Antonio Muñoz (Spanish politician) explained

Antonio Muñoz
Birth Date:29 October 1959
Birth Place:La Rinconada, Andalusia, Spain
Party:PSOE-A
Office1:Mayor of Seville
Term Start1:3 January 2022
Term End1:17 June 2023
Predecessor1:Juan Espadas
Successor1:José Luis Sanz
Office2:Member of the Seville City Council
Term Start2:11 June 2011

Antonio Muñoz Martínez (born 29 October 1959) is a Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) politician. He has been a city councillor in Seville since 2011 and the city's mayor from 2022 to 2023. He was elected to the Senate of Spain in 2023.

Biography

Born in La Rinconada, Province of Seville, Muñoz relocated to Barcelona at the age of 3 due to his father's construction work. His father was then transferred back to Andalusia, taking the family to Fuengirola; he had a brief time back in La Rinconada due to his mother's illness. He graduated in Economic and Business Sciences from the University of Málaga, where he began to affiliate with left-wing politics, joining the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in 1983. He was elected the same year to the city council in La Rinconada, where he remained for eight years.[1]

Muñoz gained a Master of Business Administration degree from the San Telmo Business School, also in Málaga, and became director general of Tourism Planning for the Regional Government of Andalusia. In 2011, he was elected to Seville's city council as sixth on the PSOE's list, and became an assistant spokesman for the party group.[2] As the councillor for Urban Space, Culture and Tourism, he worked to attract events to Seville including the Goya Awards, the Michelin Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards and a visit by Barack Obama.[1] [3]

In June 2021, mayor Juan Espadas became the PSOE candidate for President of the Regional Government of Andalusia, resigning his local office in December. On 3 January 2022, Muñoz was invested as mayor.[4]

The PSOE were defeated in the 2023 Seville City Council election, with José Luis Sanz of the People's Party becoming mayor. Muñoz continued as his party's spokesman in the council.[5] During the local election, Sanz campaigned against Muñoz by linking him to the PSOE prime minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez.[6]

In the 2023 Spanish general election, Muñoz was elected to the 15th Senate of Spain by the Seville constituency. He was third on their list and they took three of the four seats.[7]

Personal life

Muñoz is openly gay. As of January 2022, he had been in a relationship with the novelist Fernando Repiso for over twenty years.[1]

Notes and References

  1. News: García Romero . Ana . Antonio Muñoz, el nuevo alcalde de Sevilla: moderno, fan de 'El último tango en París' y pareja de un escritor. Antonio Muñoz, the new mayor of Seville: modern, fan of 'Last Tango in Paris' and partner of a writer . 17 May 2022 . . 9 January 2022 . Spanish.
  2. News: Navarro Antolín . Carlos . Alberto Moriña y Antonio Muñoz serán los portavoces adjuntos del PSOE. Alberto Moriña and Antonio Muñoz will be the PSOE's assistant spokesmen . 17 May 2022 . . 10 June 2011 . Spanish.
  3. News: Guzmán . María José . Sevilla enseña su cara más internacional. Sevilla shows its most international face. 17 May 2022 . Diario de Sevilla . 19 December 2021 . Spanish.
  4. News: Antonio Muñoz asume la alcaldía prometiendo "un salto de modernidad" para Sevilla. Antonio Muñoz assumes the mayoralty promising "a leap of modernity" for Seville. 17 May 2022 . . 3 January 2022 . Spanish.
  5. News: Antonio Muñoz seguirá en el Ayuntamiento como portavoz: "Lo que toca es seguir defendiendo los intereses de Sevilla". Antonio Muñoz will continue in the City Council as spokesman: "What we have to do is to carry on defending Seville's interests" . 18 June 2023 . . 15 June 2023 . Spanish.
  6. News: Hernández-Morales . Aitor . Spain's Socialists have a Sánchez problem . 29 June 2024 . . 25 May 2023.
  7. News: Estos son los 208 senadores elegidos este domingo. These are the 208 senators elected this Sunday. 29 June 2024 . . 24 July 2023 . Spanish.