María Dolores de Cospedal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Most Excellent María Dolores de Cospedal
Minister of Defence
In office 4 November 2016 – 1 June 2018
Monarch	Felipe VI
Prime Minister	Mariano Rajoy
Preceded by	Pedro Morenés
Succeeded by	Margarita Robles
Secretary-General of the People's Party
In office 21 June 2008 – 21 July 2018
Preceded by	Ángel Acebes
Succeeded by	Teodoro García Egea
3rd President of Castile-La Mancha
In office 22 June 2011 – 1 July 2015
Monarch	Juan Carlos I Felipe VI
Preceded by	José María Barreda
Succeeded by	Emiliano García-Page
Member of the Congress of Deputies
In office 12 January 2016 – 7 November 2018
Member of the Senate
In office 12 September 2006 – 22 June 2011
Personal details
Born	María Dolores Cospedal García (1965-12-13) 13 December 1965 (age 59) Madrid, Spain
Political party	PP (since 1999)
Other political affiliations	PRD (before 1986)
Spouse	Ignacio López del Hierro (m. 2009)
Children	Ricardo
Alma mater	CEU San Pablo University
Occupation	Politician, state lawyer
Signature

María Dolores Cospedal García (born 13 December 1965) is a Spanish politician. She was a key member of the People's Party (PP). From 2011 to 2015, she served as the President of Castile-La Mancha, a region in Spain. Later, she became the Minister of Defence for the Spanish government from 2016 to 2018. She also held an important role as the PP's Secretary-General from 2008 to 2018, working alongside party president Mariano Rajoy.

About María Dolores Cospedal

Early Life and Education

María Dolores Cospedal was born in Madrid, Spain, on December 13, 1965. She grew up mostly in Albacete, where she attended school. After finishing high school, she moved back to Madrid for college.

She studied Law at the CEU San Pablo University. In 1991, she passed tough public exams to become a State Lawyer. This is a group of highly skilled civil servants who work for the government. She worked in this role until 1996.

Starting in Politics

In 1999, María Dolores Cospedal joined the People's Party (PP). After the 2000 general election, she was appointed to a government position. She became the Under-Secretary of State for Public Administrations.

After about two years, she was made Secretary of State of Security. This role was part of the Ministry of the Interior. In December 2004, she became the Minister for Transports and Infrastructures in the regional government of Madrid.

Leading Castile-La Mancha

Cospedal in 2012, with the Mayor of Talavera de la Reina.

In 2011, the People's Party chose her to run for president of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. This is a region in Spain with its own government. In the election that year, her party won the most seats.

This made her the first People's Party president of the region. Before her, the Socialist Party (PSOE) had governed Castile-La Mancha for 28 years. She served as president until 2015.

In the 2015 regional election, her party again won the most votes. However, they did not win enough seats to form a government on their own. As a result, Emiliano García-Page from the PSOE became the new President of Castile-La Mancha.

Back in National Politics

After her time as regional president, María Dolores Cospedal returned to national politics. In the December 2015 general election, she was elected as a member of the Congress of Deputies. She represented the area of Toledo.

She also chaired a new committee focused on national security. In November 2016, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy appointed her as the Minister of Defence. She held this important position until June 2018. Her time as minister ended when the government lost a vote of no-confidence.

Running for Party Leader

After Mariano Rajoy announced he would step down as the leader of the People's Party, María Dolores Cospedal decided to run for the position. This was in July 2018.

She competed against several other candidates. These included Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría and Pablo Casado. In the first round of voting, she came in third place. This meant she did not move on to the final round. She later publicly supported Pablo Casado for the leadership role.

Later Political Roles

After leaving the government, she continued to serve in the Congress of Deputies. She was the Chairwoman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs for a few months in 2018. She then resigned from her seat in November 2018.

Return to Public Service

In January 2019, María Dolores Cospedal returned to her original career as a State Lawyer. She began working for the Supreme Court in Spain. She also took on additional work in the military proceedings section of the Supreme Court.

In March 2020, it was reported that she and her husband tested positive for COVID-19. They were not in serious condition.

Other Activities

• Elcano Royal Institute for International and Strategic Studies, Member of the Board of Trustees

See also

In Spanish: María Dolores de Cospedal para niños