Angela de Miguel has been elected as the president of the Confederación Española de la Pequeña y Mediana Empresa (Cepyme) for the next four years, succeeding Gerardo Cuerva, who previously held the position.

In a closely contested internal election, De Miguel received 246 votes against Cuerva's 216, a margin of just 30 ballots, with a total of 550 delegates from 147 organizations eligible to vote.

The election featured one blank vote and three invalid ballots.

The campaign was marked by significant tension, as De Miguel's bid was supported by the Confederación Española de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE) and prominent regional employers' organizations, including CEIM from Madrid, Foment del Treball from Catalonia, and CEV from Valencia, as well as associations such as the Asociación de Trabajadores Autónomos (ATA) and the Spanish Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs (CEAJE).

Carlos Cuerpo, the Minister of Economy, Trade, and Enterprise, congratulated De Miguel via social media and expressed gratitude to Cuerva for his leadership over the past years, stating that collaboration would continue to strengthen the role of SMEs in the economy.

De Miguel's election is notable as she becomes the first woman to hold the presidency of Cepyme.

In her acceptance speech, she emphasized the importance of reintegrating small and medium enterprises into the political debate and advocated for a united approach to face upcoming challenges.

She called for a stronger, more agile, and representative organization committed to proposing concrete solutions to issues affecting SMEs, which constitute 99.8% of Spain's business landscape.

She highlighted bureaucratic burdens, tax pressures, and regulatory changes as critical challenges to the competitiveness of these businesses, characterizing the situation for SMEs as 'dramatic' due to regulatory obstacles, high absenteeism rates, and labor costs.

Tensions between the outgoing president Cuerva and CEOE president Antonio Garamendi have been evident in recent months.

Garamendi, a proponent of De Miguel's candidacy, referred to the need for unity within the business community while expressing regret over the 'defamations' that emerged during the electoral campaign.

Cuerva had previously accused Garamendi of interference in Cepyme's internal affairs and of attempting to fracture the association for personal gain.

The conflict intensified when Cuerva rejected an offer from Garamendi to assume an international role in exchange for stepping aside in the elections.

Furthermore, Cuerva's attempt to amend Cepyme's internal regulations to limit delegated voting sparked controversy, leading to accusations of underhanded tactics from both organizations.

Ultimately, the election has initiated a new chapter for Cepyme as it navigates the evolving landscape of Spanish small and medium enterprises.