Fátima Báñez facts for kids
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María Fátima Báñez García
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| Minister of Employment and Social Security | |
| In office 22 December 2011 – 1 June 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Mariano Rajoy |
| Preceded by | Valeriano Gómez |
| Succeeded by | Magdalena Valerio |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 12 March 2000 – 21 May 2019 |
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| Constituency | Huelva |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 January 1967 San Juan del Puerto, Huelva, Spain |
| Alma mater | Comillas Pontifical University Harvard Business School |
María Fátima Báñez García (born 6 January 1967), known as Fátima Báñez, is a Spanish politician. She is also an economist and a jurist (a legal expert). From December 2011 to June 2018, she served as the Minister of Employment and Social Security. She left this role when a vote of no confidence removed the government led by Mariano Rajoy.
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Education and Early Career
Fátima Báñez studied Law, Economics, and Business at the Comillas Pontifical University in Spain. Before becoming a national politician, she worked as a councillor for the Andalusia Radio and Television from 1997 to 2000. This role involved helping to guide the public broadcasting service in the region of Andalusia.
Political Journey in Spain
Fátima Báñez was a member of the Spanish Parliament, which is like the country's main law-making body. She represented the Huelva Province for several terms, starting in 2000 and serving until 2019. During her time in Parliament, she held important roles, including:
- Being a member of the board for the Economy and Finance Commission.
- Acting as a spokeswoman for the Committee on Budgets.
- Serving on the Industry, Tourism, and Trade Commission.
- Being part of the Spanish group that worked with the Japanese Parliament.
- Helping to coordinate the People's Party in Andalusia.
Minister of Employment and Social Security
On 22 December 2011, Mariano Rajoy, who was the Prime Minister, chose Fátima Báñez to be the Minister of Employment and Social Security. She took over from Valeriano Gómez.
At that time, unemployment was a very big problem in Spain. Many people did not have jobs.
- Over 5 million people were unemployed.
- About 1.5 million families had no working members.
- The unemployment rate was 22.85%, which was twice the average in the European Union.
- Nearly half of young people could not find jobs.
- Many jobs had been lost in the years before.
Labour Reform Efforts
In February 2012, Minister Báñez introduced a major change to Spain's labour laws. This was the first big reform by the new government. This change aimed to make it easier for companies to hire and fire workers, hoping it would create more jobs.
The European Commission, the Bank of Spain, and the OCDE supported these changes. However, trade unions (groups that represent workers) did not agree with the reforms. They were especially concerned because the changes made it less expensive for companies to dismiss workers. For example, the money paid to workers who were unfairly dismissed was reduced.
Despite discussions, Báñez stated that the main parts of the reform would stay the same. This led to a large general strike on 29 March 2012, where many workers protested the new laws.
Impact on Unemployment
Thirteen months after she became minister, in January 2013, the number of unemployed people in Spain had risen to almost 6 million. The unemployment rate reached 26.02%. By April 2013, it was even higher, at 27.16%.
However, over time, her reforms were seen as helping to reduce unemployment. By late 2016, the unemployment rate had fallen to 18.9%. While this was still high compared to other European countries, it showed an improvement from the peak.
See also
In Spanish: Fátima Báñez para niños
