Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría facts for kids
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Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría
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| Deputy Prime Minister of Spain | |
| In office 21 December 2011 – 7 June 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Mariano Rajoy |
| Preceded by | Elena Salgado |
| Succeeded by | Carmen Calvo |
| Minister for Territorial Administrations | |
| In office 3 November 2016 – 7 June 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Mariano Rajoy |
| Preceded by | Cristóbal Montoro Public Administrations |
| Succeeded by | Meritxell Batet Territorial Policy and Civil Service |
| Minister of the Presidency | |
| In office 21 December 2011 – 7 June 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Mariano Rajoy |
| Preceded by | Ramón Jáuregui |
| Succeeded by | Carmen Calvo |
| Spokesperson of the Government | |
| In office 21 December 2011 – 3 November 2016 |
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| Prime Minister | Mariano Rajoy |
| Preceded by | José Blanco López |
| Succeeded by | Íñigo Méndez de Vigo |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 13 May 2004 – 10 September 2018 |
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| Constituency | Madrid |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
María Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría Antón
10 June 1971 Valladolid, Spain |
| Political party | People's Party |
| Spouse | Iván Rosa (2006–present) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Valladolid |
| Occupation | Politician, state lawyer |
| Signature |  |
María Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría Antón (born 10 June 1971) is a Spanish former politician. She was a very important person in the Spanish government. From 2011 to 2018, she served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Spain. She was also a member of the Congress of Deputies, which is like the Spanish parliament, representing Madrid from 2004 to 2018.
Contents
About Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría
Early Life and Education
Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría was born in Valladolid, Spain, in 1971. She was the only child of Pedro Sáenz de Santamaría and Petra Antón.
She studied Law at the University of Valladolid from 1989 to 1994. She was an excellent student, graduating with the highest honors. She was the top student in her class.
After her studies, she passed a difficult public exam. This allowed her to join the State Lawyers Corps. This is a special group of highly skilled government lawyers in Spain.
In 2005, Soraya married José Iván Rosa Vallejo. They have one son, who was born in November 2011.
Start of Her Political Journey
In 2000, Soraya began working as an advisor. She worked for the chief of staff of the Deputy Prime Minister of Spain. This was in the Ministry of the Presidency and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
From 2004 to 2008, she was a secretary for the People's Party (PP). Her job was to handle the party's policies for different regions and local areas.
She became a candidate for the Congress of Deputies in 2004. She was not initially elected, but she took office on May 13, 2004. This happened when another politician, Rodrigo Rato, resigned. She then served as a deputy for the rest of that term.
Later, Mariano Rajoy chose her for an important role. She became the spokesperson for the People's Party group in the Congress of Deputies.
A Key Figure in Government
In 2011, the People's Party won many seats in the election. Mariano Rajoy became the Prime Minister. Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría was then appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister of Spain. She also became the spokesperson for the government on December 22, 2011.
She served in Rajoy's government from December 2011 to June 2018. During this time, she was the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of the Presidency. She was also the government spokesperson until 2016. From 2016 to 2018, she was the Minister for Territorial Administrations. For a short time in 2014, she also managed the Ministries of Health and Justice.
In October 2017, the Spanish government took control of the Catalan government. This happened after a political crisis. Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría was put in charge of overseeing the functions of the Catalan government.
Her Bid for Party Leadership
In June 2018, Mariano Rajoy was removed from his position as Prime Minister. He also decided to step down as the leader of the People's Party. Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría decided to run to become the new party leader.
She won the first round of voting among party members by a small number of votes. However, in the final vote, which was decided by party delegates, she lost to Pablo Casado. This was seen as the party moving more towards the right. A few months later, in September 2018, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría announced she was leaving politics after 18 years.
After Politics
On October 18, 2018, she was appointed as a member of the Spanish Council of State. This is a very important advisory body for the Spanish government. She started this role in November 2018. In March 2019, it was announced that she would join the Cuatrecasas law firm. She became both an associate and a member of their board of directors.
Her Political Style
Many media outlets called Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría "the most powerful woman in Spain" during her time in government. She was often seen as a "technocrat." This means she focused more on practical solutions and how things work, rather than on a strong political ideology. She built her political influence outside of the party's main leadership. She was considered to represent the more moderate side of the People's Party.
See also
In Spanish: Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría para niños
