Maite Pagazaurtundúa facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Pagazaurtundúa and the second or maternal family name is Ruiz.

Quick facts for kids Maite Pagazaurtundúa
Maite Pagazaurtundúa (MEP)

Member of the European Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 July 2014
Constituency	Spain

Personal details
Born	(1965-02-11) 11 February 1965 (age 60) Hernani, Guipúzcoa, Francoist Spain
Political party	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (1993–2005) Union, Progress and Democracy (2014–2020) Independent (linked to Citizens since 2020)
Occupation	Politician
Awards	Sakharov Prize (2000) Order of Constitutional Merit (2003)

María Teresa "Maite" Pagazaurtundúa Ruiz (born 11 February 1965), also known as Maite Pagaza, is a Spanish politician, activist, and writer. For ten years, she has been a MEP in the European Parliament. There, she has worked with groups like Renew Europe and ALDE.

Her main work focuses on protecting the Rule of Law (meaning everyone, including the government, must follow the law) and fundamental rights (basic freedoms and rights for all people). She also fights against terrorism, outside interference, and false information that tries to harm democratic systems.

Maite Pagazaurtundúa's Life Story

Maite Pagazaurtundúa was born in Hernani in 1965. Her mother, Pilar Ruiz, was a war refugee. Maite is the youngest of three children. Her brother, Joseba Pagazaurtundúa, was sadly killed by the group ETA in 2003. This happened after many years of threats against him.

Education and Early Challenges

She went to the Urumea Ikastola (a Basque-language school) in Hernani from 1968 to 1979.
She studied Hispanic and Basque Philology at the University of Deusto.
She also studied Law at the UPV.
Because of her political views, she faced threats and harassment. This even forced her to stop attending some classes in person.

Moving for Safety

In 1996, she moved to San Sebastián to be safer from the dangers in her hometown.
After years of threats and especially after her brother's murder, she moved her family out of the Basque Country in 2007. This was done on police advice.
Maite is married and has two daughters.

Fighting for Civil Liberties

She has been involved in many social movements that support civil liberties in Spain and other countries.
She has spent decades fighting against terrorism, hate speech, and forced nationalism.
Because of her public stance against terrorists, she faced a lot of harassment and threats. She even had police protection for 13 years.
Her work has been recognized with important awards, like the Sakharov Prize for Human Rights in 2000. She received this as a founder of the group ¡Basta Ya!
In 2003, she also received the Medal of the Order of Constitutional Merit.
In 2005, she was part of a group nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Her Journey in Politics

Maite Pagazaurtundúa's political journey started with the PSE-EE (PSOE). She held various roles there before leaving due to disagreements with the party's leaders.

Roles in the Basque Parliament

From 1993 to 1998, she was a member of the Basque Parliament.
She served on important committees, including Industry and Agriculture, Education and Culture, and Human Rights.
She was also the Secretary of Education and Culture for the PSE from 1993 to 1997.

Local Government Work

Between 1999 and 2007, she was a councilwoman and spokesperson for the PSE-EE in Urnieta.
In Urnieta, she spoke out against several cases of corruption involving the Basque Nationalist Party.

Changing Political Parties

Maite gradually distanced herself from the PSOE because of their approach to Basque nationalism and anti-terrorism policies.
In 2013, she joined the Unión Progreso y Democracia (UPyD) party.
In 2014, she ran for the European elections as an independent candidate for UPyD and won a seat as an MEP.
Later, through an agreement between UPyD and Ciudadanos, she joined the Ciudadanos list for the 2019 European Parliament elections. She won her MEP seat again and joined the Renew Europe political group.

Her Activism Work

Maite Pagazaurtundúa has been very active in social movements that support freedom in Spain and other countries. She focuses on civil liberties, human rights, and fighting against terrorism and extremism.

Founding ¡Basta Ya!

In 1998, she helped start ¡Basta Ya! (meaning "Enough is enough!").
This group of citizens aimed to oppose terrorism, support victims, and defend the rule of law and the Spanish Constitution.
They used new ways to protest, like demonstrations, caravans, and publishing an online magazine.
In 2000, the European Parliament recognized their work with the Sakharov Prize for Human Rights. This was the first time a European citizens' group received this award.

Leading the Foundation for Victims of Terrorism

From 2005 to 2012, Maite was the president of the Fundación de Víctimas del Terrorismo (Foundation for Victims of Terrorism).
During her time, she helped publish the book Vidas Rotas (Broken Lives). This book tells the stories of all the people killed by ETA.
Her team found that over 300 ETA murders had not been solved. She worked hard to bring this to the attention of the National Court.

Joseba's Mailbox Initiative

In February 2015, a special white mailbox was placed in Andoain during a tribute to her brother Joseba.
This mailbox, called "Joseba's Mailbox," was a way for people in Andoain to take responsibility for their past actions. It was for those who had supported ETA's violence against their neighbors.
People could leave anonymous letters acknowledging their part in the harassment.
The local council wanted to remove it, but many people, including the Ombudsman, supported keeping it.
The physical mailbox also has a virtual version online, spreading its message of collective memory and against forgetting.
Famous writers and citizens sent letters of support for the Pagazaurtundúa family and all victims of terrorism. Some anonymous letters also came from people who felt sorry for their past actions.

