José Luis Ábalos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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José Luis Ábalos
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| Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda | |
| In office 7 June 2018 – 14 July 2021 |
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| Monarch | Felipe VI |
| Preceded by | Iñigo de la Serna |
| Succeeded by | Raquel Sánchez |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| Assumed office 21 May 2019 |
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| Constituency | Valencia |
| In office 21 April 2009 – 15 June 2018 |
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| Constituency | Valencia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 December 1959 Torrent, Valencia, Spain |
| Political party | Independent (since 2024) |
| Other political affiliations |
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (1981–2024) Communist Party of Spain (1978–1981) Communist Youth Union of Spain (1976–1978) |
| Profession | Primary teacher, Politician |
José Luis Ábalos Meco, born on December 9, 1959, is a Spanish politician. He has been a member of the Spanish Parliament, called the Congress of Deputies, since 2009. For many years, he was part of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. In 2024, he left the party due to some issues. From 2018 to 2021, he was a minister in the Spanish government. He was in charge of areas like transport and urban planning. He also held an important role as the Secretary of Organization for his political party.
Contents
About José Luis Ábalos
Ábalos was born in Torrent, a city in Valencia, Spain, in 1959. His father was a bullfighter. His grandfather was a Civil Guard officer who passed away while on duty.
Early Political Life
José Luis Ábalos joined the Communist Youth Union of Spain when he was 17. In 1978, he officially became a member of the Communist Party of Spain. Later, in 1981, he joined the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).
Before becoming a full-time politician, Ábalos worked as a primary school teacher. Within the PSOE, he took on several important roles. He was a leader for the PSOE in parts of Valencia city from 1988 to 1995. After that, he became the PSOE leader for the entire city of Valencia.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Ábalos was a member of the Valencia City Council from 1999 to 2009. He also served on the Provincial Deputation of Valencia from 2003 to 2007.
In 2008, he ran for the Spanish Congress but was not elected at first. However, in April 2009, he joined the Congress. He took the place of another politician who had moved to a different government role.
In May 2017, he became the temporary spokesperson for the Socialist Group in Congress. This happened after Pedro Sánchez won the party's leadership election. Ábalos then became the Secretary of Organization for the PSOE until 2021.
Serving as a Minister
In June 2018, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez chose Ábalos to be the Minister of Development. This role involves overseeing big projects like roads, railways, and housing. Ábalos was one of the few ministers who were also members of parliament. To focus on their new roles, they stepped down from their parliament seats.
The Prime Minister called for new elections twice in 2019. The PSOE party won both times. Ábalos ran for election and was chosen as a Member of Parliament for the Valencian area.
After the November 2019 election, the PSOE formed a government with another party called Unidas Podemos. Ábalos continued as a minister. His job title changed to Minister of Transport, Mobility, and Urban Agenda. This meant he was in charge of even more areas related to how people move around and how cities are planned.
In January 2020, Ábalos met with the Vice President of Venezuela at the Madrid airport. This meeting caused some discussion because of travel restrictions imposed by the European Union.
In July 2021, he was replaced as Minister of Transport by Raquel Sánchez Jiménez. He also stepped down from his role as Secretary of Organization for the PSOE. Later, in September 2021, he became the president of the Interior Commission of Congress. He kept this role after being re-elected in the July 2023 election.
Recent Events
In February 2024, a former advisor to Ábalos, Koldo García Izaguirre, was arrested. This was part of an investigation into how masks were bought during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were questions about whether money was taken unfairly.
Because of this investigation, many people asked Ábalos to resign from his position in Congress. He refused to resign as a Member of Congress. Instead, he joined a group of politicians who do not belong to a specific political party. A few days later, the PSOE party suspended his membership. Ábalos said this was unfair because he had not been formally charged with any wrongdoing.
In October 2024, a court asked the Supreme Court to look into Ábalos's role in the case. In November 2024, the Supreme Court started a case against Ábalos. This was to investigate if he was involved in any improper activities.
Important Roles Held
- Leader of the Socialist Party of Valencia (1995–2000)
- President of the National Committee of the Socialist Party of Valencia (1997–1999)
- Councilor for the City Hall of Valencia (1999–2009)
- Deputy Leader of the Socialist Party of Valencia (2000–2004)
- Member of the County Council of Valencia (2003–2007)
- Member of the Congress of Deputies for Valencia (2009–2018; 2019–)
- Leader of the Socialist Party in Valencia province (2012–2017)
- Acting Spokesperson for the Socialist Party in the Spanish Congress (2017)
- Organizational Secretary of the PSOE (2017–2021)
- Minister of Development (2018–2020)
- Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (2020–2021)
Images for kids
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José Luis Ábalos in 2020
See also
In Spanish: José Luis Ábalos para niños
