Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca
First Vice-President of the European Parliament
In office 30 July 2004 – 16 January 2007
President	Josep Borrell
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou
Member of the European Parliament for Spain
In office 13 June 1999 – 1 July 2014
Member of the Senate
In office 29 June 1996 – 28 August 1999
Constituency	Parliament of Catalonia
President of the People's Party of Catalonia
In office 9 January 1991 – 28 September 1996
Preceded by	Jorge Fernández Díaz
Succeeded by	Alberto Fernández Díaz
Member of the Parliament of Catalonia for Barcelona
In office 29 May 1988 – 25 August 1996
Member of the Barcelona City Council
In office 10 June 1987 – 26 May 1991
Personal details
Born	Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca (1945-05-20) 20 May 1945 (age 80) Barcelona, Spain
Political party	Vox (2014–2015)
Other political affiliations	People's Alliance (1983–1989) People's Party (1989–2014)

Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca (born 20 May 1945) is a Spanish former politician and radiation physicist. He was born in Barcelona, Spain. He served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2014. He also held the position of First Vice President of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007.

Political Career

Vidal-Quadras was first elected as a politician with the People's Party. He was part of the European People's Party group in the European Parliament. In 2014, he decided to leave the People's Party. He then joined a new political group called Vox.

He was the main candidate for Vox in the 2014 European election. However, his party did not win enough votes to get a seat. He is also a member of the European Friends of Israel. This group works to support Israel's interests within the European Union.

Views on Iran

Alejo Vidal-Quadras has been a strong supporter of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). This group is an opposition movement against the current Iranian government.

In 2013, a newspaper reported that people linked to the NCRI gave money to a political party he was involved with. Vidal-Quadras stated that these donations were given directly to him.

After 2014, Vidal-Quadras worked for free with the International Committee in Search of Justice. This group, based in Brussels, supports the NCRI against the Iranian government.

His support for the People's Mojahedin of Iran, another opposition group, led to actions from the Iranian government. In 2023, the Iranian Foreign Ministry placed restrictions on him. They accused him of supporting groups they considered a threat. However, Maryam Rajavi, a leader of the Iranian opposition, said that Vidal-Quadras has dedicated his life to fighting against the Iranian government.

Shooting Incident

On 9 November 2023, Vidal-Quadras was shot in the face. This happened in Madrid, Spain, at 1:30 p.m. He was shot by a person riding a motorbike.

He was taken to the hospital and needed surgery for a broken jawbone. He was reported to be recovering well. Police are investigating this shooting as a serious attack.

Vidal-Quadras believes that the Iranian government was behind the shooting. He thinks his support for the Iranian opposition, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, might be connected to the attack. He is one of the first European politicians to be targeted in this way within Europe.

In 2019, Vidal-Quadras had stated that he saw the Iranian government as a harsh system that encourages violence. The Iranian opposition believes the current government of Iran is responsible for the attack.

Investigation Updates

In January 2024, a person suspected in the shooting was arrested in Colombia. So far, four people have been arrested in connection with the incident. The person believed to be the shooter, a French citizen, is still being sought by the police.

After the shooting, Vidal-Quadras asked for changes in the European Union's approach to Iran. He believes the EU should not try to "make peace, negotiate, or make deals" with the Iranian government.

Political Beliefs

Alejo Vidal-Quadras describes his political views as liberal-conservative. This means he believes in both traditional values and individual freedoms. He has stated that he is against gay marriage.

Personal Life

Currently, Alejo Vidal-Quadras lives on his pensions. These come from his past work as a university professor and as a member of the European Parliament.

Besides his time in the European Parliament, he held several elected positions in Spain. He was a member of the Barcelona City Council from 1987 to 1991. He also served as a member of the Parliament of Catalonia from 1988 to 1996. Later, he was a Senator in the Spanish Senate from 1996 to 1999.

Books About Politics

• "Cuestión de fondo" (Editorial Montesinos, 1993)
• "Amarás a tu tribu" (Editorial Planeta, 1998)
• "Ahora, cambio de rumbo" (Editorial Planeta, 2012)

See also

In Spanish: Alejo Vidal-Quadras para niños