José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero facts for kids
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José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
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Rodríguez Zapatero in 2011
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| Prime Minister of Spain | |
| In office 17 April 2004 – 21 December 2011 |
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| Monarch | Juan Carlos I |
| Deputy | First deputy María Teresa Fernández de la Vega Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba Elena Salgado Second deputy Pedro Solbes Elena Salgado Manuel Chaves |
| Preceded by | José María Aznar |
| Succeeded by | Mariano Rajoy |
| Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party | |
| In office 22 July 2000 – 4 February 2012 |
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| President | Manuel Chaves |
| Deputy | José Blanco |
| Preceded by | Joaquín Almunia |
| Succeeded by | Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 22 July 2000 – 16 April 2004 |
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| Monarch | Juan Carlos I |
| Prime Minister | José María Aznar |
| Preceded by | Luis Martínez Noval |
| Succeeded by | Mariano Rajoy |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 24 March 2004 – 27 September 2011 |
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| Constituency | Madrid |
| In office 9 July 1986 – 2 August 2004 |
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| Constituency | León |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 August 1960 Valladolid, Castile and León, Spain |
| Political party | PSOE (since 1979) |
| Spouses |
Sonsoles Espinosa
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of León |
| Signature |  |
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (born 4 August 1960) is a Spanish politician. He was the Prime Minister of Spain for two terms. He was elected in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. He is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). On 2 April 2011, he announced he would not run for re-election. He left office on 21 December 2011.
Contents
About José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
Early Life and Family
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was born in Valladolid, Spain. He grew up in León, where his family was from. His father, Juan Rodríguez y García-Lozano, was a lawyer. His mother was María de la Purificación Zapatero Valero.
His grandfather, Juan Rodríguez y Lozano, was a captain during the Second Spanish Republic. He was executed during the Spanish Civil War because he refused to fight with Francisco Franco's army. Zapatero has often said his family taught him to be tolerant and thoughtful.
He studied law at the University of León and graduated in 1982. After university, he worked as a teaching assistant. He met Sonsoles Espinosa in 1981, and they married in 1990. They have two daughters, Laura and Alba.
Joining Politics
Zapatero first attended a political rally in 1976. It was organized by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). The speech by Felipe González, who later became Prime Minister, greatly influenced him.
He joined the PSOE on 23 February 1979. He kept this a secret from his parents at first. In 1982, he became the head of the socialist youth group in León.
Member of Parliament
In 1986, Zapatero was elected to represent León in the Cortes Generales (Parliament). He was the youngest member at that time. He continued to be elected in later elections.
He became Secretary General of the PSOE in León in 1988. This brought stability after a period of disagreements within the party.
From 1996 to 2000, he was a strong voice in Parliament. He opposed certain government plans. One of his biggest achievements was helping to pass a law in 1999. This law increased pensions for non-professional soldiers who fought for the Republic during the Civil War.
Becoming PSOE Leader
In March 2000, the PSOE lost the general election for the second time to José María Aznar's People's Party. The PSOE leader resigned.
Zapatero decided to run for the leadership of the Socialist Party. He created a new group within the party called Nueva Vía (New Way). This group aimed to modernize the party.
He ran against three other candidates. Zapatero was seen as a "dark horse" because he was less experienced. However, he won the election on 22 July 2000, by a small number of votes. After becoming the party leader, he moved to Madrid with his family.
Leader of the Opposition
Zapatero was the leader of the opposition from 2000 until he became Prime Minister in 2004. He wanted to base his political work on dialogue. He called his approach the Calm Opposition. This meant being "open to dialogue" and "constructive."
During his time as opposition leader, Zapatero often criticized the government. He spoke out about rising fuel prices and asked for lower taxes. He also criticized the government's handling of the "Mad Cow disease" outbreak.
A major point of disagreement was the government's plan to move water from the River Ebro to other areas. Zapatero and environmental groups opposed this plan. He later canceled it when he became Prime Minister.
Zapatero also strongly opposed the government's education reforms. He believed they were not good for the university and secondary education systems.
In 2002, Zapatero was chosen as the Socialist candidate for the next general election. He led the opposition against a government reform of unemployment benefits. This led to a general strike on 20 June 2002.
A major issue that divided Zapatero and the government was the Iraq War. Most Spanish people (around 90%) were against the war. Zapatero believed any action against Saddam Hussein's regime was illegal.
In May 2003, local and regional elections were held. The Socialist Party received more votes overall. However, a scandal in Madrid affected the party's chances in the 2004 general election.
Towards the end of 2003, polls predicted that Zapatero would lose the 2004 general election.
The 2004 General Election
The campaign for the 2004 General Election began in late February. Polls suggested the People's Party would win again.
