Pablo Casado facts for kids

Pablo Casado Blanco (born 1 February 1981) is a Spanish former politician. He was a member of the Congress of Deputies, which is like the main parliament in Spain. He represented Madrid until April 2022, and before that, he represented Ávila from 2011 to 2019.

From 2015 to 2018, he was a vice secretary for communication for the People's Party (PP), one of Spain's major political groups. Later, from July 2018 to April 2022, he became the president of the PP. This made him a very important leader in Spanish politics.

Quick facts for kids The Most Excellent Pablo Casado
President of the People's Party
In office 21 July 2018 – 2 April 2022
Secretary-General	Teodoro García Egea
Preceded by	Mariano Rajoy
Succeeded by	Alberto Núñez Feijóo
Leader of the Opposition
In office 21 July 2018 – 2 April 2022
Prime Minister	Pedro Sánchez
Preceded by	Pedro Sánchez
Succeeded by	Alberto Núñez Feijóo
Deputy Secretary-General of Communications of the People's Party
In office 18 June 2015 – 21 July 2018
President	Mariano Rajoy
Preceded by	Carlos Floriano
Succeeded by	Marta González
Member of the Congress of Deputies
In office 13 December 2011 – 4 April 2022
Constituency	Ávila (2011–2019) Madrid (2019–2022)
Member of the Assembly of Madrid
In office 13 June 2007 – 9 July 2009
Personal details
Born	Pablo Casado Blanco (1981-02-01) 1 February 1981 (age 44) Palencia, Castile and León, Spain
Political party	People's Party
Spouse	Isabel Torres Orts ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	2
Education	Douai School ICADE CES Cardenal Cisneros King Juan Carlos University

Pablo Casado's Early Life and Education

Pablo Casado was born on 1 February 1981 in Palencia, a city in Spain. His father, Miguel Casado González, was a doctor, and his mother, Esther Blanco Ruiz, was a university professor in nursing. His family owns an eye clinic in Palencia.

He went to the Colegio Castilla school, run by the Marist Brothers. He also studied for a year at Douai School in the United Kingdom. He has five brothers.

University Studies and Degrees

Pablo Casado started studying law at ICADE in Madrid in 1999. In 2004, he moved to another center, CES Cardenal Cisneros, and finished his law degree there in 2007.

He also earned a degree in Business Administration and Management. He later received a master's degree in Administrative Law from King Juan Carlos University (URJC). There were some questions about how he completed this master's degree, but an investigation by the university found no wrongdoing.

Casado also attended a four-day course in Madrid in 2008. This course was linked to Harvard Business School. He sometimes mentioned this course, but it was not a full university degree.

Start of Pablo Casado's Political Journey

Pablo Casado began his political career in 2003 when he was still a student. He joined the People's Party (PP). From 2005 to 2013, he led the youth branch of the PP in Madrid, called the "New Generations."

In 2007, he traveled to Cuba and met with people who disagreed with the government there. He wrote about his experiences in newspapers.

Pablo Casado (in the white shirt) and Ángel Carromero (with the number 2 shirt) next to Esperanza Aguirre at a summer event for the "New Generations" in Madrid in 2010.

In 2007, he was elected as a member of the Assembly of Madrid, which is the regional parliament. He worked there as a spokesperson for justice and public administration. He left this role in July 2009.

In June 2009, he married Isabel Torres Orts. They have two children, a daughter named Paloma and a son named Pablo. Isabel Torres is a psychologist.

From 2009 to 2012, Casado worked for former Prime Minister José María Aznar. During this time, he also helped start a group called the Friends of Israel Initiative in 2010.

Pablo Casado as a National Member of Parliament

In November 2011, Pablo Casado was elected to the Congress of Deputies, Spain's main parliament. He represented the area of Ávila. He was re-elected in 2015 and 2016.

Pablo Casado speaking at a press conference in 2017. He was the vice secretary general of communication at the time.

In 2015, he became the spokesperson for the PP's election campaigns. Later that year, the party's president, Mariano Rajoy, appointed him as the vice secretary general of communication for the PP.

In October 2017, Casado made a comment about the former president of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont. He later clarified his words to avoid misunderstanding.

Becoming President of the People's Party

In 2018, the leader of the PP, Mariano Rajoy, stepped down. Pablo Casado decided to run for the party's leadership. He wanted to attract voters who had moved to other parties like Citizens and Vox.

Pablo Casado (center) with María Dolores de Cospedal and Mariano Rajoy at the 19th National Congress of the PP on 21 July 2018.

In the first round of voting, Casado came in second. Then, on 21 July 2018, a final vote was held among party delegates. Pablo Casado won with 57.2% of the votes, becoming the new president of the People's Party. This was seen as a shift towards a more conservative direction for the party.

2019 General Election

After a budget defeat, the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, called for an early general election in 2019. This was a big test for Pablo Casado's new leadership.

The election results were not good for Casado and the PP. The party lost more than half of its seats in parliament. Other parties like Citizens and Vox gained many votes. This was a significant loss for the People's Party.

During the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain, Casado was very active. He visited different places and criticized the government's handling of the situation.

Challenges to his Leadership

In 2022, Pablo Casado's leadership of the PP was challenged by Isabel Díaz Ayuso. She is a very popular politician and the president of the community of Madrid. This led to a big conflict within the party.

Many PP leaders and members asked Casado to resign, but he did not want to. Eventually, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, a respected figure in the PP, said the situation was "unsustainable." Pablo Casado resigned as the PP leader and as a Member of Parliament on 4 April 2022. Feijóo then took over as the new party leader.

Pablo Casado's Political Views

Pablo Casado has been described as a liberal-conservative. He is seen as being close to former Prime Minister José María Aznar.

Pablo Casado in front of the Walls of Ávila in September 2018.

In October 2017, he suggested that political parties promoting independence for parts of Spain might be made illegal. In 2018, he also talked about possibly ending the Schengen Area (which allows free travel in Europe) after a court decision about a Catalan leader.

He has also spoken about "gender ideology," saying that it is a form of "social collectivism" that conservatives should oppose. In July 2018, he said he wanted to "reconquer the Catalan people." He also mentioned "Tabarnia," a made-up area that wants to break away from Catalonia, saying he would make it "real."

Casado believes that "Hispanidad" (the shared culture of Spanish-speaking countries) is a great achievement. He thinks Spain should focus on current problems, not past ones.

He is a monarchist and strongly supports the King of Spain. He has said, "I will always defend the King of Spain." He also believes people should praise the King in everyday conversations.

In November 2021, he attended a special mass in Granada. This mass was held to honor the former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco on the anniversary of his death. His party later said he did not know what the mass was about.

On economic matters, he has promised to remove taxes on wealth, inheritance, and gifts. He also wants to lower income and business taxes.

Pablo Casado's Election Results

Here is a summary of the elections Pablo Casado has participated in:

See also

In Spanish: Pablo Casado para niños