In the presence of Minister José Manuel Albares, His Majesty the King underlined that the 74th graduating class of the Diplomatic Career is the first in which there are more women than men, “a milestone that reflects a social reality in which more and more women are happily carrying out the State action in the different bodies of the General State Administration, and gaining access to positions of responsibility”.
“You can consider yourselves very fortunate to work for a country like ours”, said King Felipe to the new embassy secretaries, encouraging them to “perform their duty with patriotism, understood as a spirit of service, with humility and confidence”. His Majesty the King also praised the efforts and work carried out by the new graduating class to achieve their aim. “You embrace a very vocational profession, whose main raison d'être is to serve Spain, the national interest, the State and, through this, all Spanish people”.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation also highlighted the fact that this is the first class with more women (21) than men (14) and stressed that these 35 individuals represent “the full diversity of Spain’s geography, what Spanish society is: diverse, plural, made up of women and men of great value and talent".
José Manuel Albares also stated that “historical chance” has resulted in them joining the Diplomatic Career in “a crucial year for Spain”, which will take on the rotating Presidency of the EU in the second half of the year. In this regard, he indicated that in fact 14 of them will immediately join the Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels to help with preparations.
In Spain, entry to the Diplomatic Career is by competitive examination. Through various exercises, candidates must show their knowledge of such diverse subjects as international public and private law, the European Union and other international organisations, the global and Spanish economy, development cooperation, history and international relations. It is also essential to have a good command of English and French, and candidates may raise their mark through other languages such as German, Arabic, Chinese, Portuguese and Russian. Following the entrance exam, candidates must pass a selective course taught at the Diplomatic School and focused on diplomatic and consular practice.