José Manuel García-Margallo y Marfil (; born 13 August 1944) is a Spanish politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation from 2011 to 2016. From 1994 until 2011, and again from 2019 until 2024, he was a member of the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two 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 ...

Early life and education

García-Margallo was born in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

. In 1960, he joined the Young Spanish Monarchists. He graduated in Law and Economics from the

University of Deusto The University of Deusto (; ) is a Spanish private university owned by the Society of Jesus, with campuses in Bilbao and San Sebastián, and the Deusto Business School branch in Madrid. The University of Deusto is the oldest private university ...

Bilbao Bilbao is a city in northern Spain, the largest city in the Provinces of Spain, province of Biscay and in the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country as a whole. It is also the largest city proper in northern Spain. Bilbao is the List o ...

(1965) and subsequently received a master's degree in law (LLM) from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

(1972). His great-grandfather was General Juan García y Margallo, who was killed in 1893 during the

First Melillan campaign The First Melillan Campaign, also called the Melilla War or the Margallo War (after Juan García y Margallo, the Spanish governor of Melilla whose defeat and death infuriated the Spanish public) in Spain, was a conflict between Spain and th ...

, otherwise known as the Margallo War.

Political career

In 1976, Margallo was one of the founding members of the center-right People's Party (Partido Popular), a party unrelated to the current party of the same name. In 1977, that party joined others in forming the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD), a coalition which won the first democratic elections of the modern era in Spain and formed the government from 1977 to 1982. At the 1977 election, he was elected to the

Congress of Deputies The Congress of Deputies () is the lower house of the , Spain's legislative branch, the upper house being the Senate of Spain, Senate. The Congress meets in the Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid, Palace of the Parliament () in Madrid. Congress has ...

as member for the single member district of

Melilla Melilla (, ; ) is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. It lies on the eastern side of the Cape Three Forks, bordering Morocco and facing the Mediterranean Sea. It has an area of . It was part of the Province of Málaga un ...

and was re-elected in 1979, although he lost his seat at the 1982 election to the PSOE. After the UCD disbanded in 1983, Margallo joined the Democratic Popular Party (PDP) and returned to the Congress at the 1986 election in representation of

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

, retaining his seat until 1994 when he resigned after being elected to the European Parliament.

Member of the European Parliament, 1994–2011

Throughout his time in the European Parliament, Margallo served on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy; between 2002 and 2011, he was the committee's vice-chairman. In this capacity, he led the Parliament's work on the

European Banking Authority The European Banking Authority (EBA) is a regulatory agency of the European Union headquartered in La Défense, Île-de-France. Its activities include conducting stress tests on European banks to increase transparency in the European financi ...

(EBA). He also called for the creation of a European Financial Protection Fund that would bail out large banks in times of crisis and would be financed primarily by contributions from banks themselves. Margallo also served on the Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis between 2009 and 2011 as well as on the Special Committee on the policy challenges and budgetary resources for a sustainable European Union after 2013 between 2010 and 2011. In addition to his committee assignments, he was a member of the parliament's delegation for relations with the countries of

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

. Margallo led the EU-Election Observer Mission for the 2010 presidential election in

Togo Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...

Foreign Minister of Spain, 2011–2016

On 22 December 2011, Margallo was inaugurated as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in the first cabinet presided by

Mariano Rajoy Mariano Rajoy Brey (, ; born 27 March 1955) is a Spanish politician who served as Prime Minister of Spain from 2011 to 2018, when a 2018 vote of no confidence in the government of Mariano Rajoy, vote of no confidence ousted his government. A m ...

. In March 2012, Margallo announced that, in response to savage killings and human rights abuses in

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

, his country would cease activities at its embassy in Damascus, but would not formally close its mission. In November 2012, Margallo announced that Spain would follow France in announcing it will support a bid of the

Palestinian National Authority The Palestinian Authority (PA), officially known as the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), is the Fatah-controlled government body that exercises partial civil control over the Palestinian enclaves in the Israeli-occupied West Bank as a c ...

for enhanced status at the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

when the issue goes to a vote of the General Assembly. In 2014, amid negotiations towards an accord with the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

aimed at opening up

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

, Margallo irritated

Raúl Castro Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz ( ; ; born 3 June 1931) is a Cuban retired politician and general who served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the most senior position in the One-par ...

's government with his call for Cuba to grant free travel rights to dissidents arrested in the Black Spring of 2003 and later released under strict conditions. During a visit to the country, Margallo was denied an audience with Castro and instead met with First Vice-President

Miguel Díaz-Canel Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (; born 20 April 1960) is a Cuban politician and engineer. He has served as the 8th First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba since 2021 and as the 17th president o ...

. Following the

Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA; (, BARJAM)), also known as the Iran nuclear deal or Iran deal, is an agreement to limit the Iranian nuclear program in return for sanctions relief and other provisions. The agreement was finalize ...

on the

nuclear program of Iran The nuclear program of Iran is one of the most scrutinized nuclear programs in the world. The military capabilities of the program are possible through its mass enrichment activities in facilities such as Natanz and Arak. In June 2025, t ...

in 2015, Margallo led a high-level government and business delegation to Iran, joining other countries drawn to Tehran by the possibility of lucrative opportunities that could be unlocked by a nuclear deal. A day after sanctions against Iran were lifted in January 2016, Margallo entered into negotiations with the Iranian government over the construction of an Iranian-owned oil refinery at the

Gibraltar strait The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa. The two continents are separated by 7.7 nautical miles (14.2 kilometers, 8.9 miles) at its narrowest point. F ...

