Iñigo Urkullu

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]

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
In office
15 December 2012 – 21 June 2024
Vice LehendakariJosu Erkoreka (First)
Idoia Mendia (Second)
Preceded byPatxi López
Succeeded byImanol Pradales
President of the Basque Nationalist Party
In office
18 January 2008 – 15 December 2012
Preceded byJosu Jon Imaz
Succeeded byAndoni Ortuzar
Member of the Basque Parliament
In office
20 November 2012 – 14 May 2024
In office
30 November 1994 – 28 December 2007
In office
20 February 1984 – 8 January 1987
Personal details
Born
Íñigo Urkullu Renteria

(1961-09-18) 18 September 1961
Alonsotegi (Biscay), Spain
Political partyBasque Nationalist Party
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

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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