Jerónimo Saavedra

Jerónimo Saavedra Acevedo (born 3 July 1936 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) is a Spanish politician. He served as President of the Canary Islands twice, from 1982 to 1987,[1][2] and again from 1991 to 1993.[3][4]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Saavedra and the second or maternal family name is Acevedo.

Jerónimo Saavedra (1983)

Biography

In 1972, he joined the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT). He served as Secretary General of the Canarian Federation of PSOE from 1976 to 1983. Saavedra was elected to the Constituent Cortes as a deputy in 1977 and re-elected in 1979, 1982 and 1989, representing Las Palmas. During the last government of Felipe González (5th legislature), Saavedra held the positions of Minister of Public Administrations between 1993 and 1995[5] and Minister of Education and Science between 1995 and 1996.[6]

In 1996 and from 1999 to 2003, he was a senator.[7]

In 2007, he was elected mayor of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in a landslide victory, bringing the twelve-year rule of the rival conservative People's Party to an end. He held office until his defeat in his unsuccessful reelection campaign in 2011. He was designated as Ombudsman (Diputado del Común) of the Canary Islands between 2011 and 2018, which obliged him to leave the PSOE.[8]

Saavedra taught at Spanish universities—mainly Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC)—and holds a Doctor of Law degree and a diploma in Company Administration.

Personal life

In 2000, during the presentation of a book on outing in Spain, Saavedra announced publicly that he was gay.[9][10]

This made him the first openly gay politician in the history of Spain to hold various public offices: he was the first gay senator, mayor of a Spanish provincial capital, governmental minister, and President of an Autonomous Community.

References
  1. Martin, Carmelo (9 May 1983). "Nueve fuerzas en el Parlamento autónomo". El País (in Spanish).
  2. Martin, Carmelo (7 June 1983). "Jerónimo Saavedra, elegido presidente del Gobierno canario". El País (in Spanish).
  3. Martin, Carmelo (25 June 1991). "El socialista Saavedra volverá a presidir el Gobierno canario". El País (in Spanish).
  4. Forjas, Francisco (10 July 1991). "Lucas asegura que nunca incurrirá en 'perversiones nacionalistas'". El País (in Spanish).
  5. Aizpeolea, Luis R.; Díez, Anabel (12 July 1993). "Felipe González cambia la mitad de su Gobierno". El País (in Spanish).
  6. Aizpeolea, Luis R.; Díez, Anabel (30 June 1995). "González opta por un cambio mínimo de Gobierno". El País (in Spanish).
  7. Trujillo, Cesar Fernández (26 October 1997). "Apoyo masivo de los socialistas canarios a Alemán, su nuevo secretario general". El País (in Spanish).
  8. "Jerónimo Saavedra toma posesión como Diputado del Común". La Provincia (in Spanish). 10 December 2011.
  9. Pastor, Enric (20 December 2000). "El ex ministro Saavedra cree que "ocultar la homosexualidad lleva al psicoanalista"". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 October 2007.
  10. Editorial Team (10 May 2017). "Jerónimo Saavedra recibirá Premio Especial en ARN Cultura & Business Pride". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
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