Emma González Bermello facts for kids

Emma Rosa González Bermello (born September 21, 1931 – died January 14, 2014) was an important Spanish politician. She made history by becoming the first woman to be a mayor in Vigo or anywhere in Galicia. She served as mayor for a short time in 1976 and then again from 1978 to 1979. She was also one of the first three women to join the Parliament of Galicia, where she worked from 1981 to 1989. During her time in parliament, she represented three different political parties.

A Life in Politics

Emma González was born in Ourense, Spain. When she was three years old, her family moved to Vigo, another city in Galicia. She and her husband, Jesús, owned an electronics store called Baladrón. Her family became well-known in local politics during the final years of Francoist Spain, which was a time when Spain was ruled by a dictator named Francisco Franco. People sometimes called them the "Baladrón clan" because they were so involved in politics, like the Kennedy family in the United States.

Becoming the First Woman Mayor

After Francisco Franco died in November 1975, all mayors who had been chosen by his government had to step down in January 1976. New mayors were then chosen by local councils. In Vigo, the mayor at the time, Joaquín García Picher, resigned. Emma González took over as a temporary mayor for two weeks in January 1976 before he was put back in office. This made her the very first female mayor in Vigo and in the entire region of Galicia.

Later, in 1978, Mayor García Picher resigned again because of money problems in the city. Emma González returned to the mayor's office. However, in April 1979, Spain held its first democratic elections for local leaders. Emma González ran for mayor but was defeated by Manoel Soto from the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).

Serving in Parliament

Emma González continued her political career. She joined the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) party. In 1981, she was elected to the new Parliament of Galicia in its very first election. She was one of only three women in the 71-seat parliament.

In 1985, she was re-elected, this time representing the People's Alliance (AP) party. But in 1987, she left that party to join the Galician Coalition (CG). She did this to support the vice president, Xosé Luís Barreiro. Together, they voted to remove the AP government led by Gerardo Fernández Albor. This vote helped Fernando González Laxe from the PSOE party become the new leader.

After this, Emma González decided to leave politics for good, even though people asked her to come back. She had three children. She passed away at the age of 82, after living with Alzheimer's disease. She had been a widow for six years before her death.

See also

In Spanish: Emma González Bermello para niños