Irene Montero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Irene Montero
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Montero in 2024
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| Member of the European Parliament for Spain |
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| Assumed office 16 July 2024 |
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| Minister of Equality | |
| In office 13 January 2020 – 21 November 2023 |
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| Prime Minister | Pedro Sánchez |
| Preceded by | Carmen Calvo (Presidency, Relations with the Cortes and Equality) |
| Succeeded by | Ana Redondo García |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 13 January 2016 – 17 August 2023 |
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| Constituency | Madrid |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Irene María Montero Gil
13 February 1988 Madrid, Spain |
| Political party | Podemos (2014–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Communist Youth Union of Spain (2004–?) |
| Domestic partner | Pablo Iglesias Turrión (2016–present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Autonomous University of Madrid |
| Signature |  |
Irene María Montero Gil (born 13 February 1988) is a Spanish politician and psychologist. She is a member of the Podemos political party. From January 2020 to November 2023, she served as the Minister of Equality for Spain. She is the partner of Pablo Iglesias, who helped start and used to lead her party.
From January 2016 to August 2023, Montero was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Madrid in the Congress of Deputies, which is like Spain's main law-making body. From February 2017 to January 2020, she was the main spokesperson for a group of parties called Unidos Podemos-En Comú Podem-Galicia en Común in the Congress.
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Early Life and Education
Irene Montero was born in the Moratalaz area of Madrid. When she was 16, she joined the Communist Youth Union of Spain (UJCE), a youth political group.
She studied psychology at the Autonomous University of Madrid. She earned a bachelor's degree and later a master's degree in Educational Psychology. She even received a scholarship to attend Harvard University. However, she decided to focus on her political career in Spain instead of moving to the United States.
Political Journey
Starting in Politics
Irene Montero joined the Podemos party after the European Parliament elections in 2014. She joined with Rafa Mayoral, who was part of a group that helped people affected by mortgage problems.
In November 2014, Montero became a leader in the Social Movements section of Podemos. She also started working closely with the leader of Podemos, Pablo Iglesias. At this time, she decided to put her plans for a doctoral degree on hold to fully commit to her work with Podemos.
Serving in Parliament (2016–2023)
Montero ran for a seat in the Congress of Deputies for Madrid in the elections held on 20 December 2015. She was elected as a deputy, which is like a representative, for two terms.
From February 2017, she became the spokesperson for a group of parties in the Congress. She was the youngest person to hold such a position in Spain's modern democracy.
During the 2015 election campaign, Pablo Iglesias said that if Podemos formed a government, Irene Montero would be a vice president and a minister.
She was also elected to a leadership position within Podemos, becoming one of the most voted women in the party's internal elections. She worked as the secretary for action in the Congress.
In June 2017, Montero made history by being the first woman in Spain to speak in parliament during a special debate that challenged the government.
Minister of Equality (2020–2023)
In January 2020, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, chose Irene Montero to be the Minister of Equality. In this role, she worked on important laws and policies related to equality.
One of her key projects was a law that would allow people over the age of 14 to legally change their gender without needing a medical diagnosis.
In May 2022, Montero announced a new helpline called the 028 Rainbow Service. This service was created to help people who experience hate crimes or discrimination because of their identity.
..... This law aimed to make it clearer that consent must be actively given.
In October 2023, during a conflict in the Middle East, Montero stated that actions that might violate international law should have consequences. In May 2024, she also said that the European Union was "complicit" in the situation in Gaza.
Member of the European Parliament (2024–Present)
Irene Montero ran in the European elections in June 2024 as the main candidate for Podemos. After being elected, she became a Vice-president for a political group called The Left in the European Parliament. In July 2024, her group put her forward as a candidate to become the President of the European Parliament.
Personal Life
Irene Montero has three children with Pablo Iglesias Turrión, the former leader of her party. On 3 July 2018, she gave birth to twin boys, Leo and Manuel. They were born early and needed special care in a public hospital in Madrid. On 4 August 2019, she gave birth to their third child, a daughter named Aitana.
Legal Case
On 6 June 2023, a court ruled that Irene Montero had made false accusations against someone's ex-husband. The court ordered her to pay money to the person and to remove a social media post where she had made the statements. She was also told to post the court's decision on her social media.
She was given three months to follow the court's order. When she did not do so within that time, she was given an additional fine. In September, Montero tried to appeal the decision to a higher court, saying it would harm her reputation and affect her freedom of speech. However, the higher court rejected her appeal. In November 2023, Montero followed the court's ruling.
