Nationality Spain Role Spanish Politician Religion Roman Catholic Political party People\'s Party | Website www.mendezdevigo.com Residence Madrid, Spain Name Inigo de | |
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Born 21 January 1956 (age 68)
Tetuan, Morocco ( 1956-01-21 ) Parents Lieutenant-Colonel Inigo Mendez de Vigo y del Arc;
Countess Paloma de Montojo y de Icaza y de Leon y Sureda Similar People Jose Ignacio Wert, Jose Garcia‑Margallo y Marfil, Marcelino Oreja - 1st Marquis o, Miguel Cardenal, Pedro Morenes | ||
Di leg entre igo m ndez de vigo i laura batalla europa horitz com moderat per nacho corredor
Íñigo Méndez de Vigo y Montojo, 9th Baron of Claret (born 21 January 1956 at Tetuan, Morocco) is a Spanish politician and the current Minister of Education, Culture and Sport in the Spanish Government since 26 June 2015. He is also the Spokesperson of the Spanish Government since 4 November 2016.
Contents
- Di leg entre igo m ndez de vigo i laura batalla europa horitz com moderat per nacho corredor
- Childhood and education
- Political career
- Academic career
- Other activities
- Publications
- Honours
- Awards
- References
Childhood and education
Méndez de Vigo was born on 21 January 1956 in Tetuan (Morocco), then a Spanish Protectorate, where his father was serving as a Lieutenant in the Infantry. He is descended, amongst others, from the Marquesses of Cubas, the Dukes of Riánsares and María Cristina de Borbón, princesa de las Dos Sicilias, and via his maternal grandmother, the novelist Carmen de Icaza, he succeeded, in 1980, to her title as 9th Baron de Claret.
Méndez de Vigo has a brother, Pedro, an army officer, and two sisters, Beatriz and Valeria, one who works for Spain’s ministry of defence, and the other for a non-governmental organisation.
He completed his schooling at the German School in Madrid, as well as studying French language at the Académie française and learning English at the British Institute School. He graduated in Law from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 1978.
Following the completion of his military service with the rank of lieutenant and after passing the public exams, he became legal advisor to the Cortes Generales in 1981.
Political career
In 1982, at the age of 26, Méndez de Vigo was appointed director of interparliamentary relations for the Cortes Generales. In 1984 he accepted the position of special advisor to then-secretary general of the Council of Europe, Marcelino Oreja.
He joined the People's Party at its founding Conference in 1989, and stood unsuccessfully in that year as one of its candidates at the European election.
In October 1992 he was elected a Member of the European Parliament, a position he held until December 2011. He also served as a Member of the People's Party's National Steering Committee.
Méndez de Vigo served as the European People's Party co-ordinator on the Committee on Constitutional Affairs from 1994 and on its Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (2009-2011), as well as:
Between 2006 and 2007, Méndez de Vigo served as member of the Amato Group, a group of high-level European politicians unofficially working on rewriting the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe into what became known as the Treaty of Lisbon following its rejection by French and Dutch voters. In 2009 he was appointed President of the College of Europe.
After his appointment to the Spanish Government in December 2011 by Mariano Rajoy Brey, Méndez de Vigo served as Secretary of State for the European Union. In June 2015 he was appointed Minister of Education, Culture and Sport in replacement of José Ignacio Wert. In November 2016, in the Second Rajoy Government, he was also appointed Spokesperson of the Government.
Academic career
Other activities
Publications
Méndez de Vigo has written numerous books and articles on Europe:
Méndez de Vigo also writes for ABC, and is an online contributor for El Economista.