Sergio Sayas López (born 6 July 1979) is a Spanish politician who has served in the

Congress of Deputies The Congress of Deputies ( es, link=no, Congreso de los Diputados, italic=unset) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spain's legislative branch. The Congress meets in the Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid, Palace of the Parliament () in Ma ...

representing

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

since the April 2019 election. Previously, he served in the

Parliament of Navarre The Parliament of Navarre (Spanish ''Parlamento de Navarra'', Basque ''Nafarroako Parlamentua'') or also known as ''Cortes de Navarra'' (in Spanish) or ''Nafarroako Gorteak'' (in Basque) is the Navarre autonomous unicameral parliament. Functions ...

from 2007 to 2019. He was a member of the

Navarrese People's Union The Navarrese People's Union ( es, Unión del Pueblo Navarro), abbreviated to UPN, is a regional conservative political party in Navarre, Spain. Until 2008, it was a fraternal party of the People's Party (PP), acting as the latter's Navarrese bran ...

(UPN) until his expulsion in 2022.

Biography

Born in

Buñuel Buñuel is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto ...

, Sayas graduated in Hispanic Philology from the

University of Navarra , image = UNAV.svg , latin_name = Universitas Studiorum Navarrensis , established = 17 October 1952 , type = Private, Roman Catholic , chancellor = Fernando Ocáriz Braña , president = María Iraburu Eliz ...

and obtained a master's degree in Business Management from its

IESE Business School IESE Business School is the graduate business school of the University of Navarra. Founded in 1958 in Barcelona where its main campus is located,López, T. & Pampliega, J“La fundación del IESE (1956–1958)” Universidad de Navarra, Biblioteca ...

. As a member of the

(UPN), he served on the town council in

Berriozar Berriozar is a town located in the province of Navarre, in the autonomous community of Navarre, in the North of Spain. It is 6 km from Pamplona, forming part of Pamplona's metropolitan area. Berriozar's population in 2013 was 9.605 people. ...

from 2003 to 2011, and led the party's youth wing from 2006 to 2010. At the age of 27 in the 2007 elections, he was elected to the

. Ahead of the

April 2019 Spanish general election The April 2019 Spanish general election was held on Sunday, 28 April 2019, to elect the 13th Cortes Generales of the Kingdom of Spain. All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 208 of 266 seats in the Senate of Sp ...

, the UPN formed the

Navarra Suma Navarra Suma ( en, "Sum Navarre", NA+) was an electoral alliance in Navarre formed by Navarrese People's Union (UPN), Citizens (Cs) and the People's Party (PP) ahead of the April 2019 Spanish general election and kept for the May 2019 local and ...

coalition with

Citizens Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection". Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...

and the

People's Party of Navarre The People's Party of Navarre ( es, Partido Popular de Navarra, PP) is the regional section of the People's Party (Spain), People's Party (PP) in Navarre. It was first formed in 1989 from the re-foundation of the People's Alliance (Spain), Peop ...

. Sayas was chosen to lead their list, despite his history of criticising the other two member parties. The coalition gained two seats in the

, and repeated in the November election. In June 2020, Sayas ran for president of the UPN against incumbent

Javier Esparza Francisco Javier Esparza Estaun (born 27 April 1964 in Pamplona, Spain) is a Spanish computer scientist. He is a professor at the Technische Universität München. Education Javier Esparza Estaun received his Master of Science degree in The ...

, losing with 41.7% of the votes. Sayas is an opponent of

Basque nationalism Basque nationalism ( eu, eusko abertzaletasuna ; es, nacionalismo vasco; french: nationalisme basque) is a form of nationalism that asserts that Basques, an ethnic group indigenous to the western Pyrenees, are a nation and promotes the poli ...

in Navarre, particularly the

Abertzale left Abertzale left ( eu, Ezker abertzalea, es, Izquierda abertzale; ) is a term used to refer to the parties or organizations of the Basque nationalist/separatist left, stretching from democratic socialism to communism. This leftist character is hi ...

parties

Batasuna Batasuna (; en, Unity) was a Basque nationalist political party. Based mainly in Spain, it was banned in 2003, after a court ruling declared proven that the party was financing ETA with public money. The party is included in the "European Unio ...

and

EH Bildu EH Bildu, short for Euskal Herria Bildu ( en, link=yes, Basque Country Gather or Basque Country Unite) is a left-wing, Basque nationalist, pro-independence political coalition active in the Spanish autonomous communities of Basque Country, Navar ...

. In November 2021, he opposed the expansion of the Basque language children's television channel

ETB 3 ETB 3 is the third television channel from the Euskal Irrati Telebista group in the Basque Autonomous Community, Navarre and the French Basque Country in Spain. The channel broadcasts entirely in Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethni ...

into Navarre, accusing it of indoctrination. In February 2022, Sayas and fellow Congressman

Carlos García Adanero Carlos may refer to: Places ;Canada * Carlos, Alberta, a locality ;United States * Carlos, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Carlos, Maryland, a place in Allegany County * Carlos, Minnesota, a small city * Carlos, West Virginia ;Elsewhere ...

disobeyed instruction by Esparza and voted against labour reform. They were expelled from UPN for two-and-a-half years.

Personal life

Sayas is openly gay. In 2009, as youth leader of the UPN, he vocally disagreed with the party's opposition to

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same Legal sex and gender, sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sayas, Sergio 1979 births Living people University of Navarra alumni Navarrese People's Union politicians Municipal councillors in Navarre Members of the 8th Parliament of Navarre Members of the 9th Parliament of Navarre Members of the 10th Parliament of Navarre Members of the 13th Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 14th Congress of Deputies (Spain) LGBT legislators in Spain Gay politicians