In the month of June two new governments were formed in Europe, namely in Italy and in Spain. Whereas in Italy the elections had as a result a two-headed creature composed of a populist, euro-sceptic party (5-Star Movement) and a right-wing party (Northern League), in Spain the Socialists took over after ousting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy with a vote of no-confidence. 

In Italy, after long and exhausting attempts to form a coalition between the Northern League and the 5-Star Movement, the name picked from the basket was that of Marco Bussetti. The new Ministry of Education holds a higher education degree (a difference compared to the previous occupant of the Ministry, Federica Valeri, who had been heavily criticised by the public opinion for having none). Mr Bussetti is a graduate in “Sciences and Techniques of Preventive and Adapted Motory Activity”. Before being appointed Minister, he used to work as a Sports teacher in middle school and has hold other teaching roles, always linked to sport. Although he is not member of any political party, he allegedly shows sympathies for the right-winged Northern League. On the occasion of the hand-over from Valeri to Bussetti, the latter said that his priority will be “to give dignity back to those who work in the schools, to the staff, the teachers, the headmasters. To give stability to the educational system, without forgetting the universities and the research, which are the engine for the development of our country”. 

As for Spain, the new Minister of Education is one of the 11 women forming what has been defined “Spain’s new female dominated government”. Isabel Celáa is a socialist and she is also the government’s spokesperson. Her experience in the Spanish institutions started in 1987, when she was appointed Head of cabinet of the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research and then Deputy Minister for education. She used to be member of the Basque parliament between 1998 and 2016 and for the same Basque government she has also served as Councillor of Education, Universities and Research, proving a long-standing experience in this field.