Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría
Ramón Jáuregui | |
---|---|
Succeeded by | Carmen Calvo |
Spokesperson of the Government | |
In office 21 December 2011 – 3 November 2016 | |
Prime Minister | Mariano Rajoy |
Preceded by | José Blanco López |
Succeeded by | Íñigo Méndez de Vigo |
Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
In office 13 May 2004 – 10 September 2018 | |
Constituency | Madrid |
Personal details | |
Born | María Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría Antón 10 June 1971 state lawyer |
Signature | |
María Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría Antón (born 10 June 1971) is a Spanish former politician of the
Biography
Education and early life
Born in Valladolid in 1971, Sáenz de Santamaría grew up as the only child of Pedro Sáenz de Santamaría and Petra Antón.[1]
She studied the
After passing a "competitive public examination" (oposiciones), she joined the State Lawyers Corps (an elite body of civil servant lawyers of the State).
In 2005 Sáenz de Santamaría married José Iván Rosa Vallejo,[3] with whom she has a son, born on 11 November 2011.[4]
Start of political career
In 2000,
From 2004 to 2008 Sáenz de Santamaría, served as secretary in the People's Party (PP) executive board, charged with the party's Regional and Local Policy.
She ran as candidate to the
In the 9th term, she was chosen by Mariano Rajoy to become the Spokesperson for the People's Group in the Congress of Deputies, replacing Eduardo Zaplana.
Right hand of Rajoy at the Government
Following the results of the 2011 general election, which delivered an absolute majority to the PP in the Congress of Deputies, Mariano Rajoy was invested Prime Minister and formed a new cabinet. Sáenz de Santamaría became the Deputy Prime Minister and Spokesperson for the government on 22 December 2011.[8]
Sáenz de Santamaría served in the
On 27 October 2017, after Mariano Rajoy
Failed bid for party leadership
On 5 June 2018, after the successful motion of no confidence in Mariano Rajoy, and Rajoy's removal from the post of Prime Minister and his decision to also resign as leader of the People's Party, Sáenz de Santamaría postulated herself as candidate in the upcoming primaries to elect a new party leader. Soraya Saénz de Santamaría edged the 1st position in the voting held among party members with a narrow margin of 1,500 votes over Pablo Casado, with otherwise staunch rival María Dolores de Cospedal coming third. On 21 July 2018, a run-off (now voted among party delegates) between the first and second candidates in the first round was held between her and Casado. Sáenz de Santamaría lost to Casado, who became the new party leader,[11] in what was considered a party swing towards the right.[12][13][14][15] Some months following her defeat, in September 2018, Sáenz de Santamaría announced that she was leaving politics after 18 years.[16][17]
Later activity
On 18 October 2018 she was appointed member of the Council of State, the supreme consultative body for the Spanish Government,[18] assuming office on 8 November 2018.[19] In March 2019, the incorporation of Sáenz de Santamaría to the Cuatrecasas law firm (both as associate and as member of the board of directors) was announced.[20]
Positions and ideology
Saenz de Santamaría, called by many media as "the most powerful woman in Spain since (the return of) democracy",
References
- ^ "Volver a Valladolid es volver a la vida de verdad" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 25 April 2011.
- ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
- ^ "Santamaría, cuestionada como pregonera por su 'situación matrimonial'". El Mundo. Valladolid. 23 January 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ Govan, Fiona (25 November 2011). "Spanish MP with key role back to work 11 days after giving birth". The Daily Telegraph. Madrid. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ David Román (28 January 2016), No problem has been too large or lethal for Rajoy’s deputy Financial Times.
- ISSN 0212-033X.
- ^ "Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría: la mano derecha". Cinco Días. 21 December 2011.
- ^ Giles, Ciaran (21 December 2011). "Spain's new prime minister sworn in, names Cabinet". Deseret News. Associated Press. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
- ^ "Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría – Madrid's enforcer for Catalonia". BBC News. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
- ^ Mansfield, Katie (28 October 2017). "Spain takes charge of Catalonia- Deputy PM handed CONTROL of region amid fears of violence". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
- ^ "Resultados definitivos primarias PP" (PDF). La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 5 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
- ^ Junquera, Natalia (21 July 2018). "Pablo Casado vence en el congreso del PP y consuma el giro a la derecha". El País.
- ^ Jones, Sam (22 July 2018). "Spanish People's party shifts to right with new leader". The Guardian.
- ^ "Spain's conservatives swing to the right with new leader". Reuters. 21 July 2018.
- ^ "La prensa global señala el giro a la derecha del PP con Casado, un "conservador de línea dura"". Radiocable. 23 July 2018.
- ^ Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría comunica a Pablo Casado que deja la política para "emprender otra etapa" (in Spanish)
- ^ Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría deja la política (in Spanish)
- ^ El Gobierno nombra consejera de Estado a Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría (in Spanish)
- ^ Santamaría entra en el Consejo de Estado: «Es bueno seguir prestando este servicio al Estado» (in Spanish)
- ^ "El bufete de abogados Cuatrecasas ficha a Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría". El País. 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Spain's new deputy prime minister 'most powerful woman since democracy'". telegraph.co.uk. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
- ^ "5 of Europe's most powerful women". USA Today. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ "'Most powerful woman since democracy' put in charge of Catalonia in defiance of independence". Business Insider. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
- ^ "Are these Spain's ten most powerful women?". The Local. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
- ^ "Soraya Saenz de Santamaria: The Most Powerful Woman in Spain". International Business Times. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
- ^ "Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría – Madrid's enforcer for Catalonia". BBC. 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
- ^ "¿Liberal? ¿Democristiano? Quién es quién en la batalla por el poder en el PP". El Boletín. 19 June 2018.
- ^ Carpio, José A. (19 July 2018). "Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, la copiloto de Rajoy en Moncloa pide ponerse a los mandos del PP". RTVE.
- ^ Cué, Carlos E. (20 December 2013). "Rajoy tomó la decisión final tras meses de debate interno y tensión en el PP". El País.