Javier Ortega Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Javier Ortega Smith
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Ortega Smith in 2018
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| Secretary-General of Vox | |
| In office 5 March 2016 – 6 October 2022 |
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| President | Santiago Abascal |
| Preceded by | Iván Espinosa de los Monteros |
| Succeeded by | Ignacio Garriga |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| Assumed office 21 May 2019 |
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| Constituency | Madrid |
| Member of the City Council of Madrid | |
| Assumed office 15 June 2019 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Francisco Javier Ortega Smith-Molina
28 August 1968 Madrid, Spain |
| Citizenship |
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| Political party | Vox (2014–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
FE de las JONS (1985–1991) |
| Spouse |
Paulina Sánchez del Río Nájera
(m. 2021) |
| Alma mater | University of Alcalá Comillas Pontifical University |
Francisco Javier Ortega Smith-Molina (born on August 28, 1968) is a Spanish lawyer and politician. He was the Secretary-General of the Vox political party from 2014 to 2022. This made him the second most important person in the party after its president, Santiago Abascal. Since 2019, he has been a member of both the Congress of Deputies (Spain's main parliament) and the Madrid City Council.
Contents
About Javier Ortega Smith
Early Life and Education
Javier Ortega Smith was born in Madrid, Spain, on August 28, 1968. His father, Víctor Manuel Ortega Fernández-Arias, was a Spanish lawyer. His mother, Ana María Smith-Molina Robbiati, was from Argentina and had English and Italian family roots. Her family was involved in construction. Javier Ortega Smith has citizenship in both Spain and Argentina.
He comes from a family of lawyers, as both his father and grandfather were lawyers. He has three brothers who work in business. He went to the San Agustín School in Madrid. Later, he studied Law and earned his degree from the University of Alcalá.
Military Training and Early Career
Ortega Smith completed nine months of mandatory military service. He was part of a special operations group. He also enjoyed practicing martial arts until a knee injury stopped him.
In 1994, he ran as a candidate in the European Parliament election for a political group. He then began his career as a lawyer in Madrid. In 2012, he worked as a lawyer for Santiago Abascal. This is how he became close with Abascal and other important figures in the Vox party, like Iván Espinosa de los Monteros and Rocío Monasterio. He also worked for an organization that focused on defending Spanish identity.
Joining and Leading Vox
Javier Ortega Smith was one of the people who helped start the Vox party. In 2013, he was named a temporary Vice-President when the party was being officially registered.
He led the Vox party's list of candidates for the 2015 local election in Madrid. He also tried to become a senator for Madrid in the 2015 and 2016 national elections, but he did not win enough votes.
In June 2016, he took part in an event in Gibraltar with other Vox members. They displayed a Spanish flag in the British territory. To avoid being arrested, he swam away from the area.
Ortega Smith was in charge of Vox's legal plans. He played a key role in the legal cases against leaders in Catalonia who were accused of trying to separate from Spain. These cases included a public trial that was shown on television.
After the 2018 election in Andalusia, he signed an agreement with the People's Party. This agreement helped Vox gain a seat in the Parliament of Andalusia. This quickly stopped other political groups from trying to keep Vox out of power.
In the national election on April 28, 2019, Ortega Smith was the second candidate on the Vox list for Madrid. He was elected as a member of the Congress of Deputies. He also led the Vox list in the Madrid local election on May 26, 2019, and became a city councilor.
In October 2022, he was replaced as Secretary-General by Ignacio Garriga. This change happened as the party worked through some internal issues.
Health and Public Events
In March 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, Vox announced that Ortega Smith had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. He had traveled to Italy in February and showed symptoms two days before. He attended a large party meeting with 9,000 supporters, where he hugged, shook hands, and greeted many people. He also reportedly greeted 1,100 guests one by one at a dinner event.
Political Views
Javier Ortega Smith is a strong supporter of a powerful military. He believes that the history of Spain is very important and connected to its military and religious past. He often talks about historical events, like a Spanish victory in 1571, to inspire a sense of national pride.
He has also spoken about the European Union, expressing strong opinions against it. He has made comments about people who enter the country without permission, suggesting they might carry diseases.
Ortega Smith has defended José Antonio Primo de Rivera, calling him one of the "great men in history." In October 2019, he caused a discussion by accusing "Las Trece Rosas" (Thirteen Roses), a group of young women who were executed in 1939, of being "torturers" and "murderers." However, even the government at the time did not accuse them of such crimes; they were sentenced for supporting the Spanish Republic during the Civil War.
In 2012, he organized protests outside the Argentine embassy against the then-President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. He accused her of supporting certain countries and called for Argentina to be removed from the G20 group of major economies. He also supports positions that favor Israel.
Images for kids
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Ortega Smith during a Vox rally in 2018
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See also
In Spanish: Javier Ortega Smith para niños
