Sergio Sayas

Sergio Sayas López (born 6 July 1979)[1] is a Spanish politician who has served in the Congress of Deputies representing Navarre since the April 2019 election. Previously, he served in the Parliament of Navarre from 2007 to 2019. He was a member of the Navarrese People's Union (UPN) until his expulsion in 2022, after which he established the Navarre Platform (PN).

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

Biography

Born in Buñuel, Navarre, Sayas graduated in Hispanic Philology from the University of Navarra and obtained a master's degree in Business Management from its IESE Business School. As a member of the Navarrese People's Union (UPN), he served on the town council in Berriozar from 2003 to 2011, and led the party's youth wing from 2006 to 2010. At the age of 27 in the 2007 elections, he was elected to the Parliament of Navarre.[2]

Ahead of the April 2019 Spanish general election, the UPN formed the Navarra Suma coalition with Citizens and the People's Party of Navarre (PPN). Sayas was chosen to lead their list, despite his history of criticising the other two member parties.[3] The coalition gained two seats in the Congress of Deputies, and repeated in the November election.[4]

In June 2020, Sayas ran for president of the UPN against incumbent Javier Esparza, losing with 41.7% of the votes.[2]

Sayas is an opponent of Basque nationalism in Navarre, particularly the Abertzale left parties Batasuna and EH Bildu.[5] In November 2021, he opposed the expansion of the Basque language children's television channel ETB 3 into Navarre, accusing it of indoctrination.[6]

In February 2022, Sayas and fellow Congressman Carlos García Adanero disobeyed instruction by Esparza and voted against labour reform. They were expelled from UPN for two-and-a-half years.[7] In June, the pair founded the Navarre Platform (PN).[8] In January 2023, it was announced that PN and the PPN would contest the upcoming local and regional elections together.[9]

Personal life

Sayas is openly gay.[10] In 2009, as youth leader of the UPN, he vocally disagreed with the party's opposition to same-sex marriage.[11]

References
  1. Encinas, Javier; Beroiz, Unai (29 June 2020). "Sayas: "Hay cosas que cambiar en UPN y mucha gente quiere que cambien"" [Sayas: "There are things to change in the UPN and a lot of people want them to change"] (in Spanish). Noticias de Navarra. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  2. Salvoch, Iñigo (4 February 2022). "Sergio Sayas, el hombre que peleó a Esparza la presidencia" [Sergio Sayas, the man who fought Esparza for the presidency]. Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  3. "UPN elige cabeza de lista al Congreso a Sergio Sayas, antes muy crítico con PP y Ciudadanos" [UPN choose Sergio Sayas as their list leader for Congress, formerly highly critical of PP and Ciudadanos] (in Spanish). Naiz. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  4. "Navarra Suma repite victoria con dos diputados, mientras el PSN cede un escaño a favor de Bildu" [Navarra Suma repeats victory with two deputies, while the PSN cedes a seat to Bildu] (in Spanish). Navarra.com. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  5. Murillo, Ignacio (26 April 2019). "Sergio Sayas, candidato de Navarra Suma: "Somos la única opción para plantarle cara al nacionalismo"" [Sergio Sayas, Navarra Suma candidate: "We are the only option to stand up to nationalism"] (in Spanish). Navarra.com. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  6. Fernandez, Ibai (22 November 2021). "Sayas (UPN), en contra de que el canal infantil en euskera de ETB se vea en Navarra: "Quieren resetear cerebros a través de la televisión"" [Sayas (UPN), against ETB's Basque language children's channel being seen in Navarre: "They want to brainwash us through television"] (in Spanish). Noticias de Navarra. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  7. Arnedo, Beatriz (2 March 2022). "Adanero y Sayas, expulsados de UPN dos años y medio" [Adanero and Sayas, expelled from the UPN for two-and-a-half years]. Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  8. "Los exdiputados de UPN Sayas y Adanero presentan su propia plataforma política" [Former UPN deputies Sayas and Adanero present their own political platform]. El Confidencial (in Spanish). Europa Press. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  9. "El PP navarro se presenta como "la alternativa de centro derecha" tras absorber a Sayas y García Adanero" [PP of Navarre presents itself as "the centre-right alternative" after absorbing Sayas and García Adanero] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  10. Fernández, Andoni (18 January 2020). "Montesinos, Sayas, Maroto y la difícil digestión gay en la derecha" [Montesinos, Sayas, Maroto and the difficult position of gays on the right] (in Spanish). Moncloa. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  11. Garrido, Jesús (15 January 2009). "¿Juventudes transgresoras o niños guais?" [Transgressive youth or cool kids?] (in Spanish). España Confidencial. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
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