Iratxe García Explained

Iratxe García
Honorific-Suffix:MEP
Office:Leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Term Start:1 July 2019
Predecessor:Udo Bullmann
Office1:Chair of the European Parliament Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee
Term Start1:7 July 2014
Term End1:25 January 2017
Predecessor1:Mikael Gustafsson
Successor1:Vilija Blinkevičiūtė
Office2:Member of the European Parliament
for Spain
Term Start2:20 July 2004
Birth Name:Iratxe García Pérez
Birth Date:7 October 1974
Birth Place:Barakaldo, Spain
Party:Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Education:University of Valladolid
Office3:Member of the Congress of Deputies
Term Start3:29 March 2000
Term End3:20 January 2004
Constituency3:Valladolid
Office4:Member of the Laguna de Duero City Council
Term Start4:23 June 1995
Term End4:29 March 2000

Iratxe García Pérez (pronounced as /es/; born 7 October 1974) is a Spanish politician of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). She has served as Member of the European Parliament since 2004, and has served as the Leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats parliamentary group since 2019.[1]

Biography

Early life

Born on 7 October 1974 in Barakaldo, Biscay, she obtained a diplomature in Social Work at the University of Valladolid in 1995.[2] A resident of Laguna de Duero, she served as municipal councillor of Laguna de Duero and as member of the Valladolid Provincial Deputation from 1995 to 2000.[3]

Member of the Spanish Parliament, 2000–2004

García became a member of the Congress of Deputies after being elected in the 2000 general election in representation of Valladolid.[4]

Member of the European Parliament, 2004–present

In her first parliamentary term between 2004 and 2009, García served on the Committee on Regional Development (REGI), the Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA), and the Delegation for Relations with the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union (including Libya).

She also serves on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Parliament's Delegation for Relations with the Arab Peninsula. In addition, she is a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights[5] and of the European Parliament Intergroup on the Western Sahara.[6]

In July 2014, García was elected chairwoman of the European Parliament Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM). In September 2014, PSOE chairman Pedro Sánchez appointed her as head of the party's delegation of MEPs in the S&D Group, replacing Elena Valenciano.[7] Following the 2019 European Parliament election, the S&D Group chose García as new leader, a day after incumbent Udo Bullmann withdrew his candidacy.[8] In March 2021, as leader of the S&D Group, she together with the parliamentary group opposed a debate on the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and corruption revelation in Maltese politics.[9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Our president. 2021-08-04. Socialists & Democrats. en.
  2. Diario de Valladolid. Eurocandidatos de la tierra. 4 May 2019. Esther. Neila.
  3. La vallisoletana Iratxe García (PSOE) afronta su tercera legislatura europea. La Vanguardia. 25 May 2014.
  4. http://www.congreso.es/portal/page/portal/Congreso/Congreso/Diputados/BusqForm?_piref73_1333155_73_1333154_1333154.next_page=/wc/fichaDiputado&idDiputado=286&idLegislatura=7 Biography at Spanish Congress site
  5. http://www.lgbt-ep.eu/about/members/ Members
  6. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/pdf/intergroupes/VIII_LEG_26_Western_Sahara.pdf Members
  7. Nicholas Hirst (2 September 2014), García to lead Spanish socialist MEPs European Voice.
  8. Maïa de La Baume (June 18, 2019), Socialists choose Spain's Iratxe García as group leader Politico Europe.
  9. Web site: European Parliament decision on Daphne murder debate expected. 2021-08-03. Times of Malta. en-gb.