MADRID -- A major cabinet reshuffle signals a desire by Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar to shift his focus to domestic concerns following the close of Spain's presidency of the European Union.

With legislative elections set for 2004, Aznar's center-right government has recently been hit by a wave of strikes over proposed labor reforms and the prime minister is conscious of the need to promote political heavyweights within his own party.

Moreover, the party also has to choose a successor to Aznar by late 2003 since the prime minister is now nearing the end of his second and final term allowed by the Spanish Constitution.

The reshuffle Tuesday brought major changes to the cabinet, with six ministers getting the chop, three taking on new portfolios and five new faces coming on board.

One of Spain's best known ministers, Josep Pique, took a step down in the reshuffle moving from foreign affairs to the quieter pastures of science and technology.

Nevertheless, with Ana de Palacio replacing the high-profile Pique, Spain retains a figure at the Foreign Ministry with wide experience in European Union affairs.

Spain was forced to play a pan-European role during its EU presidency, a function that put some domestic interests on the backburner.

But with the reform of the EU's common agricultural policy, Spain, a net benefactor of the policy, could end up losing more than most.

Such changes also appear likely to increase with the enlargement of the EU, bringing in countries which are just as farm-based as Spain.

Madrid is also looking to push its case on issues which have similarly been left aside during the EU presidency such as negotiations with Britain over Gibraltar and Spanish relations with Morocco.

Aznar had faced a major political embarrassment when, looking to end the Spanish presidency on a high note, labor unions spoiled the end of term EU party in Seville by holding a general strike on the same day.

Spain handed over the rotating presidency of the EU to Denmark on July 1, AFP reported.

The man responsible for relations with the unions, Juan Carlos Aparicio, has paid the price for that, being replaced by a leading baron from Aznar's Popular Party Eduardo Zaplana as labor minister.

Together with Finance Minister Rodrigo Rato, Zaplana now has the job of reviving dialogue with the unions.

At the Interior Ministry, Mariano Rajoy moved to the post of government spokesman where Aznar hopes his acknowledged preference for dialogue will help the government improve the communication of its message, regarded as weak in recent months.

Rajoy is replaced at the Interior Ministry by former justice minister Angel Acerbes, tipped as a possible successor to Aznar.

Acerbes has the difficult task of dealing with the perennial Basque problem likely to increase following legislation banning the Basque Party Batasuna, the political wing of the armed group ETA.

With his new team, Aznar feels he can now take the initiative away from the opposition socialists, themselves fresh from their successful backing of the general strike.