Soledad Becerril
Soledad Becerril | |
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Ombudsman of Spain | |
In office 20 June 2012 – 21 July 2017 | |
Monarchs | Juan Carlos I Felipe VI |
Preceded by | María Luisa Cava de Llano y Carrió |
Succeeded by | Francisco Fernández Marugán |
Minister of Culture | |
In office 2 December 1981 – 3 December 1982 | |
Monarch | Juan Carlos I |
Prime Minister | Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo |
Preceded by | Íñigo Cavero |
Succeeded by | Javier Solana |
Mayor of Seville | |
In office 25 June 1995 – 4 July 1999 | |
Preceded by | Alejandro Rojas-Marcos |
Succeeded by | Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín |
Personal details | |
Born | Madrid,Spanish State | 16 August 1944
Political party | People's Party Union of the Democratic Centre |
Alma mater | Complutense University of Madrid |
Awards | Order of Charles III(1982) Order of Saint Raymond of Peñafort(2017) |
DoñaMaría de la Soledad Becerril y Bustamante, Marquise consort of Salvatierra(born 16 August 1944 inMadrid,Spain) is a Spanishnoble,politicianand long serving member of theSpanish Congress of Deputieswho belongs to thePeople's Party(PP). In 1981 she served as the first female Government Minister in almost 50 years and later became the first female Mayor ofSeville.Becerril is married to Rafael Atienza y Medina, 8th Marquis of Salvatierra and Chancellor of theRoyal Cavalry Armory of Seville
Early career
[edit]Married with two children, Becerril graduated in philosophy and letters at theUniversity of Madrid,specialising in English philology. She subsequently worked as a lecturer at theUniversity of Seville.She entered politics in 1974 when she joined the Federation of Democratic and Liberal parties and subsequently joined the Democratic Party of Andalusia (PDA). The PDA joined with other parties in May 1977 to form theUnion of the Democratic Centre(UCD), a coalition which won thefirst democratic electionsince the death ofFrancoand the end ofFrancoist Spain.Becerril was elected as a UCD deputy to theSpanish Congress of DeputiesrepresentingSeville Provinceand was re-elected at the 1979 election.
Minister of Culture
[edit]In December 1981 the new Prime MinisterLeopoldo Calvo-Soteloappointed herMinister of Culture.Becerril thus became the first female Minister in Spain since theSecond Spanish Republic,almost 50 years earlier,[1]and only the secondfemale Spanish Minister in historyafterFederica Montsenyin 1936.
People's Party
[edit]Like most UCD deputies, she lost her seat at the 1982 General Election and the UCD disbanded in February 1983. She subsequently joined the PP and in 1989 returned to the Spanish Congress as a PP deputy and was re-elected in 1996 and 2000. In 2004 she was elected to theSpanish Senateand served one term until 2008. In 2008 she returned to the Congress of Deputies, replacingJavier Arenasas head of the PP list[2]on the recommendation of Arenas.[3]
Mayor of Seville
[edit]Becerril also served as a local councillor in Seville. She served as Deputy Mayor from 1991 to 1995 and then Mayor of the city from 1995 to 1999[4]becoming the first female Mayor of Seville.[5]
In 1998, while on her way to Switzerland to promote Seville's candidacy for the 2008 Olympics, Becerril's plane was hijacked atValencia Airport,though the hijacker surrendered without injuring any passengers.[6]
Defender of the People (Ombudsman)
[edit]On 29 June 2012, she was appointedDefender of the Peopleuntil 21 July 2017.[7]
References
[edit]- ^The New York Times6 December 1981
- ^"PP list for 2008 election",El PaísArchived2008-07-27 at theWayback Machine
- ^Diario de Sevilla14 January 2008
- ^Diariodesevilla 16 January 2008
- ^BBCArchived2007-02-10 at theWayback Machine
- ^Irish Examiner24 June 1998Archived7 March 2009 at theWayback Machine
- ^El PSOE y el PP rompen el bloqueo institucional con un reparto de cargos,El Pais, 29 June 2012
External links
[edit]- 1944 births
- Living people
- Politicians from Madrid
- Government ministers of Spain
- Ombudsmen in Spain
- Mayors of Seville
- Members of the constituent Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the 1st Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the 4th Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the 5th Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the 6th Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the 7th Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the 9th Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the Senate of Spain
- Women mayors of places in Spain
- People's Party (Spain) politicians
- Union of the Democratic Centre (Spain) politicians
- Academic staff of the University of Seville
- 20th-century Spanish women politicians
- 21st-century Spanish women politicians
- Women government ministers of Spain
- Grand Officers of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Seville city councillors