Elena Salgado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elena Salgado
First Deputy Prime Minister of Spain
In office 11 July 2011 – 21 December 2011
Prime Minister	José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Preceded by	Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba
Succeeded by	Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría
Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain
In office 7 April 2009 – 11 July 2011
Prime Minister	José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Preceded by	Pedro Solbes
Succeeded by	Manuel Chaves
Minister of Economy and Finance of Spain
In office 7 April 2009 – 21 December 2011
Prime Minister	José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Preceded by	Pedro Solbes
Succeeded by	Luis de Guindos (Economy) Cristóbal Montoro (Finance)
Minister of Public Administrations of Spain
In office 9 July 2007 – 7 April 2009
Prime Minister	José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Preceded by	Jordi Sevilla
Succeeded by	Manuel Chaves
Minister of Health and Consumer Affairs of Spain
In office 18 April 2004 – 9 July 2007
Prime Minister	José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Preceded by	Ana Pastor
Succeeded by	Bernat Soria
Personal details
Born	Elena Salgado Méndez (1949-05-12) 12 May 1949 (age 76) Ourense, Spain
Political party	Socialist Workers' Party
Alma mater	Technical University of Madrid, Complutense University of Madrid
Profession	Industrial Engineer, Economist

Elena Salgado Méndez was born on May 12, 1949, in Ourense, Spain. She is a Spanish politician who was a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). Throughout her career, she held several important jobs in the Spanish government, including being a Deputy Prime Minister of Spain.

Education and Early Career

What Did Elena Salgado Study?

Elena Salgado studied to become an industrial engineer. This means she learned how to design and improve systems and processes. She also earned a master's degree in business administration. This degree teaches about managing businesses.

Where Did Her Career Begin?

Early in her career, Salgado worked in important roles. She held positions in government departments related to finance and industry. She also briefly managed the Teatro Real, a famous theater in Madrid, from 1996 to 1997.

Key Roles in Government

Elena Salgado held several important roles in the Spanish government. She was known for her work on different public policies.

Minister for Health and Consumer Affairs (2004-2007)

From 2004 to 2007, Elena Salgado was the Minister for Health and Consumer Affairs. In this role, she worked on several important projects.

• She encouraged a fast-food company to change its advertising.
• Most famously, she helped create a law that stopped people from smoking in many public places. This law made public spaces healthier for everyone.

In 2006, Salgado was a candidate for a very important job. She wanted to be the head of the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO is a global group that works on health issues. She was one of five finalists for the position.

Minister for Public Administrations (2007-2009)

From 2007 to 2009, Salgado served as the Minister for Public Administrations. In this job, she helped manage a large government plan. This plan provided a lot of money, about €8 billion, for projects in cities. These projects helped improve things like roads and buildings.

Minister of Economy and Finance and Deputy Prime Minister (2009-2011)

From 2009 to 2011, Elena Salgado took on two very important jobs at the same time. She became the Minister of Economy and Finance, and also a Deputy Prime Minister (also called Vice President) of Spain.

• First Woman Finance Minister: She was the first woman in Spain's history to hold the position of Minister of Finance. This meant she was in charge of managing the country's money and budget.
• European Union Role: When Spain was in charge of the presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2010, Salgado led important meetings with other European finance ministers. They worked together to help countries facing financial problems during a time called the European debt crisis.
• Global Food Security: She also helped start a program called the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). This program aimed to provide money to help farmers in poorer countries grow more food.

In July 2011, she became the First Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs. In this role, she worked to make sure that different regions of Spain managed their money carefully. She also brought back a temporary tax on very wealthy people to help the country's budget.

Life After Politics

After leaving government in 2011, Elena Salgado continued to be involved in different organizations. Since 2016, she has been the president of a group called the Asociación Española de Empresas de Consultoría (AEC), which represents consulting companies in Spain. She has also served on the boards of directors for several companies.

Personal Life

Elena Salgado has one daughter.

See also

In Spanish: Elena Salgado para niños