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| Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría | |
|---|---|
| Name | Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría |
| Birth date | 1971-06-10 |
| Birth place | Valladolid, Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Politician, jurist |
| Alma mater | University of Valladolid, Complutense University of Madrid |
Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría (born 10 June 1971 in Valladolid) is a Spanish jurist and politician associated with the People's Party (Spain). She served as Deputy Prime Minister of Spain and Minister for Territorial Policy during the second government of Mariano Rajoy and was a central figure in constitutional responses to the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and the subsequent application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978. Her career spans roles in the National Court (Spain), the General Council of the Judiciary, and the Congress of Deputies (Spain).
Born in Valladolid, she attended secondary school in Valladolid before studying law at the University of Valladolid. She completed postgraduate studies in administrative law at the Complutense University of Madrid and undertook training related to the Constitutional Court of Spain and the General Council of the Judiciary. During her formative years she engaged with institutions such as the National Institute of Public Administration (Spain) and legal circles connected to the Judiciary of Spain and the Constitutional framework of Spain.
After passing competitive examinations, she joined the judiciary and worked at the National Court (Spain), collaborating with magistrates linked to high-profile investigations such as cases handled by the Audiencia Nacional (Spain). She later served in administrative and advisory positions in the Ministry of Justice (Spain) and as a legal advisor connected to the People's Party (Spain) apparatus. Her juridical work intersected with figures from the Spanish State Attorney's Office, the Prosecutor's Office of Spain, and courts influenced by jurisprudence from the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Her ascent in the People's Party (Spain) was facilitated by alliances with senior party leaders including José María Aznar-era networks and later Mariano Rajoy's team. She was elected to the Congress of Deputies (Spain) for Madrid and held internal party positions that connected her to regional branches like the People's Party of Castilla y León and national bodies such as the People's Party Executive Committee. Her profile grew alongside other prominent politicians including María Dolores de Cospedal, Ana Pastor, Cristóbal Montoro, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and Pablo Casado.
Appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Territorial Policy in 2011 under Mariano Rajoy, she coordinated with ministries such as the Ministry of the Interior (Spain), the Ministry of Justice (Spain), and the Ministry of Finance (Spain) led by Cristóbal Montoro. Her tenure involved interaction with regional presidents like Artur Mas, Quim Torra, Javier Lambán, and institutions including the National Police Corps (Spain), the Civil Guard, and the Spanish Ombudsman. She represented the government in matters before the Constitutional Court of Spain and negotiated with entities such as the Parliament of Catalonia, the Barcelona City Council, the Basque Government, and the Andalusian Government.
Her policy positions emphasized enforcement of the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and the application of constitutional instruments against unilateral secessionist initiatives, aligning with precedents from the electoral and constitutional practice. She publicly opposed unilateral moves by the Catalan government and defended decisions tied to Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978. On economic matters she coordinated with Cristóbal Montoro on fiscal consolidation and with Luis de Guindos on financial sector responses to the Spanish financial crisis of 2008–2014. Her international posture engaged with institutions like the European Union, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and bilateral counterparts including France, Germany, Portugal, United Kingdom, United States, Argentina, and Mexico.
Following the Gürtel case rulings and corruption scandals that affected the People's Party (Spain), the opposition led by Pedro Sánchez tabled a motion of no confidence in 2018 against the Rajoy government. The motion culminated in Rajoy's ouster and the investiture of Pedro Sánchez as Prime Minister, after which she resigned her ministerial roles. The change of government shifted parliamentary dynamics in the Congress of Deputies (Spain), involving parties such as the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, Unidas Podemos, Citizens, Vox, and regional groups including Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and Junts per Catalunya.
After leaving government she contested the People's Party (Spain) leadership in an internal primary against Pablo Casado and later moved into roles outside public office including advisory and corporate positions linked to legal and consultancy firms, think tanks, and boards interacting with multinational firms and institutions across Madrid, Brussels, and New York City. She has been mentioned in contexts involving the Council of State (Spain), private law practices, and participation in conferences organized by entities such as the Elcano Royal Institute, the Real Instituto Elcano, and international forums involving the Atlantic Council and World Economic Forum. Her post-government path intersected with figures like Esperanza Aguirre, Federica Mogherini, José Manuel García-Margallo, Rafael Hernando, and commentators from media outlets including El País, ABC, El Mundo, La Vanguardia, and COPE.
Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:People's Party (Spain) politicians Category:Spanish jurists Category:Members of the Congress of Deputies (Spain)