Josep Borrell

The Most Excellent
Josep Borrell
OCIII OMC OIC
Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain
Assumed office
6 June 2018
Monarch Felipe VI
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez
Preceded by Alfonso Dastis
Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
22nd President of the European Parliament
In office
20 July 2004 – 16 January 2007
Vice President
Preceded by Pat Cox
Succeeded by Hans-Gert Pöttering
Leader of the Opposition of Spain
In office
24 April 1998 – 14 May 1999
Prime Minister José María Aznar
Preceded by Joaquín Almunia
Succeeded by Joaquín Almunia
Minister of Public Works and Environment of Spain
In office
12 March 1991 – 6 May 1996
Prime Minister Felipe González
Preceded by Javier Sáenz de Cosculluela
Succeeded by Rafael Arias-Salgado
Member of the European Parliament
for Spain
In office
2004–2009
Member of the Congress of Deputies
for Barcelona
In office
6 June 1993 – 2 April 2004
City Councilor of Majadahonda
In office
19 April 1979 – 8 January 1983
Personal details
Born (1947-04-24) 24 April 1947
La Pobla de Segur, Spain
Political party Socialist Workers' Party
Spouse(s) Cristina Narbona
Alma mater Technical University of Madrid
Complutense University

Josep Borrell i Fontelles (born 24 April 1947 in La Pobla de Segur, Lleida) is a Spanish politician. He was the President of the European Parliament from 20 July 2004 until 16 January 2007. Since 7 June 2018, he is the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain.

Early life and career

Borrell was born and grew up in the village of La Pobla de Segur, where his father owned a small bakery.[1] His very basic education was supplemented by reading, but he was able to complete his secondary education in Lleida. He went to Barcelona to study industrial accounting, but left after a year in 1965 to go and study aeronautical engineering at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM), graduating in 1969. During this time he also began to study economic sciences at the Complutense University.

Borrel holds a Master's Degree in Operational Research from Stanford University in Palo Alto (California, USA), a Master's degree in Energy Economics from the French Institute of Petroleum in Paris (France), a PhD in Economics from the Complutense University of Madrid in Madrid (Spain) and is professor on leave of Business Mathematics. He worked for CEPSA for seven years. In the summer of 1969 Borrell stayed at a kibbutz in Israel, where he met his future French wife Carolina Mayeur, from whom he is now divorced. In 1975 he worked in Madrid as an engineer for the state petroleum company Campsa.

Political career

Career in national politics

In 1975, Borrell joined PSOE in the same year even though it was an illegal party until February 1977. In 1979 he became a member of the Madrid Parliament until 1982 when the new PSOE government of Felipe González appointed him to a post within the Ministry of Economy with responsibility for fiscal policy. In 1986 he was elected to the Spanish Parliament representing Barcelona Province and remained an MP until 2004.

In 1998 Borrell ran against PSOE's General Secretary Joaquin Almunia in a primary election intended to determine who the party would nominate as its prime ministerial candidate in the 2000 General Elections. In May 1999, a fraud investigation was launched into two officials who, several years earlier, Borrell had appointed to senior posts in the finance ministry. Though not involved in the inquiry into property purchases, Borrell resigned, saying he did not want the affair to damage his party’s chances in the upcoming local and general elections.[2] Also, he had to publicly deny rumors that he was a homosexual, while asserting his respect for homosexuals.[3]

In 2001, Borrell was appointed the Spanish parliament’s representative on the Convention on the Future of Europe.[4]

Member of the European Parliament, 2004–2009

In 2004 Prime Minister and PSOE's General Secretary José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero proposed Borrell to lead the Socialist Ticket in the 2004 European elections, managing to win the elections by a narrow margin.

Elected for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), Borrell sat with the Party of European Socialists group, and served as leader of the Spanish delegation.