. Almost 50 years after coming close to possibly provoking a nuclear disaster, Margallo and his counterpart

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

agreed in 2015 to remove contaminated soil from an area in southern Spain where an American warplane accidentally dropped

hydrogen bomb A thermonuclear weapon, fusion weapon or hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) is a second-generation nuclear weapon design. Its greater sophistication affords it vastly greater destructive power than first-generation nuclear bombs, a more compact size, a lo ...

s. The deal, announced on a visit by Kerry to Spain, followed years of wrangling between the two countries over how to clean up the area around the seaside village of Palomares, over which the accident took place in 1966.

Later activity

Margallo did not continue as Foreign Minister after the formation of the Second Rajoy Government in 2016. Margallo later blamed his exit from the Council of Ministers on alleged leverage by

Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría María Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría Antón (born 10 June 1971) is a Spanish former politician of the People's Party who served as Deputy Prime Minister of Spain and Minister of the Presidency from 2011 to 2018. She was member of the Congress ...

. He would nonetheless remain a member of the

for the rest of its term. In July 2016, he was announced as a new collaborator on

Telecinco Telecinco is a Spanish free-to-air television channel operated by Mediaset España. The channel was previously known as Tele 5, because it had first begun its experimental transmissions on 10 March 1989, and a year later, it was officially laun ...

's breakfast show ''El programa de Ana Rosa''. Following Rajoy's resignation as leader of the PP, Margallo contested the ensuing

leadership election A leadership election is a political contest held in various countries by which the members of a political party determine who will be the leader of their party. Generally, any political party can determine its own rules governing how and when a ...

in July 2018, facing his ''bête noire'' Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, in addition to another 4 candidates. Margallo won only 688 votes from party members. As only Sáenz de Santamaría and

Pablo Casado Pablo Casado Blanco (; born 1 February 1981) is a Spanish former politician. He was a member of the Congress of Deputies representing Madrid until 4 April 2022, having previously represented Ávila between 2011 and 2019. From 2015 to 2018, he al ...

passed to the second round to be voted by party delegates, Margallo endorsed Casado. Margallo was included 7th in the PP list for the

2019 European election The 2019 European Parliament election was held in the European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states tha ...

. Once elected, he became a Member of the European Parliament again, after his 1994–2011 spell. In 2020, he joined the Subcommittee on Tax Matters. During the 2022 leadership crisis in the PP, he called on Casado to step aside, comparing his position to

Adolfo Suárez Adolfo Suárez González, 1st Duke of Suárez (; 25 September 1932 – 23 March 2014) was a Spanish lawyer and politician. Suárez was Spain's first democratically elected Prime Minister of Spain, prime minister since the Second Spanish Republi ...

in 1981: "Casado needs to follow Adolfo Suárez's example: when he gave his resignation with the line 'it is the men who serve the PP and not the other way around, because if I'm the first to have to decide between the UCD and Adolfo Suárez, I would choose the UCD. Pablo Casado must take that step for the good of the party and for the good of Spain." In addition to his committee assignments, Margallo was part of the European Parliament Intergroup on Seas, Rivers, Islands and Coastal Areas. García-Margallo did not stand for re-election in the 2024 election. He is a frequent guest on Antena 3's political chat show ''Espejo Público'', and on Antena 3's election coverage.

Other activities

* Elcano Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies, member of the board of trustees *

Instituto Cervantes Instituto Cervantes (, the Cervantes Institute) is a worldwide nonprofit organization created by the Spanish government in 1991. It is named after Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), the author of ''Don Quixote'' and perhaps the most important fi ...

, ex officio member of the board of trustees

Controversy

Margallo has often been critical of

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

. In February 2015 he ordered the closure of the

stating that there was no need for Spanish classes in Gibraltar as 'everyone speaks (Spanish) except for the apes'. In June 2016 Margallo said Spain would demand control of Gibraltar the "very next day" after a British withdrawal from the EU. Under Margallo's leadership, the Foreign Ministry on 11 July 2016 summoned Britain's ambassador following what it said were "reckless" moves by a

Royal Gibraltar Police The Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) is, along with His Majesty's Customs (Gibraltar), the principal civilian law enforcement agency in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It is the oldest police force in the Commonwealth of Nations outsid ...

patrol boat.

Honours

*: Grand Cross of the

Order of Merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...

(8 March 2016)

Works

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia-Margallo y Marfil, Jose Manuel 1944 births Foreign ministers of Spain Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit Harvard Law School alumni Living people Members of the constituent Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 1st Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 3rd Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 4th Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 5th Congress of Deputies (Spain) Members of the 12th Congress of Deputies (Spain) MEPs for Spain 1994–1999 MEPs for Spain 1999–2004 MEPs for Spain 2004–2009 MEPs for Spain 2009–2014 MEPs for Spain 2019–2024 People's Party (Spain) MEPs Politicians from Madrid Recipients of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin Union of the Democratic Centre (Spain) politicians Politicians from the Valencian Community University of Deusto alumni