Iratxe García

Iratxe García Pérez (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]

Iratxe García Pérez MEP
Leader of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 July 2019
Preceded by	Udo Bullmann
Chair of the European Parliament Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee
In office 7 July 2014 – 25 January 2017
Preceded by	Mikael Gustafsson
Succeeded by	Vilija Blinkevičiūtė
Member of the European Parliament for Spain
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 June 2004
Personal details
Born	Iratxe García Pérez 7 October 1974 Barakaldo, Spain
Political party	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Education	University of Valladolid
Website	Official website

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 elections, the S&D Group chose García as new leader, a day after incumbent Udo Bullmann withdrew his candidacy.[8]

References

2. Neila, Esther (4 May 2019). "Eurocandidatos de la tierra". Diario de Valladolid.
3. "La vallisoletana Iratxe García (PSOE) afronta su tercera legislatura europea". La Vanguardia. 25 May 2014.
4. Biography at Spanish Congress site
5. Members European Parliament Intergroup on LGBTI Rights.
6. Members Archived 8 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine European Parliament Intergroup on Western Sahara.
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.