Íñigo Urkullu Renteria (born 18 September 1961) is a Spanish politician, and the

Lehendakari The President of the Basque Government ( eu, Eusko Jaurlaritzako lehendakaria, es, presidente del Gobierno Vasco), usually known in the Basque language as the Lehendakari ( eu, lehendakari, es, lendakari), is the head of government of the Basq ...

(President) of the Basque Government since 2012. As the President of the Basque Government, he headed the First, Second and

Third Urkullu Government Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute'' Places * 3rd Street (disambiguation) * Third Avenue (disambiguation) * Hi ...

s of the

Basque Autonomous Community The Basque Country (; eu, Euskadi ; es, País Vasco ), also called Basque Autonomous Community ( eu, Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoa, links=no, EAE; es, Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco, links=no, CAPV), is an autonomous community of Spain. I ...

(

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Biography

Urkullu graduated in teaching, specialized in Basque language, from the University of Deusto. He was a secondary school teacher at

Asti-Leku Ikastola Asti Leku Ikastola is a Basque Country (greater region), Basque private school, created in 1963, located in Portugalete (Biscay). It currently has 1,800 students (approx.) and is one of the largest Private schools in the United Kingdom, private s ...

school.

Political career

He was the

Basque Nationalist Party The Basque Nationalist Party (, EAJ ; es, Partido Nacionalista Vasco, PNV; french: Parti Nationaliste Basque, PNB; EAJ-PNV), officially Basque National Party in English,) was rejected by party members in November 2011. Nonetheless, the party did ...

(PNV) chairman from 2008 to 2013 when he was succeeded by

Andoni Ortuzar Andoni Ortuzar Arruabarrena (born 13 July 1962) is a Spanish Basque politician and journalist, and the president of the Basque Nationalist Party. Early life Andoni Ortuzar was born on 13 July 1962 in Sanfuentes, in the mining zone (Biscay) ...

, since the party's rules do not allow a Lehendakari to be the party's chairman at the same time. He was the

Biscay Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. ...

leader of the party from 2004 to 2008 and has been a member since 1996. He was the director of the Department for Youth and Social Services of the

Biscay Foral Government Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao. B ...

(Diputación Foral de Bizkaia) from 1987 to 1994 and served in the

Basque Parliament The Basque Parliament (Basque language, Basque: ''Eusko Legebiltzarra'', Spanish language, Spanish: ''Parlamento Vasco'') is the legislative body of the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community of Spain and the elected a ...

from 1984 to 1987 and from 1994 to 2005 (during the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th sittings of the parliament). Amid the 2017-18 Spanish constitutional crisis, Urkullu tried to mediate between the Spanish and Catalan governments to avoid the

declaration of independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of ...

and the application of

Article 155 Article often refers to: * Article (grammar), a grammatical element used to indicate definiteness or indefiniteness * Article (publishing), a piece of nonfictional prose that is an independent part of a publication Article may also refer to: ...

, but these attempts failed. He declared as a witness in the Trial of Catalonia independence leaders on 28 February 2019. He resides in Ajuria Enea, the official residence of the president of the Basque Government.

References

1961 births Living people Presidents of the Basque Government People from Alonsotegi Members of the 11th Basque Parliament Basque Nationalist Party politicians Leaders of political parties in Spain University of Deusto alumni Members of the 12th Basque Parliament Members of the 10th Basque Parliament Members of the 7th Basque Parliament Members of the 8th Basque Parliament Members of the 6th Basque Parliament Members of the 5th Basque Parliament {{BasqueCountry-politician-stub