Estrella Durá Ferrandis (born 22 September 1963) is a Spanish Professor of Psychology at the

University of Valencia The University of Valencia ( ca-valencia, Universitat de València ; also known as UV) is a public research university located in the city of Valencia, Spain. It is one of the oldest surviving universities in Spain, and the oldest in the Vale ...

and became a

Member of the European Parliament A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) is a person who has been elected to serve as a popular representative in the European Parliament. When the European Parliament (then known as the Common Assembly of the ECSC) first met in 1952, its ...

in 2019 (9th legislature). She belongs to the

Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) is the political group in the European Parliament of the Party of European Socialists (PES). The Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats was officially founded as a Socialist ...

(S&D) in the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

and represents the

Spanish Socialist Workers' Party The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party ( es, Partido Socialista Obrero Español ; PSOE ) is a social-democraticThe PSOE is described as a social-democratic party by numerous sources: * * * * political party in Spain. The PSOE has been in gov ...

(PSOE).

Biography

Training and professional activity

Born in Puçol (Valencia) in 1963, she graduated in Psychology in 1986 from the

, where she also obtained her doctorate in 1989. In 2004 she received her official title of Psychology Specialist in Clinical Psychology. She has been a researcher at the Polibienestar Research Institute at the University of Valencia since 2006 and in 2017 became a full professor at the University of Valencia in the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatments. As a visiting scientist she has collaborated with centres, institutes and universities in the USA, UK, Austria and the Netherlands. Her extensive list of scientific publications has earned her four times recognition by the National Commission for the Evaluation of Research Activity (sexenios). Estrella Durá is an expert in social policy programmes with the main objective to increase the quality of life and social welfare of vulnerable groups. Some of the topics she has worked on include: unemployment in young people and people over 55, women and health, persons with functional diversity and persons with chronic illnesses, dependent elderly persons and migrants.

Networks and associations

Estrella Durá was a founding member of the non-profit organisation SEAS (Spanish Association of Social and Health Care) and was a member of the Board from 2003 until 2018. She was also a founding partner of GEOMETT (Geopolitics for the Development of Public Policies in the Mediterranean) and was the Secretary and member of the Board of the Spanish Society of Psycho-Oncology (SEPO) (2002–2007). She is currently a member of ENSA (European Network of Social Authorities) and ELISAN (European Local Inclusion & Social Action Network).

Election and activity in the European Parliament

Estrella Durá ran 21st in the

list for the

2019 European Parliament election The 2019 European Parliament election was held between 23 and 26 May 2019, the ninth parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979. A total of 751 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent more than 512 million peopl ...

. As the PSOE obtained 20 seats in the election, she was not among the 54 electees, but she became MEP at the beginning of the 9th legislative term, following the renouncement of the PSOE's head of list,

Josep Borrell Josep Borrell Fontelles (; born 24 April 1947) is a Spanish politician serving as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy since 1 December 2019. A member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), he served ...

, to assume office, with the latter continuing as Foreign Minister instead. She joined the

political group and became a member of the

Committee on Employment and Social Affairs The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) is a committee of the European Parliament. It is responsible for issues of employment and social policy, including labour rights, social security, inclusion, free movement for workers and pensio ...

(EMPL). POLITICAL PARTY: MEP of the Group of the

in the

representing the

(Spain) COMMISSIONS: Member of the

(EMPL) and Substitute of the

Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) is a committee of the European Parliament. Responsibilities of the Committee AGRI is the European Parliament committee responsible for: #The operation and development of the Common Agricul ...

(AGRI) DELEGATIONS: Member of the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (Africa Caribbean Pacific – European Union) and Substitute of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia (DASE) and the

Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...

(ASEAN)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dura Ferrandis, Estrella MEPs for Spain 2019–2024 Spanish Socialist Workers' Party MEPs 1963 births Living people