Yolanda Díaz runs for ILO leadership with a €200,000 salary

Yolanda Díaz, candidate to lead the ILO on a €200,000 salary

Spain's second deputy prime minister and labour minister, Yolanda Díaz, has officially launched her candidacy for the leadership of the International Labour Organization (ILO), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The move, which would take her away from the front line of national politics, has reignited the debate over the consistency between her rhetoric and her actions. While some see her as Spain's best ambassador to the world, others question how someone who presents herself as a champion of workers can aspire to a post whose salary exceeds €200,000 a year, at an organisation that, according to some sources, offers significant tax advantages.

The salary and spending fuelling the controversy
The current ILO director-general's pay is clearly above that figure, although the president's has not been specified. Added to this are criticisms of Díaz's alleged lifestyle: she has been credited with stays at luxury hotels in Greece, handbag purchases for her 13-year-old daughter costing over €500, and €250 bottles of champagne at El Corte Inglés. Her detractors believe these habits clash with the profile of a leader who claims to defend the most disadvantaged.

The real cost of living in Geneva
However, a closer look puts the supposed opulence in perspective. In Switzerland, taxes can take between €40,000 and €50,000 a year, and renting a mid-to-high-end flat in Geneva runs around €60,000-70,000. With these deductions, the net salary would come to about €80,000, an amount that, by some calculations, forces you to tighten your belt in such an expensive city. Comparison with the local cost of living puts the initial figure in context.

The academic background and the ambitions
Another flashpoint in the controversy is Díaz's education: she holds a degree in philology, which some consider insufficient to lead an international organisation. There is speculation that her 14-year-old daughter might study in Switzerland. Her defenders, meanwhile, highlight her communication skills and her knowledge of the labour world. The outcome of this candidacy will be known in the coming months, but the debate over whether a post of this level is compatible with a pro-worker message is well and truly open.