José Luis Albiñana Olmos
Encyclopedia
José Luis Albiñana Olmos (Valencia, Spain, 1943) is a Spanish
judge and former politician in the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
(PSOE).
Married, with three children, Albiñana qualified as a lawyer. His first political involvement came in the late 1960s when he joined the Democratic Union of the Valencian Country (UDPV). However he later left the UDPV when the party decided to follow a Christian Democratic
route. He then joined the PSOE in 1975 and was later elected to the party's federal executive committee.
In 1977 he stood in the first democratic elections since the death of the dictator Francisco Franco
as a candidate for the Spanish Congress of Deputies, heading the PSOE list in Valencia Province
and was elected to Congress. In 1978, he became the first President of the Generalitat Valenciana
, the Valencian regional administration. During his time in office, he pushed for full devolution
of powers to the Valencian region and supported bilingualism, arguing that the Valencian
language should be given equal status with Spanish
in the Valencia region. He resigned the position in May 1979, feeling that he was failing to receive support from the local branch of the PSOE but was persuaded to resume his duties in June 1979. However from July 1979 onwards, the PSOE members gradually withdrew from the Valencian administration in protest at what they perceived to be stalling on the devolution issue by the Union of the Democratic Centre which at that point formed the Spanish government. Albiñana finally resigned the Valencian Presidency on 22 December 1979.
He was re-elected to Congress in 1979
but resigned from Congress in February 1980. Albiñana retired from political life in 1983 and thereafter concentrated on his legal work, being reappointed a judge.
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...
judge and former politician in 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).
Married, with three children, Albiñana qualified as a lawyer. His first political involvement came in the late 1960s when he joined the Democratic Union of the Valencian Country (UDPV). However he later left the UDPV when the party decided to follow a Christian Democratic
Christian Democracy
Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
route. He then joined the PSOE in 1975 and was later elected to the party's federal executive committee.
In 1977 he stood in the first democratic elections since the death of the dictator 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...
as a candidate for the Spanish Congress of Deputies, heading the PSOE list in 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 elected to Congress. In 1978, he became the first President of the Generalitat Valenciana
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:...
, the Valencian regional administration. During his time in office, he pushed for full devolution
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
of powers to the Valencian region and supported bilingualism, arguing that the Valencian
Valencian
Valencian is the traditional and official name of the Catalan language in the Valencian Community. There are dialectical differences from standard Catalan, and under the Valencian Statute of Autonomy, the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua has been established as its regulator...
language should be given equal status with Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
in the Valencia region. He resigned the position in May 1979, feeling that he was failing to receive support from the local branch of the PSOE but was persuaded to resume his duties in June 1979. However from July 1979 onwards, the PSOE members gradually withdrew from the Valencian administration in protest at what they perceived to be stalling on the devolution issue by the Union of the Democratic Centre which at that point formed the Spanish government. Albiñana finally resigned the Valencian Presidency on 22 December 1979.
He was re-elected to Congress in 1979
Spanish general election, 1979
General elections were held in Spain on 1 March 1979.-References:* *...
but resigned from Congress in February 1980. Albiñana retired from political life in 1983 and thereafter concentrated on his legal work, being reappointed a judge.