Additional positions


Member of the Senate
In office 25 May 2022 – 17 August 2023
Appointed by	Parliament of Galicia
First Vice President of the Regional Government of Galicia
In office 10 September 2004 – 2 August 2005
President	Manuel Fraga
Preceded by	Javier Suárez Vence
Succeeded by	Anxo Quintana
Councillor of Territorial Policy, Public Works and Housing of Galicia
In office 18 January 2003 – 2 August 2005
President	Manuel Fraga
Preceded by	Xosé Cuiña
Succeeded by	María José Caride
President of the People's Party of Galicia
In office 15 January 2006 – 1 April 2022
Secretary-General	Alfonso Rueda Miguel Tellado
Preceded by	Manuel Fraga
Succeeded by	Alfonso Rueda
Member of the Parliament of Galicia
In office 18 July 2005 – 24 May 2022
Constituency	Pontevedra

Personal details

Born

10 September 1961 (age 63)
A Peroxa, Galicia, Spain

Political party

People's Party (since 1991)

Domestic partner

Eva Cárdenas (2013–present)

Children

Alma mater

University of Santiago de Compostela

Signature

Alberto Núñez Feijóo (born 10 September 1961) is a Spanish politician. He is currently the leader of the People's Party and a member of the Congress of Deputies. From 2009 to 2022, he was the President of the Autonomous Government of Galicia. After the 2023 election, he was asked to try and form a new government for Spain, but his attempt was not successful.

Before becoming a politician, Feijóo worked as a civil servant. He held important roles in the health and agriculture ministries in Galicia and later at the national level. He also served as the President of the Spanish postal service, Correos. He officially joined the People's Party of Galicia in 1991. In 2005, he became a member of the Parliament of Galicia. The next year, he took over as the party president in Galicia.

Feijóo led his party to win elections in Galicia in 2009, 2012, 2016, and 2020. In 2022, he became the national president of the People's Party, taking over from Pablo Casado. He then left his roles in the Galician parliament and government. He was seen by many as a moderate politician before he became the national party leader.

Early Life and First Jobs
Political Career
- Leading Galicia
- Leading the People's Party
Political Ideas
Personal Life
Honours
See Also

Early Life and First Jobs

Alberto Núñez Feijóo was born on 10 September 1961, in a small village called Os Peares, near A Peroxa in Spain. His father, Saturnino Núñez, worked as a construction foreman.

After studying law at the University of Santiago de Compostela, he graduated in 1984. Feijóo had hoped to become a judge. However, because his father was out of work, he decided to join the civil service to help support his family.

In 1991, he started working as a secretary general for the regional Ministry of Agriculture in Galicia. Later, he moved to the Ministry of Health, first in Galicia and then for the whole country. From 2000 to 2003, Feijóo was the President of the national postal service, Correos. After that, he returned to the Galician government as the Minister of Territorial Policy, Public Works and Housing.

Political Career

Leading Galicia

Feijóo joined the People's Party in 1991. In 2005, the People's Party of Galicia lost power after 15 years. This happened when other parties formed a coalition government.

In January 2006, Feijóo became the president of the People's Party in Galicia. He worked with another candidate, José Manuel Barreiro, to unite the party.

In the 2009 Galician regional election, his party won enough seats to form a government. In April, he became the President of Galicia. He won a second term in 2012, even though his party received fewer votes. This was because fewer people voted overall.

Feijóo continued to win elections in Galicia in 2016 and 2020. In 2020, his party gained even more seats. In 2018, many thought he would try to become the national leader of the People's Party. However, he decided not to, saying that being President of Galicia was his most important goal. He resigned from his Galician roles in April 2022 to become the national party leader.

Leading the People's Party

Feijóo (right) and Pedro Sánchez in April 2022

In March 2022, the People's Party needed a new national leader. The previous leader, Pablo Casado, had lost support. Feijóo decided to run for the position. Many regional leaders of the People's Party supported him. He was the only candidate with enough support, so he ran unopposed. He chose Cuca Gamarra to be the party's new Secretary General.

During his campaign, the People's Party formed a government with the Vox party in Castile and León. Feijóo supported this, but he said he would not necessarily do the same at the national level. He believed it was sometimes better to not win power if it meant giving in to populism. As party president, Feijóo stopped plans to sell the party's main office building.

On 24 May 2022, Feijóo was chosen by the Galician Parliament to be a senator for the region. He then left his seat in the Parliament of Galicia. A year later, he led his party in regional and local elections across Spain. He criticized the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, for relying on support from certain parties.

The People's Party won many areas, including Madrid and the Valencian Community. This led Prime Minister Sánchez to call an early national election in 2023. Feijóo's party won the most seats (137) in the election. However, they did not win enough seats (176) to form a government on their own. The King of Spain, Felipe VI, asked Feijóo to try and form a government. His attempt to become prime minister failed after two votes in September 2023.

Political Ideas

Feijóo (left) meeting the former President of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, in 2019

Feijóo describes himself as a reformist from the centre-right and a liberal. The media often calls him a moderate. His supporters praise his views. However, opposing parties sometimes question these labels, especially after his party formed a government with Vox in Castile and León.

In 2009, under Feijóo's leadership, the People's Party in Galicia changed its stance on the Galician language. His predecessor had strongly supported it. By 2019, it was reported that knowing Galician was required for all teacher candidates in the region. Feijóo himself had said it would be desired but not mandatory. This put him at odds with the national party leader at the time, who thought no public job should require knowing a regional language. When Feijóo became national party president, he said their language policy would be one of "friendly bilingualism."

In 2011, Feijóo suggested that hospital patients should pay for non-medical services like food and showers. The next year, he suggested that parts of healthcare not essential to medical treatment could be run by private companies. However, in 2013, he stated that healthcare would not be privatized under his government.

Feijóo is a good friend and ally of Iñigo Urkullu, who is the President of the Basque Country. They first worked together in 2013 to protect their region's shipyards from European Union rules. While the previous national PP leader was against giving more power to the Basque Country, Feijóo has been more understanding of their needs.

Personal Life

In 2009, a newspaper described Feijóo's personal life as simpler and less extravagant than the previous regional president. Feijóo was in a relationship with journalist Carmen Gámir from 2000 to 2012. Since 2013, he has been with Eva Cárdenas, who is a director at Zara Home. Their son, also named Alberto, was born in February 2017. Feijóo enjoys Galician cuisine and supports the football club Deportivo de La Coruña.

Feijóo speaks Spanish and Galician. His English skills are not considered strong. The PSOE criticized this, saying a prime minister should speak fluent English. Feijóo replied that translators are always available at international meetings. Feijóo is a Catholic.