Manuela Carmena facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Manuela Carmena
Manuela Carmena in 2015
Mayor of Madrid
In office 13 June 2015 – 15 June 2019
Deputy	Marta Higueras
Preceded by	Ana Botella
Succeeded by	José Luis Martínez-Almeida
Member of the City Council of Madrid
In office 13 June 2015 – 17 June 2019
Member of the General Council of the Judiciary
In office 26 July 1996 – 7 November 2001
Personal details
Born	(1944-02-09) 9 February 1944 (age 81) Madrid, Spain
Political party	Más Madrid (since 2019)
Other political affiliations	PCE (1965–1981) Ahora Madrid (2015–2019)
Spouse	Eduardo Leira ​ (m. 1967)​
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Valencia
Profession	Judge lawyer politician
Signature

Manuela Carmena Castrillo (born 9 February 1944) is a Spanish lawyer and judge who is now retired. She served as the Mayor of Madrid, the capital city of Spain, from June 2015 to June 2019. Before becoming mayor, she was also a member of the General Council of the Judiciary, which is an important group of judges in Spain.

Biography

Early Life and Education

Manuela Carmena was born in Madrid, Spain, on 9 February 1944. Her family had small businesses. Her father owned a shirt shop, and her mother worked as a cashier. Manuela went to the French School of the Black Ladies. While she was a student, she volunteered at a factory that made preserved foods.

In 1965, she finished her law degree at the University of Valencia. After that, she became a lawyer who helped workers and people who were arrested during the time of the Francoist State. This was a period when Spain was ruled by a dictator. She also helped start a law office that focused on workers' rights.

In 1965, Carmena joined the Communist Party of Spain. She married an architect named Eduardo Leira in 1967, and they have two children, Eva and Manuel. She left the party in 1981.

Judicial Career and Public Service

In January 1981, Manuela Carmena became a judge. She worked hard to prevent corruption in the courts. In 1986, she received the National Human Rights Award for her efforts. She also helped create a group called Judges for Democracy, which supported progressive ideas in the legal system.

She worked as a judge overseeing prisons and was later chosen as the senior judge of Madrid in 1993. From 1996 to 2001, she was a member of the General Council of the Judiciary.

Work After Retirement

Manuela Carmena in 2013

After she retired from being a judge in 2010, Carmena continued to be active in public life. She joined a group called Patronato de la Fundación Alternativas, which is a think tank. She also led a United Nations group that looked into cases where people were held against their will. As part of this work, she visited several countries.

Carmena also started a helpful cooperative called "Yayos emprendedores," which means "entrepreneur grannies." This group runs a small shop that sells children's games, clothes, and shoes. These items are made by prisoners at a jail in Seville, helping them learn skills.

Mayor of Madrid

Manuela Carmena becoming Mayor of Madrid

In 2015, Manuela Carmena led the political group Ahora Madrid in the local election for the Madrid City Council. On 13 June 2015, she was elected as the Mayor of Madrid. She won with the support of 29 out of 57 city councillors.

During her time as mayor, Carmena worked to improve Madrid's finances. She reduced the city's debt by a lot, about €5.6 billion, in her first 18 months. At the same time, she increased spending on social programs by 26%. The city government also held public meetings to get ideas from citizens. For example, they asked for input on how to use part of the city's budget and how to improve the Plaza de España. Her council also changed 52 street names that were from the time of the Francoist dictatorship, making them fit with a law about historical memory.

Carmena ran for mayor again in the 2019 election with a new group called Más Madrid. Her party received the most votes, winning 19 seats. However, on 15 June 2019, another candidate, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, became mayor with the support of other parties. Manuela Carmena then resigned from her position as a city councillor on 17 June 2019.

After Her Mayoral Term

Since leaving office in June 2019, Manuela Carmena has continued to share her thoughts on important issues. In January 2021, she spoke about the problem of "lies regarding reality." She emphasized how important it is to have accurate information to make good decisions for society.

Electoral History

Books

• — (2020). Cuentos para soñar un mundo mejor. Madrid: Península.
• — (2021). La joven política. Madrid: Península.

Decorations

• Great Cross of the Order of St. Raymond of Peñafort (2002)
• Great Cross of the Order of the Sun of Peru (2015)
• Great Cross of the Order of Merit (2018)

See also

In Spanish: Manuela Carmena para niños