About the Speaker

Born in Málaga in 1942, he is married and has four children. He holds a degree in Sociology from the Pontifical University of Salamanca, a specialization in Regional Development from Rennes, France, and a PhD in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Madrid.

Mayor of Málaga since 2000, he has been re-elected by an absolute majority on three consecutive occasions, heading the list for the People's Party (PP) in 2003, 2007, and 2011. In 2015, he won the elections again with a simple majority, securing his position with the support of Ciudadanos. In 2019, he expanded his majority to 14 councilors, being sworn in as mayor with votes from the PP and two councilors from Ciudadanos, with whom he signed a coalition agreement. In 2023, he regained the absolute majority in the May 28 elections with 49.17% of the votes.

He has served as Vice President of the Bureau of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM), representing the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and other associations since 2012. He was reappointed to this role in February 2021 and was Vice President until 2020 of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership of Local and Regional Authorities (COPPEM).

He has chaired the Finance and the Mobility and Accessibility Committees of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP). He has also been Vice President of the Andalusian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces and a member of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. He served as a Deputy for Málaga (UCD) from 1977 to 1982 and as a Senator for Málaga (PP) from 2011 to 2014. He was President of the Provincial Council of Málaga and Counselor for Economy, Finance, and Tourism in the first Pre-Autonomous Government of Andalusia.

In 2017, he was awarded the Legion of Honor by the French Republic for his exceptional collaboration with France in cultural matters. In 2019, he received the Distinction of the Japanese Foreign Minister for his notable contribution to fostering friendship between Japan and Spain. In 2022, the United Kingdom granted him an Hon OBE (Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to bilateral relations, highlighting his efforts in promoting ties between the UK and the city of Málaga.

In 2020, he was appointed a member of the advisory board of UNITAR, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. This organization ensures that the quality standards adopted in line with UNITAR’s mandate and UN guidelines are respected and well integrated into all activities of both the agency and the CIFAL Global Network.