-a-half-year term, and the first Eurogroup meeting under Pierrakakis' leadership will take place on January 19. The Greek minister won the race for the Eurogroup presidency against Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Vincent Van Peteghem, who was also a candidate. Both belong to the European People's Party. Born in Athens in 1983, the son of a doctor and a lawyer, Pierrakakis, 42, graduated in Computer Science from the Athens University of Economics in 2005. He continued his studies in the United States, where he earned a degree in Technology Policy and completed his first postgraduate degree in Public Policy at Harvard. After returning to Greece, Pierrakakis served as president of the Greek Youth Institute, a public entity whose objective is to promote youth innovation through technological and scientific projects and support. He also worked as an advisor to the then Minister of Development, the Social Democrat Anna Diamantopoulou.

During the coalition government of the conservative New Democracy (ND) and the social democrats of PASOK (2012-2015), he was appointed as a member of the Greek delegation that negotiated with European institutions and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) the measures to be implemented for the country's second financial bailout. Although he began his political career in the socialist youth wing of PASOK, becoming a candidate for the European Parliament in 2014, the election of the current Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as leader of ND in 2016 brought him closer to the conservatives, and Mitsotakis appointed him minister. He is therefore also recognized as the architect of his country's digital revolution.

The Eurogroup is an informal forum where the ministers of the European Union member states belonging to the eurozone discuss matters of common interest for the circulation of that currency as a single currency. Its main task is to ensure the coordination of economic policies among these countries, as well as to promote conditions for greater economic growth. It usually meets once a month, on the eve of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council summit.

Roger Mitjana, new managing director of Ports de Catalunya-ACPET

The Catalan Association of Marinas and Tourist Ports (Ports de Catalunya-ACPET), which represents more than 90% of the marinas in Catalonia, has appointed Roger Mitjana, former executive of organizations such as Fira de Barcelona and Porcelanosa, as its new managing director. Mitjana aims to usher in a new era for the association and give it renewed momentum. He has over twenty years of experience in sales management and business development, having held executive positions at Fira Barcelona and Porcelanosa. Throughout his career, he has "led projects focused on growth, strategic transformation, and team consolidation," ACPET explained in a statement.

Pep Garcia takes over from Xavier Panés as president of the Territorial Council of SMEs

Pep Garcia, president of the Intersectoral Business Union, has taken over as head of the Territorial Council for SMEs of Fomento del Trabajo (the Catalan employers' association), replacing Xavier Panés (Cecot), who, according to Fomento, "has driven its consolidation and projection as a strategic body for Catalan employers over the past two years." Garcia has assumed the position with the aim of consolidating the Territorial Council for SMEs as "the main platform for representing Catalan SMEs." At his inauguration, Garcia emphasized a model based on democratic legitimacy, independence, and the strength of the territory, and set three priorities for this new phase: strengthening the Council's capacity to influence policy, reinforcing its own identity, and promoting a national agenda focused on competitiveness, strategic infrastructure, and sustainability.