Juan Espadas Cejas (born 30 September 1966) is a Spanish politician of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).[1][2] He was the Minister of Housing and Planning for the Government of Andalusia from 2008 to 2010 and a senator from 2010 to 2013. From June 2015 to January 2022, he has served as the mayor of Seville. He became his party's Secretary General in Andalusia in July 2021.

Juan Espadas
Secretary-General of the Socialist Workers' Party of Andalusia
Assumed office
23 July 2021
Preceded bySusana Díaz
Mayor of Seville
In office
13 June 2015 – 3 January 2022
Preceded byJuan Ignacio Zoido
Succeeded byAntonio Muñoz
Councillor of Housing and Planning of Andalusia
In office
23 April 2008 – 22 March 2010
PresidentManuel Chaves (2008-2009)
José Antonio Griñán (2009-2010)
Preceded byLuis García Garrido
Succeeded byRosa Aguilar
Member of the Senate
Assumed office
21 December 2021
ConstituencyAndalusia
In office
27 October 2010 – 9 September 2013
ConstituencyAndalusia
Member of the Seville City Council
In office
11 June 2011 – 3 January 2022
Personal details
Born (1966-09-30) 30 September 1966 (age 58)
Seville, Andalusia, Spain
Political partyPSOE-A
ResidenceSeville

Biography

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Espadas was born in Seville and grew up in the Miraflores district. When he was 22, he graduated from the University of Seville with degree in Law. He also has a degree in Business Management from the Institute of San Telmo. He is married and has two children.[3]

In 1990 he began to collaborate with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) as a sympathizer in the Environment sector group and participated in the expert groups for the drafting of the party's program for the regional elections. A year later, she wrote the Manual of the Environment Councillor for the municipal elections of 1991.

In 1997 he joined the PSOE and was appointed Federal Coordinator for the Environment, a responsibility he held until 2009. During this stage he worked with the teams of Joaquín Almunia and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero coordinating the sectorial policies of the environment and territorial planning.

In 2008 he participated in the laying of the foundation stone for 583 subsidized housing units (VPO), promoted by the Foundation for the Development of Southern Europe.[4]

On 26 March 2010, the 11 PSOE groups of Seville supported Espadas's candidacy for mayor of Seville in the 2011 election. The victory by absolute majority of the People's Party candidate, Juan Ignacio Zoido, placed Espadas as the leader of the main opposition party in the city council for four years. After the 2015 election he became mayor through a pact between the PSOE, United Left and Participa Sevilla. On 15 June 2019, he was re-elected thanks to the 13 votes of the Socialist councillors.[4]

In July 2021, Espadas became the new Secretary General of the PSOE in Andalusia, defeating incumbent Susana Díaz with 55% of the vote.[5] He resigned as mayor and city councillor at the start of 2022 to concentrate on his new role, whereby he would be their lead candidate in the regional election.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Barba, Eduardo (3 December 2010). "La mujer de Espadas, una de las beneficiadas del "funcionariazo" de Griñán". ABC de Sevilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  2. ^ Espina, José Gallego (15 June 2015). "Espadas se marca como prioridad el "rescate ciudadano" de Sevilla". El Correo de Andalucía (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  3. ^ Espadas, Juan (6 June 2010). "¿Quién es Juan Espadas?". Diario de Sevilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  4. ^ a b Kennedy, Paul (1 November 2015), "The PSOE in opposition, 1996–2004", The Spanish Socialist Party and the modernisation of Spain, Manchester University Press, doi:10.7765/9781526102898.00013, ISBN 978-1-5261-0289-8
  5. ^ "Juan Espadas, proclamado nuevo secretario general del PSOE de Andalucía" (in Spanish). La Sexta. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  6. ^ Barba, E. (14 December 2021). "Juan Espadas anuncia que se va en enero y que su relevo en la Alcaldía de Sevilla es Antonio Muñoz". ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 January 2022.
Political offices
Preceded by Councillor of Housing and Planning of Andalusia
2008–2010
Succeeded by
Preceded by Mayor of Seville
2015–2022
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the Socialist Group in the Seville City Council
2011–2015
Succeeded by
Preceded by Secretary-General of the Socialist Workers' Party of Andalusia
2021–present
Succeeded by
Incumbent