Joan Lerma
Encyclopedia
Joan Lerma i Blasco is a Spanish
politician for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
(PSOE), who served as the first democratically elected President of the Valencian Community
since the restoration of democracy in the 1970s.
by joining the Young Socialists . In 1974 he joined the Unión General de Trabajadores
(UGT), a major trade union historically affiliated with the PSOE, becoming a PSOE member in 1975. at which point the party was still illegal under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco
.
He served as employment minister in the administration of the Valencian Community
from April 1978 until June 1979. In July 1978, when the Socialist Party of the Valencian Country
(PSPV) decided to merge with the PSOE, Lerma was elected Secretary for political relations between the two groupings and a year later became Secretary General of the combined PSPV-PSOE, the regional branch of the PSOE in the Valencian Community. He headed the regional PSPV-PSOE list at the 1979 General Election
and was elected to the Spanish Congress of Deputies representing Valencia Province
and was re-elected in the subsequent elections in 1982
.
. This was the last occasion to date that a President was appointed as future Presidents would be chosen by the Corts Valencianes
, the Valencian regional parliament.
In 1983, the PSOE won the first elections for the Corts Valencianes
since the death of Franco with an absolute majority and the parliament in turn selected Lerma as the first elected President of the Valencian Community since the restoration of democracy in the 1970s.
. Lerma blamed his defeat on the policies of the Central Government, singling out delays affecting the construction of motorways through the Valencian territory and lack of support from the Central Government in disputes with the neighbouring community of Castile-La Mancha
over the Central Government's National Hydrologic Plan as reasons for his defeat.
Following his defeat, Lerma resigned from the Valencian Parliament. Although he had stated that he would only accept a Central Government post in "an emergency situation through a sense of duty", he was appointed Minister for Public Administration by the Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez
.
serving until 2008. He served as PSOE spokesman in the Senate from 2004 to 2008.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
politician for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
(PSOE), who served as the first democratically elected President of the Valencian Community
President of the Generalitat Valenciana
The President of the Generalitat Valenciana is the head of government of the Spanish autonomous community of Valencian Community. The President is chosen by the Valencian parliament, the Corts Valencianes.-List of Presidents of the Valencian Community:...
since the restoration of democracy in the 1970s.
Early life
Lerma gained a degree in Economic and Business Science from the University of Valencia in 1976. He was a young Trotskyist and in 1973, practised entryismEntryism
Entryism is a political tactic by which an organisation or state encourages its members or agents to infiltrate another organisation in an attempt to gain recruits, or take over entirely...
by joining the Young Socialists . In 1974 he joined the Unión General de Trabajadores
Unión General de Trabajadores
The Unión General de Trabajadores is a major Spanish trade union, historically affiliated with the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party .-History:...
(UGT), a major trade union historically affiliated with the PSOE, becoming a PSOE member in 1975. at which point the party was still illegal under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
.
He served as employment minister in the administration of the Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
from April 1978 until June 1979. In July 1978, when the Socialist Party of the Valencian Country
Socialist Party of the Valencian Country
The Socialist Party of the Valencian Country or PSPV was a small nationalist and leftist Valencian party, mostly confined to the academic world within the University of Valencia....
(PSPV) decided to merge with the PSOE, Lerma was elected Secretary for political relations between the two groupings and a year later became Secretary General of the combined PSPV-PSOE, the regional branch of the PSOE in the Valencian Community. He headed the regional PSPV-PSOE list at the 1979 General Election
Spanish general election, 1979
General elections were held in Spain on 1 March 1979.-References:* *...
and was elected to the Spanish Congress of Deputies representing Valencia Province
Valencia (Spanish Congress Electoral District)
Valencia is one of the 52 electoral districts used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies—the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales. It is the third largest district in Congress in terms of the numbers of deputies elected, as it elects sixteen deputies out of the total...
and was re-elected in the subsequent elections in 1982
Spanish general election, 1982
General elections were held in Spain on 28 October 1982.PSOE and PSC presented two different lists of candidates: with the PSOE contesting most of Spain and the PSC only standing in Catalonia...
.
President of the Valencian Community
On 26 November 1982, Lerma was appointed President of the Valencian Community after the resignation of Enrique MonsonísEnrique Monsonís
Enric Monsonís Domingo was a Spanish liberal politician. Monsonís served as the head of the pre-autonomous government of the Consell Pre-autonòmic del País Valencià from 1979 to 1982...
. This was the last occasion to date that a President was appointed as future Presidents would be chosen by the Corts Valencianes
Corts Valencianes
The Corts Valencianes are the main legislative body of the Generalitat Valenciana and therefore of the Valencian Community. The main location of the Corts is in the Palace of Benicarló in Valencia; however it can meet at any location in Valencian territory. The Corts has its origins in bodies...
, the Valencian regional parliament.
In 1983, the PSOE won the first elections for the Corts Valencianes
Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1983
The Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1983 were the first democratic elections to the Corts Valencianes, the Valencian regional parliament, since the Spanish transition to democracy and were held on 8 May of that year. The elections were held using closed list proportional representation in three...
since the death of Franco with an absolute majority and the parliament in turn selected Lerma as the first elected President of the Valencian Community since the restoration of democracy in the 1970s.
First administration
Lerma announced that the priorities of his first administration would be administrative reform, political and economic recovery and health and education. One controversial issue was the proposed layoffs at the 'Altos Hornos del Mediterraneo' steelworks which led to strikes by local Trade Unions.Later career
The PSOE won the subsequent elections in the Valencian Community in 1987 and 1991 and Lerma was re-elected President of the Valencian Community on both occasions. However the party lost the 1995 election to the Partido PopularPartido Popular
Partido Popular may refer to:* People's Party * People's Party * The original name of the Popular Socialist Party...
. Lerma blamed his defeat on the policies of the Central Government, singling out delays affecting the construction of motorways through the Valencian territory and lack of support from the Central Government in disputes with the neighbouring community of Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous community of Spain. Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities...
over the Central Government's National Hydrologic Plan as reasons for his defeat.
Following his defeat, Lerma resigned from the Valencian Parliament. Although he had stated that he would only accept a Central Government post in "an emergency situation through a sense of duty", he was appointed Minister for Public Administration by the Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez
Felipe González
Felipe González Márquez is a Spanish socialist politician. He was the General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. To date, he remains the longest-serving Prime Minister of Spain, after having served four successive mandates from 1982 to 1996.-Early life:Felipe was...
.
Senator
Lerma returned to the Spanish Congress in 1996 when he was elected to the Spanish SenateSpanish Senate
The Senate of Spain is the upper house of Spain's parliament, the . It is made up of 264 members: 208 elected by popular vote, and 56 appointed by the regional legislatures. All senators serve four-year terms, though regional legislatures may recall their appointees at any time.The last election...
serving until 2008. He served as PSOE spokesman in the Senate from 2004 to 2008.