Isabel Tejerina named as new Spanish Minister for Agriculture

Isabel Garcia Tejerina was named as Spain's new Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, local media reported on Monday. Spanish state TV network, RTVE, quoted Miguel Arias Canete as saying. Canete is stepping down from the agricultural minister post in order to lead the ruling Popular Party (PP) candidacy in the forthcoming elections for the European Parliament. Canete's replacement by Tejerina is the first change which has taken place in the cabinet of Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy since the PP won the general election and came to power in November 2011. Canete said that Tejerina has a "deep knowledge of the sector," adding that she is "well liked in European sectors at the highest levels of decision making." The 45-year-old Tejarina studied agricultural engineering in Madrid and also has a law degree and has been the General Secretary in the Department of Agriculture in Spain since February 2012. She was also responsible for agriculture in the office of the Regional Government of Castilla and Leon in Brussels, as well as being a member of the Service of Community Agricultural Affairs for the Department of Agriculture and Cattle for the Castilla and Leon Regional government. Tejarina's also held advisory roles in the Department of Agriculture in the previous PP government, occupying positions in the Ministry between 1996 to 2004.