Loyola de Palacio
Encyclopedia
Loyola de Palacio y del Valle-Lersundi (16 September 1950—13 December 2006) was a Spanish politician
. She was one of the first women to rise to political prominence in Spain during the early years of democracy. She was a minister in the Spanish government from 1996 to 1998, and a member of the European Commission
from 1999 to 2004. Her sister, Ana Palacio
, was Foreign Minister
of Spain from 2002 to 2004, and is vice president of the World Bank
.
De Palacio was born in Madrid
, into an aristocratic Basque
family, the eldest of four sisters and three brothers, daughter of Luis María de Palacio y de Palacio, 4th Marqués de Matonte, and wife Luisa Mariana del Valle-Lersundi y del Valle. Her mother Luisa died of lung cancer when she was 22, and she took charge of the family. She was educated at the Lycée Français in Madrid, and studied law at Complutense University.
In 1976, she was a founder member of the right-wing Alianza Popular
(later transformed into the Partido Popular
) led by Manuel Fraga, and she became the first leader of its youth section, Nuevas Generaciones. Her politics were on the "soft", liberal wing of her party. She was elected to represent Segovia
in the upper house
of the Spanish Parliament (the Senado) in the June 1986 Spanish general election. She joined the national executive of the Partido Popular in 1989, and was elected as a deputy for Segovia
in the lower house (the Congreso de los Diputados) in the October 1989 Spanish general election, remaining in the lower house until 1999. She served as minister of agriculture, fisheries and food in José María Aznar
's Partido Popular government that took power after the 1996 Spanish general election.
She headed the Partido Popular's list in the June 1999 European elections
, and was duly elected to the European Parliament
. She also joined the European Commission
on 13 September 1999, as commissioner for energy and transport, in the Prodi Commission
. She also served as vice-president (jointly with Neil Kinnock
), and took charge of relations with the European Parliament. She pushed forward the Galileo positioning system
, and new maritime safety regulations following the Prestige oil spill
off the coast of Galicia in November 2002.
After leaving the Commission on 21 November 2004, she became a director at the banks BNP Paribas
and Rothschild Bank, and at the pharmaceutical company Zeltia.
She was a devout Roman Catholic but denied being connected with the Opus Dei
group, remarking that even her name (after that of the founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius Loyola) would make that laughable.
She enjoyed sports, including mountaineering
but she preferred diving and windsurfing. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006, and was treated in Houston and Madrid for five months. She died in Madrid. Following her death a state memorial was made in which all parties, including the left-wing United Left
and PP critics, united to remember her policies to improve EU regulations.
Since 2008, the European Commission has created a European Policy Chair named "Loyola de Palacio" in the Robert Schuman Center in advanced Studies in the European University Institute in Italy.
Politics of Spain
The politics of Spain take place in the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy, whereby the Monarch is the Head of State and the President of the Government is the head of government in a multi-party system. Executive power is vested in the government...
. She was one of the first women to rise to political prominence in Spain during the early years of democracy. She was a minister in the Spanish government from 1996 to 1998, and a member of the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
from 1999 to 2004. Her sister, Ana Palacio
Ana Palacio
Ana Isabel de Palacio y del Valle-Lersundi in Madrid, daughter of Luis María de Palacio y de Palacio, 4th Marqués de Matonte, and wife Luisa Mariana del Valle-Lersundi y del Valle, was Spain's Minister for Foreign Affairs in the People's Party government of José María Aznar from July 2002-March...
, was Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
of Spain from 2002 to 2004, and is vice president of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
.
De Palacio was born in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, into an aristocratic Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
family, the eldest of four sisters and three brothers, daughter of Luis María de Palacio y de Palacio, 4th Marqués de Matonte, and wife Luisa Mariana del Valle-Lersundi y del Valle. Her mother Luisa died of lung cancer when she was 22, and she took charge of the family. She was educated at the Lycée Français in Madrid, and studied law at Complutense University.
In 1976, she was a founder member of the right-wing Alianza Popular
Popular Alliance (Spain)
The People's Alliance was a electoral coalition, and later a political party, founded in 1976 by Manuel Fraga along with six other former Francoist ministers.- History :...
(later transformed into the Partido Popular
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
) led by Manuel Fraga, and she became the first leader of its youth section, Nuevas Generaciones. Her politics were on the "soft", liberal wing of her party. She was elected to represent Segovia
Segovia
Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated north of Madrid, 30 minutes by high speed train. The municipality counts some 55,500 inhabitants.-Etymology:...
in the upper house
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
of the Spanish Parliament (the Senado) in the June 1986 Spanish general election. She joined the national executive of the Partido Popular in 1989, and was elected as a deputy for Segovia
Segovia (Spanish Congress Electoral District)
Segovia 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 one of the nine electoral districts which correspond to the provinces of Castile and León. Segovia is the largest municipality...
in the lower house (the Congreso de los Diputados) in the October 1989 Spanish general election, remaining in the lower house until 1999. She served as minister of agriculture, fisheries and food in José María Aznar
José María Aznar
José María Alfredo Aznar López served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He is on the board of directors of News Corporation.-Early life:...
's Partido Popular government that took power after the 1996 Spanish general election.
She headed the Partido Popular's list in the June 1999 European elections
European Parliament election, 1999
The European Parliament Election, 1999 was a European election for all 626 members of the European Parliament held across the 15 European Union member states on 10, 11 and 13 June 1999. The voter turn-out was generally low, except in Belgium and Luxembourg, where voting is compulsory and where...
, and was duly elected to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
. She also joined the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
on 13 September 1999, as commissioner for energy and transport, in the Prodi Commission
Prodi Commission
The Prodi Commission was the European Commission in office between 1999 and 2004. The administration was led by former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.-History:...
. She also served as vice-president (jointly with Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
), and took charge of relations with the European Parliament. She pushed forward the Galileo positioning system
Galileo positioning system
Galileo is a global navigation satellite system currently being built by the European Union and European Space Agency . The €20 billion project is named after the famous Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei...
, and new maritime safety regulations following the Prestige oil spill
Prestige oil spill
The Prestige oil spill was an oil spill off the coast of Galicia caused by the sinking of an oil tanker in 2002. The spill polluted thousands of kilometers of coastline and more than one thousand beaches on the Spanish, French and Portuguese coast, as well as causing great harm to the local fishing...
off the coast of Galicia in November 2002.
After leaving the Commission on 21 November 2004, she became a director at the banks BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas S.A. is a global banking group, headquartered in Paris, with its second global headquarters in London. In October 2010 BNP Paribas was ranked by Bloomberg and Forbes as the largest bank and largest company in the world by assets with over $3.1 trillion. It was formed through the merger...
and Rothschild Bank, and at the pharmaceutical company Zeltia.
She was a devout Roman Catholic but denied being connected with the Opus Dei
Opus Dei
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei , is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the...
group, remarking that even her name (after that of the founder of the Jesuits, Ignatius Loyola) would make that laughable.
She enjoyed sports, including mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
but she preferred diving and windsurfing. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2006, and was treated in Houston and Madrid for five months. She died in Madrid. Following her death a state memorial was made in which all parties, including the left-wing United Left
United Left (Spain)
The United Left is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 bringing together several political organisations opposed to Spain joining NATO. It was formed by a number of groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was dominated by the Communist Party of Spain...
and PP critics, united to remember her policies to improve EU regulations.
Since 2008, the European Commission has created a European Policy Chair named "Loyola de Palacio" in the Robert Schuman Center in advanced Studies in the European University Institute in Italy.