On 11 March 2004, a terrible event happened in Madrid. Several commuter trains were bombed, causing 191 deaths. This was three days before the election. All election activities were stopped.
The government first said the attacks were by ETA, a Basque separatist group. Later, evidence pointed to Islamist terrorists. Zapatero and others accused the government of trying to hide information about who was responsible.
On the day before the election, many protests took place against the government. The Socialist Party denied they had organized these protests.
The elections were held on 14 March 2004. Zapatero's Socialist Party won with 164 seats, while the People's Party got 148. Many believe the attacks and the government's response influenced the election results. Zapatero became Prime Minister on 17 April 2004.
As Prime Minister
| Styles of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero |
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| Reference style | Excelentísimo Señor (Don) |
| Spoken style | Señor Presidente |
| Alternative style | Señor Zapatero, Don José Luis |
Zapatero's style as Prime Minister was known for being "pleasant" or having a "good disposition." This was different from the more direct style of the previous Prime Minister.
Key Policies and Decisions
Withdrawal from Iraq
One of Zapatero's first actions was to withdraw all Spanish soldiers from Iraq. He called the invasion "an error based on lies." Within a month, Spain's 1,300 troops left Iraq. This decision was supported by most Spanish people.
Social Policies
Zapatero focused a lot on social issues. These included laws against violence towards women and laws about divorce. He also legalized same-sex marriage in Spain on 1 July 2005. This law also allowed same-sex couples to adopt children. This decision caused some debate with the Catholic Church.
His government also introduced the Dependency Law. This law helps people who need daily care due to disability. It provides support and resources for them. Scholarships were made available to more students. Young adults received help with rent. Mothers received money for having a child.
Economic Challenges
During his time, Spain faced an economic recession and rising unemployment. Zapatero promised to cut government spending and raise taxes, but not income taxes. By January 2011, Spain's unemployment rate had risen to over 20%.
Historical Memory Law
In October 2004, Zapatero's government started a project to honor those who suffered during and after the Spanish Civil War. In 2005, his government ordered the removal of the last statue of former dictator Francisco Franco in Madrid. The Historical Memory Law of 2007 aimed to recognize victims on both sides of the Civil War.
Education System Reform
Zapatero's government introduced its own education reform bill in November 2005. This bill changed the education system. It faced opposition from various groups, including the People's Party and the Catholic Church.
ETA Ceasefire
ETA, a Basque separatist group, declared a "permanent ceasefire" on 23 March 2006. Zapatero announced that his government would negotiate with ETA to end their violence. However, the ceasefire was broken on 30 December 2006, when a car bomb exploded at Madrid's airport. Zapatero then stopped negotiations with ETA.
Foreign Policy
Zapatero changed Spain's foreign policy. He focused more on Europe and less on the United States. He also tried to improve relations with left-wing leaders in Latin America, like Fidel Castro of Cuba and Hugo Chávez of Venezuela.
At a summit in 2007, Hugo Chávez criticized Zapatero's predecessor. King Juan Carlos of Spain, sitting next to Zapatero, famously asked Chávez, "¿Por qué no te callas?" (Why don't you shut up?). Zapatero continued to work for respectful dialogue between leaders.
Relations with the United States were sometimes difficult under President George W. Bush because of Zapatero's opposition to the Iraq War. However, Zapatero always said that Spain's relations with the US were good.
In 2010, Spain held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. During this time, important steps were made in areas like human rights and equality.
Gibraltar
Zapatero changed Spain's policy towards Gibraltar. He became the first Spanish Prime Minister to accept Gibraltar as an equal partner in discussions with Spain and the United Kingdom. He saw this as a new way to solve a long-standing issue.
The 2008 General Election
On 9 March 2008, Zapatero's Socialist Party won the general election again with 44% of the votes. Two days before, a Basque politician from the PSOE was assassinated. This led to the cancellation of the final days of the campaign.
After Being Prime Minister
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero left office on 20 December 2011. He also stepped down as the PSOE's Secretary General in February 2012. He then became a member of the Spanish Council of State.
Later, he became the President of the Advisory Board for the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. This organization works to improve relations between different cultures.
In 2016, Zapatero took on a role as a mediator in Venezuela, supported by UNASUR. He worked to help resolve political conflicts there.
Political Beliefs
Zapatero's political ideas were based on "civic republicanism." He called his project socialismo cívico (civic socialism). This included expanding minority rights, strengthening the welfare state, and promoting international cooperation.
Awards and Honors
- Honorary Doctor from the Université de Toulouse I Capitole (2015)
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru (2004)
- Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (2006)
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator San Martín (2009)
- Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (2011)
See also
In Spanish: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero para niños
- Governments of Rodríguez Zapatero
Images for kids
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José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's signature
