Óscar López Águeda (born April 7, 1973), known simply as Óscar López, is a Spanish politician serving as minister for Digital Transformation and Civil Service of Spain since 2024.

Óscar López Águeda
Minister for Digital Transformation and Civil Service
Assumed office
6 September 2024
Prime MinisterPedro Sánchez
Preceded byJosé Luis Escrivá
12th Moncloa Chief of Staff
In office
14 July 2021 – 6 September 2024
Prime MinisterPedro Sánchez
Preceded byIván Redondo
Succeeded byDiego Rubio Rodríguez
Leader of the Socialist Group at the Spanish Senate
In office
22 June 2015 – 10 October 2016
Preceded byMaría Chivite
Succeeded byVicente Álvarez Areces
Personal details
Born (1973-04-07) 7 April 1973 (age 51)
Madrid, Spain
Political partySpanish Socialist Workers' Party
OccupationPolitician

Early years and education

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López was born in Madrid, although he is linked to the province of Segovia (Castile and León) because his mother's family is from there: his grandfather was a tailor in Bercimuel, and his family used to spend their holidays in Riaza.

He holds a degree in Political Science, with a double specialty in International Studies and Public Administration from the Complutense University of Madrid. He studied Law, which he did not complete because he decided to study a postgraduate course in International Economics at the Newcastle University (United Kingdom), as well as various specialization courses on the European Union and International Law.

Political career

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He joined the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in 1996 and he was an advisor to the Socialist Parliamentary Group in the European Parliament between 1997 and 2000, due to his status as an expert in international relations.

Upon his return to Spain, he was hired by the new Socialist Secretary of Organization, José Blanco López, who appointed him coordinator of the Secretariat for Organization and Electoral Action, a position he held between September 2000 and June 2008.[1] In 2005, he was a full member of the PSOE executive committee.

At the same time, López was a member of the Congress of Deputies representing Segovia in the 8th and 9th Legislatures (2004-2011) and spokesman for the Parliamentary Control Commission of RTVE, as he was the rapporteur of the bill to reform the financing of the RTVE Corporation.

On 20 September 2008 he was appointed Secretary-General of the PSOE of Castilla y León, leaving his national party offices. He remained in this position until 14 April 2012, when he decided not to stand for re-election and to focus on his role as Secretary of Organization of the PSOE.

He was Spokesperson for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (Socialist Group) at the Senate between 2015 and 2016.[2]

From July 2021 to September 2024, he was the 12th Moncloa Chief of Staff.

He was elected to the 15th Congress of Deputies in the 2023 Spanish general election from Madrid.

In September 2024, he was appointed minister for Digital Transformation and Civil Service.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "El pupilo de Blanco". www.publico.es. 2012-02-06. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  2. ^ "Óscar López, nuevo portavoz del PSOE en el Senado" (in Spanish). ABC.es. June 22, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  3. ^ Lerma, Guillermo (2024-09-04). "Óscar López sustituirá a Escrivá al frente del Ministerio de Transformación Digital y de la Función Pública". Cadena SER (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2024-09-06.