As a Member of the European Parliament

Maite Pagazaurtundúa was an active MEP in Brussels from 2014 to 2024. She continued her work to defend freedom, fight terrorism, and promote human rights and justice in Europe.

Building Bridges in Europe

She worked to connect different political groups and find practical solutions for the European Union.
Her goal was to improve human rights, security, and justice across Europe.
She also supported international cooperation among EU countries.

Key Committees and Work Areas

From 2014 to 2019, she was part of several important committees:
- The LIBE Committee, which deals with civil liberties, justice, and home affairs.
- The DROI subcommittee, focusing on human rights.
- The DEVE Committee, which works on development issues.
- The AFCO Committee on Constitutional Affairs, where she focused on European Citizenship.
She also served on special committees investigating financial crime, tax evasion, and terrorism.

From 2019 to 2024, she continued her work as:
- Vice-chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.
- Member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
- Member of the Committee on Petitions (PETI), where citizens can send their complaints.
- Member of the Special Committee on Foreign Interference in Democratic Processes (INGE).

Promoting European Citizenship

Maite Pagazaurtundúa was a key person for a report on "Implementation of Treaty provisions on EU citizenship."
This report aims to put citizens first and remove barriers so people can fully use their freedoms and rights as EU citizens.

Investigating Issues through Petitions

As a member of the Committee on Petitions, she joined MEP delegations that visited Spain to investigate problems with civil liberties and human rights.
These visits led to important reports by the European Parliament:
- A report on 379 unsolved murders by ETA, urging that these crimes not be forgotten.
- A report on cases of child protection in the Balearic Islands.
- A report on the language model in Catalonia, noting concerns about the use of Spanish in education and the rights of families.

Defending the Rule of Law in Spain

Maite Pagazaurtundúa worked to protect the rule of law and the separation of powers in Spain.
She believes that an independent judiciary (judges and courts) is essential for justice and to prevent abuse of power.
She supported Spanish judges and prosecutors who reported pressure from political powers.

Addressing Russian Interference

She brought attention to Russian connections with Catalan separatism in the European Union.
Her work led the European Parliament to investigate "close and regular contacts between Russian officials and representatives of a group of Catalan secessionists in Spain."
The Parliament noted that this was part of Russia's plan to cause instability.

Supporting Venezuela's Liberties

In 2015, she helped create the "Intellectuals for Venezuela" manifesto.
This manifesto gathered support from over a hundred intellectuals. It asked the government of Nicolás Maduro to accept election results and respect civil liberties.

Initiatives for the 20th Anniversary of ¡Basta Ya!

In 2020, for the 20th anniversary of ¡Basta Ya!, Maite Pagaza launched a website called ¡Basta ya! 2020.
This website shares the history of the group, photos, videos, and an archive of their magazine.
In 2022, she organized a special event at the European Parliament. It included a "tunnel of hate," a sensory experience that showed the oppression and harassment faced by people in the Basque Country.
In 2024, her office produced a documentary called "¡Basta ya!: Resistencia democrática. Conversaciones en la librería Lagun," which premiered in Madrid.

Writer and Columnist

Maite Pagazaurtundúa has regularly published articles in Spanish and international newspapers since the 1990s. She also wrote for Grupo VOCENTO and Yo Dona magazine for several years.

Her Books

Los Pagaza. Historia de una familia vasca (2004): This book tells the story of her family and how they dealt with her brother's murder. It also describes Basque society's reaction to the violence against non-nationalists.
El viudo sensible y otros secretos (2005): A collection of short stories.
Aralda (2010)
Operación Cochinillo (2014): A funny book about corruption set in Segovia, Spain.
Lluvia de fango (2016): A collection of her newspaper articles.

Teaching and Seminars

Throughout her career, Maite Pagazaurtundúa has spoken at many courses and seminars at universities in Spain and other countries. These include the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Universidad CEU San Pablo, Universidad Complutense, and the Spanish Diplomatic School. From 2009 to 2013, she also taught courses for the Spanish Armed Forces at CESEDEN.

Awards and Recognitions

Maite Pagazaurtundúa has received many awards for her important work:

Sakharov Prize (2000): Awarded by the European Parliament as a member of ¡Basta Ya!.
Medal of the Order of Constitutional Merit (2003): For her contributions to constitutional values.
López de Lacalle Foundation Award (2009): For her service to victims and her civic commitment.
Cross for Police Merit with Red Distinctive (2012): An honorary award for her services.
Corona de Esther Prize (2017): Awarded by Centro Sefarad-Israel.
Enrique Ruano Casanova pro Human Rights Award (2018): For her activism for victims of terrorism, from Complutense University of Madrid.
Henneo Award (2018): For her defense of freedoms and human rights, from Heraldo de Aragón.
Tolerance Award (2018): Awarded by the Asociación para la Tolerancia.

Images for kids

Cover of Black and White Paper on Terrorism in Europe