In the presidential vote, out of 700 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) he received an absolute majority with 388 votes at the first ballot. The other two candidates were the Polish Liberal Bronisław Geremek (208 votes) and the French communist Francis Wurtz (51 votes).[5] He was the first newly elected MEP to hold the post since direct elections were held in 1979.[6] As part of a deal with the conservative faction in the parliament, the EPP, he was succeeded as president of the parliament by the German conservative politician Hans-Gert Pöttering in the second part of the five-year term.[7]

In his capacity as President, Borrell also chaired the Parliament's temporary committee on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007-2013. From 2007 until leaving the Parliament in 2009,[8] he served as chairman of the Committee on Development. In addition to his committee assignments, he was a member of the Parliament's delegation to the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Academic career, 2010–2018

Borrell was nominated President of the European University Institute on 12 December 2008, and assumed this position in January 2010. In 2012, he was forced to resign in the face of allegations of a conflict of interest.[9]

In 2012, the University of Lleida appointed Borrell to a professorship of competition and regional development sponsored by energy company Repsol.[10] He also held the Jean Monnet Chair at the Institute of International Studies at Complutense University of Madrid.

In 2017, Borrell made a political comeback as one of the most outspoken opponents of Catalan secessionism, leading a large march in Barcelona in October of that year.[11]

Minister of Foreign Affairs, 2018–present

On June 5, 2018, it was revealed that Borrell will be appointed as the Foreign Minister in the government of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.[12]

Other positions

Corporate boards

  • Abengoa, Member of the Board of Directors (since 2009)[13]

Non-profit organizations

Recognition

Personal life

Since 1998, Borrell has been in a relationship with Cristina Narbona, ex-Environment Minister of Spain.[19]

Notes

  1. ↑ Martin Banks (July 14, 2004), Parliament’s head boy European Voice.
  2. ↑ Martin Banks (July 14, 2004), Parliament’s head boy European Voice.
  3. ↑ Borrell condena la homofobia y recuerda que se le intentó desacreditar calificándole de gay Archived 3 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine., Europa Press, 17 May 2006.
  4. ↑ Martin Banks (July 14, 2004), Parliament’s head boy European Voice.
  5. ↑ Borrell confirmed in top job European Voice, July 21, 2004.
  6. ↑ Martin Banks (July 7, 2004), Newly elected Borrell set to land top Parliament position European Voice.
  7. ↑ Dan Bilefsky (January 16, 2007), EU Parliament elects German conservative International Herald Tribune.
  8. ↑ Dave Keating (April 25, 2012), Borrell forced to resign over energy interests European Voice.
  9. ↑ Dave Keating (April 25, 2012), Borrell forced to resign over energy interests European Voice.
  10. ↑ Dave Keating (April 25, 2012), Borrell forced to resign over energy interests European Voice.
  11. ↑ Raphael Minder (June 6, 2018), Spain’s New Leader Forms Government With Almost Two-Thirds Women New York Times.
  12. ↑ https://apnews.com/055ba5dba5f44f1db6dc1b4fa43040fd
  13. ↑ Dave Keating (April 25, 2012), Borrell forced to resign over energy interests European Voice.
  14. ↑ Advisory Council European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed).
  15. ↑ Board of Trustees European Movement International.
  16. ↑ Board of Trustees Fundación Focus.
  17. ↑ Advisory Council Graduate School for Global and International Studies, University of Salamanca.
  18. ↑ Emeritus Board Reporters Without Borders (RWB).
  19. ↑ Cristina Narbona, El Mundo (in Spanish)
Political offices
Preceded by
José Víctor Sevilla Segura		 Secretary of State of Finance
1986–1991		 Succeeded by
Antonio Zabalza
Preceded by
Javier Sáenz de Cosculluela		 Minister of Public Works and Environment
1991–1996		 Succeeded by
Rafael Arias-Salgado
Preceded by
Pat Cox		 President of the European Parliament
2004–2007		 Succeeded by
Hans-Gert Pöttering
Preceded by
Alfonso Dastis		 Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation
2018–present		 Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Juan Manuel Eguiagaray		 Leader of the Socialist Parlamentary Group in the Congress of Deputies
1998–1999		 Succeeded by
Luis Martínez Noval
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