Iñigo Urkullu Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Most Excellent
Íñigo Urkullu
Office:Lehendakari of the Basque Government
Term Start:15 December 2012
Term End:21 June 2024
Predecessor:Patxi López
Successor:Imanol Pradales
1Namedata:Josu Erkoreka (First)
Idoia Mendia (Second)
Office2:President of the Basque Nationalist Party
Termstart2:18 January 2008
Termend2:15 December 2012
Predecessor2:Josu Jon Imaz
Successor2:Andoni Ortuzar
Office3:Member of the Basque Parliament
Termstart3:20 November 2012
Termend3:14 May 2024
Termstart4:30 November 1994
Termend4:28 December 2007
Termstart5:20 February 1984
Termend5:8 January 1987
Birth Name:Íñigo Urkullu Renteria
Birth Date:18 September 1961
Birth Place:Alonsotegi (Biscay), Spain
Nationality:Spanish
Party:Basque Nationalist Party
Alma Mater:University of Deusto
Profession:Teacher

Íñigo Urkullu Renteria (born 18 September 1961) is a Basque politician from Spain, and the Lehendakari (President) of the Basque Government from 2012 to 2024.[1] [2]

As the President of the Basque Government, he headed the First, Second, and Third Urkullu Governments of the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain.

Biography

Urkullu graduated in teaching, specialized in Basque language, from the University of Deusto. He was a secondary school teacher at Asti-Leku Ikastola school.

Political career

He was the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) chairman[3] from 2008 to 2013, when he was succeeded by Andoni Ortuzar since the party's rules do not allow a Lehendakari to be the party's chairman at the same time.

He was the Biscay leader of the party from 2004 to 2008 and has been a member since 1996. He was the director of the Department for Youth and Social Services of the Biscay Foral Government (Diputación Foral de Bizkaia) from 1987 to 1994 and served in the Basque Parliament from 1984 to 1987 and from 1994 to 2005 (during the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th sittings of the parliament).

In 2017, he administered the René Cassin award to Sexual Minorities Uganda for their achievements in LGBT and human rights activism.

Amid the 2017-18 Spanish constitutional crisis, Urkullu tried to mediate between the Spanish and Catalan governments to avoid the declaration of independence and the application of Article 155, but these attempts failed. He declared as a witness in the Trial of Catalonia independence leaders on 28 February 2019.[4] [5]

He resided in Ajuria Enea, the official residence of the president of the Basque Government, until the end of his term.

Notes and References

  1. News: . Íñigo Urkullu ha sido reelegido presidente del PNV . January 15, 2012 . May 20, 2019 . es.
  2. News: El Imparcial. Íñigo Urkullu: "En ausencia de violencia hay que dejar paso a la política". June 26, 2012. May 20, 2019. es.
  3. Book: Cambio 16. July 25, 2011. January 1, 2008. Información y Revistas, S.A.. 1901–1909.
  4. News: De Mariano Rajoy a Iñigo Urkullu: qué tiene que contar cada testigo. es. Alberto. Pozas. February 27, 2019 . May 20, 2019. Madrid. Cadena SER.
  5. News: Juicio al 'procés': Urkullu reconoce su papel mediador entre Rajoy y Puigdemont . es. https://web.archive.org/web/20190228192035/https://www.elplural.com/politica/espana/video-directo-juicio-proces-tribunal-supremo-gabriel-rufian-urkullu-colau-zoido_131568126. February 28, 2019 . February 28, 2019. May 20, 2019. El Plural.