Iñigo Urkullu

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

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Urkullu and the second or maternal family name is Renteria.

The Most Excellent
Íñigo Urkullu
Urkullu in December 2019
Lehendakari of the Basque Government
Assumed office
15 December 2012
MonarchsJuan Carlos I (2012–2014)
Felipe VI (2014–present)
Vice LehendakariJosu Erkoreka (First)
Idoia Mendia (Second)
Preceded byPatxi López
Chairman of the Basque Nationalist Party
In office
18 January 2008 – 12 January 2013
Preceded byJosu Jon Imaz
Succeeded byAndoni Ortuzar
Member of the Basque Parliament
In office
1984–1987
In office
1994–2005
Personal details
Born (1961-09-18) 18 September 1961
Alonsotegi, Basque Country, Spain
Political partyBasque Nationalist Party
ResidenceAjuria Enea
Alma materUniversity of Deusto
ProfessionTeacher

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
Urkullu (right) administers the 2017 René Cassin award to Sexual Minorities Uganda.

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 resides in Ajuria Enea, the official residence of the president of the Basque Government.

References
  1. "Íñigo Urkullu ha sido reelegido presidente del PNV". RTVE.es (in Spanish). 15 January 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  2. "Íñigo Urkullu: "En ausencia de violencia hay que dejar paso a la política"". El Imparcial (in Spanish). 26 June 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  3. Cambio 16. Información y Revistas, S.A. 1 January 2008. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  4. Pozas, Alberto (27 February 2019). "De Mariano Rajoy a Iñigo Urkullu: qué tiene que contar cada testigo". Cadena SER (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  5. "Juicio al 'procés': Urkullu reconoce su papel mediador entre Rajoy y Puigdemont". El Plural (in Spanish). 28 February 2019. Archived from the original on 28 February 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2019.


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