Carmen Calvo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most Excellent
Carmen Calvo
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Official portrait, 2020
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| 74th President of the Council of State | |
| Assumed office 28 February 2024 |
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| Monarch | Felipe VI |
| Preceded by | Magdalena Valerio |
| First Deputy Prime Minister of Spain | |
| In office 7 June 2018 – 12 July 2021 |
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| Monarch | Felipe VI |
| Prime Minister | Pedro Sánchez |
| Preceded by | Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría |
| Succeeded by | Nadia Calviño |
| Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Cortes and Democratic Memory | |
| In office 13 January 2020 – 12 July 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Pedro Sánchez |
| Preceded by | Herself (Presidency, Relations with the Cortes and Equality) |
| Succeeded by | Félix Bolaños |
| Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Cortes and Equality | |
| In office 7 June 2018 – 13 January 2020 |
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| Prime Minister | Pedro Sánchez |
| Preceded by | Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría Dolors Montserrat |
| Succeeded by | Herself (Presidency, Relations with the Cortes and Democratic Memory) Irene Montero (Equality) |
| Minister of Culture | |
| In office 18 April 2004 – 9 July 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero |
| Preceded by | Pilar del Castillo |
| Succeeded by | César Antonio Molina |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 21 May 2019 – 13 February 2024 |
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| Constituency | Granada (2023–2024) Madrid (2019–2023) |
| In office 1 April 2004 – 27 September 2011 |
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| Constituency | Córdoba |
| Member of the Parliament of Andalusia | |
| In office 12 March 2000 – 14 March 2004 |
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| Constituency | Córdoba |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
María del Carmen Calvo Poyato
9 June 1957 Cabra, Córdoba, Spain |
| Political party | Spanish Socialist Workers Party |
| Spouse | Manuel Pérez Yruela (divorced) |
| Children | 2 |
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María del Carmen Calvo Poyato (born 9 June 1957) is a Spanish politician and author. She has held several important roles in the Spanish government. From 2018 to 2021, she was the Deputy Prime Minister of Spain and also the Minister of the Presidency.
Carmen Calvo was born and grew up in Cabra, Spain. She studied law at the University of Seville and earned a special degree in constitutional law from the University of Córdoba. Before joining the national government, she was the Regional Minister of Culture for Andalusia from 1996 to 2004. She also served as the national Minister of Culture from 2004 to 2007. Carmen Calvo is known for her work on feminism and gender equality, and she has written several books on these topics.
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Early Life and Education
Carmen Calvo went to a Catholic school for her early studies. She then attended Aguilar and Eslava High School in the province of Córdoba. She chose to study law at the University of Seville. Later, she earned her doctorate in constitutional law from the University of Córdoba.
Before becoming a full-time politician, Calvo was a professor of constitutional law at the University of Córdoba. She also held important positions at the university. From 1990 to 1994, she was the Secretary General and vice-dean of the Faculty of Law. She also worked as the secretary of the Andalusian Interuniversity Institute of Criminology from 1992 to 1996.
Political Career
Carmen Calvo started her political journey in the 1990s. Her first role was as a Counselor for the Economic and Social Council of Córdoba, where she worked from 1994 to 1996. She officially joined the Socialist Workers' Party in 1999.
Regional Minister of Culture of Andalusia
In April 1996, Carmen Calvo was chosen to be the Minister of Culture for the Regional Government of Andalusia. This was under the leadership of Manuel Chaves. After joining the Socialist Workers' Party, she was elected as a MP for Córdoba in the Parliament of Andalusia in 2000. She held this regional culture minister position until 2004.
During her eight years as Regional Minister of Culture, Carmen Calvo achieved many things. She opened the Museo Picasso Málaga, a modern art museum, in 2003. She also helped create the Andalusian Pact for the Book, which aimed to support reading. She invested a lot of money to improve churches, libraries, and theaters, like the Maestranza Theatre in Seville. She also developed a plan to improve museums in Andalusia, which included making the Archeological Museum of Córdoba bigger.
In 2004, Carmen Calvo even appeared in a short role in the movie María querida, directed by José Luis García Sánchez.
