José Manuel García-Margallo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids José Manuel García-Margallo
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
In office 22 December 2011 – 4 November 2016
Prime Minister	Mariano Rajoy
Preceded by	Trinidad Jiménez
Succeeded by	Alfonso Dastis
Member of the Congress of Deputies
In office 13 January 2016 – 21 May 2019
Constituency	Alicante
In office 22 June 1986 – 19 July 1994
Constituency	Valencia
In office 15 June 1977 – 28 October 1982
Constituency	Melilla
Member of the European Parliament for Spain
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 July 2019
In office 19 July 1994 – 22 December 2011
Personal details
Born	José Manuel García-Margallo y Marfil (1944-08-13) 13 August 1944 (age 80) Madrid, Spain
Political party	People's Party (1989–present) People's Democratic Party (1983–1989) Union of the Democratic Centre (1978–1983) People's Party (1976–1978)
Alma mater	University of Deusto Harvard University

José Manuel García-Margallo y Marfil (born 13 August 1944) is a Spanish politician. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation for Spain from 2011 to 2016. Since 2019, he has been a member of the European Parliament, which is like a parliament for the whole of Europe.

Early Life and Education

José Manuel García-Margallo was born in Madrid, the capital city of Spain. When he was 16, in 1960, he joined a youth group called the Young Spanish Monarchists.

He studied at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, where he earned degrees in Law and Economics in 1965. Later, in 1972, he continued his studies at Harvard University in the United States, getting a master's degree in law.

His great-grandfather was a general named Juan García y Margallo. He was killed in 1893 during a conflict known as the Margallo War.

Political Career Highlights

In 1976, José Manuel García-Margallo helped start a political group called the People's Party (Partido Popular). This was different from the People's Party that exists today.

In 1977, his party joined with others to form the Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD). This group won the first democratic elections in modern Spain that year. They formed the government from 1977 to 1982.

García-Margallo was elected to the Congress of Deputies (Spain's main law-making body) in 1977, representing Melilla. He was re-elected in 1979. However, he lost his seat in the 1982 election.

After the UCD party ended in 1983, García-Margallo joined a new group called the Democratic Popular Party. He returned to the Congress in 1986, representing Valencia. He held this seat until 1994.

Serving in the European Parliament (1994–2011)

In 1994, José Manuel García-Margallo was elected to the European Parliament. This is a group of elected officials from different countries in Europe who work together on laws and policies for the whole European Union. He served there for many years, until 2011.

During his time in the European Parliament, he worked on important committees. One of his main roles was on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. From 2002 to 2011, he was the vice-chairman of this committee. He helped lead the Parliament's work on the European Banking Authority (EBA), which helps keep banks stable in Europe.

He also suggested creating a special fund to help large banks during financial problems. This fund would be paid for mainly by the banks themselves.

García-Margallo also served on committees that looked at financial crises and future plans for the European Union. He was also part of a group that worked on relationships with countries in Central America. In 2010, he led a team that observed the presidential election in Togo, a country in Africa.

Spain's Foreign Minister (2011–2016)

On 22 December 2011, José Manuel García-Margallo became the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation for Spain. This means he was in charge of Spain's relationships with other countries. He served in this role under Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

• Syria (2012): In 2012, Spain stopped its activities at its embassy in Damascus, Syria, because of serious human rights issues in that country.
• Palestine (2012): In November 2012, Spain announced it would support the Palestinian National Authority in gaining a higher status at the United Nations.
• Cuba (2014): In 2014, during talks to improve relations with Cuba, García-Margallo asked Cuba to allow free travel for certain people who had been arrested. This request caused some tension with the Cuban government.
• Iran (2015-2016): After a deal was made about Iran's nuclear program in 2015, García-Margallo led a group of Spanish government and business leaders to Iran. They explored new business opportunities. In 2016, he discussed building an Iranian-owned oil refinery near the Gibraltar strait with the Iranian government.
• Palomares (2015): In 2015, García-Margallo and the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, agreed to clean up soil in southern Spain. This area, near the village of Palomares, had been contaminated in 1966 when an American warplane accidentally dropped hydrogen bombs.

Later Political Activities

After 2016, José Manuel García-Margallo did not continue as Foreign Minister. He remained a member of the Congress of Deputies.

In 2018, he ran for the leadership of the People's Party but did not win. He then supported another candidate, Pablo Casado.

In 2019, he was elected to the European Parliament again. He joined the Subcommittee on Tax Matters in 2020. He is also part of a group in the European Parliament that focuses on issues related to seas, rivers, islands, and coastal areas.

Other Activities and Recognitions

José Manuel García-Margallo is involved with several important organizations:

• He is a member of the board of trustees for the Elcano Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies, which is a think tank for international relations.
• He is also an ex officio member of the board of trustees for the Instituto Cervantes, an organization that promotes the Spanish language and culture worldwide.

He has received an honor from Portugal:

• Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (awarded on 8 March 2016)

See also

In Spanish: José Manuel García-Margallo para niños