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Basque politician (born 1961), Prime Minister of the Basque Government (2012-2024) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
Íñigo Urkullu | |
---|---|
Lehendakari of the Basque Government | |
In office 15 December 2012 – 21 June 2024 | |
Vice Lehendakari | Josu Erkoreka (First) Idoia Mendia (Second) |
Preceded by | Patxi López |
Succeeded by | Imanol Pradales |
President of the Basque Nationalist Party | |
In office 18 January 2008 – 15 December 2012 | |
Preceded by | Josu Jon Imaz |
Succeeded by | Andoni 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 18 September 1961 Alonsotegi (Biscay), Spain |
Political party | Basque Nationalist Party |
Alma mater | University of Deusto |
Profession | Teacher |
As the President of the Basque Government, he headed the First, Second, and Third Urkullu Governments of the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain.
Iñigo Urkullu Renteria was born on 18 September 1961 in Alonsotegi, the only child of a Basque nationalist working-class family.[3][4] His father was a turner and died when Urkullu was a child. His mother, Flori Renteria, was a housewife from Maruri-Jatabe, and she moved to Alonsotegi after her marriage.[5][6]
Urkullu studied primary education in the Avellaneda school of Sodupe, Güeñes.[7] He was a conscientious objector and enrolled to the University of Deusto to study Hispanic Philology, but dropped out to enrol in the Seminary of Derio to the Teaching degree, specializing in Basque Philology.[3][4] He contemplated becoming a priest, eventually opting for practising as a teacher.[4]
Urkullu graduated in teaching, specialized in Basque language, from the University of Deusto. He was a secondary school teacher at Asti-Leku Ikastola school.
He was the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) chairman[8] 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.[9][10]
He resided in Ajuria Enea, the official residence of the president of the Basque Government, until the end of his term.
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