Carmen Calvo Starts Process to Remove De la Vega from Council of State
Listen to the story
Spanish politician Carmen Calvo has started legal steps to remove María Teresa Fernández de la Vega from her position at the Council of State.
De la Vega, a former Spanish vice-president, holds a lifetime post on the council. This kind of position is usually held until death or resignation.
According to reports, De la Vega has suffered a long illness. This has led Calvo to begin the process of having her declared incapacitated, meaning unable to continue in her role.
Journalist Ketty Garat has written about the situation, suggesting that Calvo's real aim is to take over De la Vega's permanent seat for herself.
The Council of State is one of Spain's top advisory bodies. It gives the government legal and political guidance on important matters.
Because seats on the council are normally held for life, removing a member is unusual and requires a formal legal process, rather than a simple political decision.
The story has drawn attention because it involves two well-known figures from Spanish politics. Both have held major roles at the highest levels of government.
No official statement about the outcome of the process has been reported so far. It remains unclear when a final decision might be made.
Vocabulary10 words
- Council of State
- an important group that gives legal advice to the Spanish government
- vice-president
- the second-highest leader, after the president
- lifetime post
- a job someone can keep for their whole life
- incapacitated
- declared unable to do a job because of illness
- advisory body
- a group whose job is to give advice, not make final decisions
- guidance
- help or advice about what to do
- outcome
- the final result of something
- resignation
- when someone chooses to leave a job
- formal
- official and following set rules
- figure
- a well-known or important person
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. A voluntary, unpaid role with no fixed term 2. De la Vega has been seriously ill for a long time 3. It gives legal and political advice to the government
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Spanish politician Carmen Calvo has started legal steps to _____ María Teresa Fernández de la Vega from her position.
De la Vega, a former Spanish _____, holds a lifetime post on the council.
According to reports, De la Vega has suffered a long _____.
This has led Calvo to begin the process of having her declared _____.
Journalist Ketty Garat suggests that Calvo's real aim is to take over De la Vega's permanent _____ for herself.
The Council of State is one of Spain's top _____ bodies.
It gives the government legal and political _____ on important matters.
Removing a member is unusual and requires a formal legal _____.
No official _____ about the outcome has been reported so far.
It remains unclear when a final _____ might be made.
Discussion questions
- Do you think it is fair to remove someone from a lifetime position because of illness? Why or why not?
- What kind of process do you think should be required to remove someone from an important government role?
- Why might advisory bodies like the Council of State have lifetime positions in the first place?
- How important is transparency when powerful political figures are involved in disputes like this one?
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.