Minister of Culture
In January 2004, Carmen Calvo moved into national politics. The leader of the Socialist Workers' Party, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, asked her to join a special group that advised him on his campaign to become Prime Minister. In March 2004, she was elected to the Congress of Deputies for Córdoba. Soon after, in April, the new Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, appointed her as the national Minister of Culture.
As Minister of Culture, Calvo worked to protect intellectual property. In 2005, her department spent money on a campaign to teach people why it's important to respect copyright. She also made a decision to move historical documents from the General Archive of the Spanish Civil War to Autonomous community of Catalonia, which caused some discussion.
In 2007, she proposed a law to help Spanish movies. This law would require movie theaters to show a certain percentage of European films. Some people in the film industry disagreed with this idea, and there was a strike. Carmen Calvo was replaced as Minister of Culture in July 2007.
First Vice President of the Congress
After leaving the Ministry of Culture, Carmen Calvo was chosen as the First Vice President of the Congress of Deputies. This meant she was one of the main leaders in the Spanish Parliament. She held this position until the end of that parliamentary session.
In the 2008 general election, Calvo was re-elected as an MP for Córdoba. She became the Chair of the Congress Committee on Equality, focusing on issues of fairness and equal rights. She also worked on committees related to defense and disability policies. She led a special group that looked into gender violence.
Later, she decided not to run for re-election in 2011 because she disagreed with a political decision. She went back to her job as a professor of constitutional law at the University of Córdoba. However, she soon gained the trust of the new leader of the Socialist Party, Pedro Sánchez. In 2017, he appointed her as the Secretary for Equality for the Socialist Workers' Party.
Deputy Prime Minister
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On 5 June 2018, it was announced that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez would appoint Carmen Calvo as Deputy Prime Minister. She also became the Minister of the Presidency, Relations with the Cortes and Equality. This was the first time that the Ministry of the Presidency also included the important topic of equality. She officially took her oath before the King on 7 June 2018.
During her time as Deputy Prime Minister, Carmen Calvo focused a lot on stopping gender-based violence. She worked to make sure everyone had equal rights and opportunities.
In November 2018, she suggested changing the Spanish Constitution. The goal was to remove words that might be seen as offensive to people with disabilities. She also wanted to add a rule to the Constitution that specifically protects disabled women. In October 2019, she strongly supported moving the remains of Francisco Franco from a public monument called Valle de los Caídos.
On 13 January 2020, she was sworn in again as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidency in the Sánchez Second Cabinet. In this new role, the equality part of her ministry was given to another minister, Irene Montero.
In June 2021, Carmen Calvo said in an interview that the government was close to granting pardons to some politicians involved in the Catalonian independence movement. She encouraged other political parties to work towards peace and normalize relationships in Spain.
Later Career
In 2022, a report suggested that President Sánchez offered Carmen Calvo the position of President of the Council of State after she left her role as Vice President of the Government.
Personal Life
Carmen Calvo has a brother named José Calvo Poyato, who is also a politician and writer. He was a Member of Parliament for Andalusia and a former Mayor of Cabra.
When she was 19, Carmen Calvo married her childhood sweetheart. They had a daughter when she was 22. Carmen and her daughter both enjoy rock music. Later, she married sociologist Manuel Pérez Yruela, who was a spokesperson for the Regional Government of Andalusia. They later divorced. Carmen Calvo has two granddaughters.
On 25 March 2020, Carmen Calvo tested positive for COVID-19 and was hospitalized. She recovered from the illness in May 2020.
She is also a fan of bullfighting.
Awards and Honours
- 1998: Fiambrera de Plata, a prize given each year by the Athenaeum of Córdoba.
- 2007: Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III. This high honor was given to her for serving as a minister.
- 2008: Favorite Daughter of Cabra, an honorary title given by her hometown. She was the first woman to receive this award.
- 2017: 2017 Progressive Women Award, given for her important work as a feminist and her dedication to fighting for equality. This award came from the Spanish Federation of Progressive Women.
- 2018: Ramón Rubial Award, given for her defense of socialist values.
- 2022: 'Luisa de Medrano' International Gender Equality Award.
See also
In Spanish: Carmen Calvo para niños
