Introduction
Pedro Solbes Mira (born 31 August 1942 in Pinoso, Alicante) is a Spanish economist. He is the president of FRIDE, Madrid-based think tank.
Career
While independent in the sense of not affiliated to any party, his various ministerial roles in Spain have always been within Socialist Workers' Party cabinets. He was agriculture and fisheries minister (1991–1993) and finance minister (1993–1996) in Felipe Gonzalez's cabinets, also MP representing Alicante for the same party until 1999.
Appointed by Spanish premier José María Aznar (of the main competing party, the People's Party) he was a European commissioner for economic and monetary affairs in the European Commission presided by Romano Prodi (the Prodi Commission).
Then he served as second vice president and minister of economy and finance in the government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero which he held from 2004 to 2009.