CEOE closes ranks so that Garamendi can be immortalized in the presidency of the employers’ association

Now it’s finally official. Antonio Garamendi can continue to lead the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEO) from 2026 and without any expiration date. The voices of opposition that have been raised in recent months — albeit unofficially — to prevent him from perpetuating himself in office have been extinguished, and the general assembly held by the employers yesterday approved, without a single vote against and a single abstention, the lifting of the limit of two consecutive presidential terms.

In this way, Garamendi will be able to present himself for the revalidation of the position if he so wishes, although he did not reveal his intentions, with the explanation that he was re-elected only a few months ago. “I have four summers left as president of CEOE. I don’t know what will happen in four years”, he declared.

That was the last step that was missing to change the statute of this institution. The Board of Directors and the Executive Board had previously practically unanimously approved the changes. However, this is not the only amendment to the rulebook that regulates access to the presidency of the employers’ association. From now on it will be a little more difficult to apply, because the number endorsements required for candidacy. If up to now 20 confirmations from at least four CEOE organizations were required, in the next elections the signatures of up to 10% of voters (about 80) will be required and that they also come from six different organizations.

Criticism of the Government

During his closing speech to the assembly, Garamendi demanded that the next government “put an end to it a campaign of harassment and demolition“that companies and “entrepreneurs with a name and surname” suffer and attack “interventionism” and the current unfreedom of companies. In this sense, he accused “a dozen regulatory changes” introduced “at night and treacherously”, by changing the law “without prior notice and behind the back of social dialogue”, and used the opportunity to request a reduction in the tax burden.