Ernest Urtasun
{{Short description|Spanish politician}}
{{Family name hatnote|Urtasun|Domènech|lang=Catalan}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = The Most Excellent
| name = Ernest Urtasun
| party = Catalunya en Comú (since 2017)
Green Left (since 2021)
| image = Ernest Urtasun 2023 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Official portrait, 2023
| office = Minister of Culture
| term_start = 21 November 2023
| term_end =
| primeminister = Pedro Sánchez
| predecessor = Miquel Iceta
| office1 = Member of the European Parliament
| constituency1 = Spain
| term_start1 = 1 July 2014
| term_end1 = 20 November 2023
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1982|01|27}}
| birth_place = Barcelona, Spain
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Spanish
| alma_mater = Autonomous University of Barcelona
University of Barcelona
| occupation = Politician, diplomat.
| otherparty = Initiative for Catalonia Greens (1997–2019)
Workers' Commissions (since 2012)
| successor2 = Esther Sanz Selva
}}
Ernest Urtasun i Domènech ({{IPA|ca|əɾˈnest uɾˈtazun}}; born 27 January 1982) is a Spanish politician and economist, serving as Minister of Culture of Spain since 2023. He served as Member of the European Parliament between 2014 and 2023, integrated within the Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) political group.
Early life and career
Born on 27 January 1982 in Barcelona,{{Cite news|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/es/124972/ERNEST_URTASUN/home|publisher=European Parliament|website=www.europarl.europa.eu|title=Ernest Urtasun}} Urtasun joined {{ill|Joves d'Esquerra Verda|es}}, the youth wing of Initiative for Catalonia Greens (ICV), when he was 15 years old.{{Cite web|first=Silvia|last=Gracia|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20140513/54407873187/ernest-urtasun-un-joven-con-experiencia-europea-que-suena-con-cambiar-la-ue.html|publisher=La Vanguardia|title=Ernest Urtasun, un joven con experiencia europea que sueña con cambiar la UE|date=13 May 2014|website=www.lavanguardia.com}}{{Cite web|publisher=eldiario.es|url=https://www.eldiario.es/catalunya/Ernest-Urtasun-ICV-defendido-Cataluna_0_221528399.html|website=www.eldiario.es|title=Ernest Urtasun: "ICV ha sido la fuerza que más ha defendido el derecho a decidir fuera de Cataluña"|first=Jordi|last=Molina|date=24 January 2014}} He earned a licentiate degree in Economics from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), followed by a postgraduate degree in international relations from the University of Barcelona (UB).
Career
He ran 6th in the Initiative for Catalonia Greens–United and Alternative Left–Entesa pel Progrés Municipal (ICV–EUiA–EPM) list for the 2003 Barcelona municipal election and the 2007 municipal election.{{Smallcaps|Junta Electoral de Zona de Barcelona}}: {{Cite journal|journal=Boletín Oficial de la Provincia de Barcelona|issue=102|date=29 April 2003|pages=25–39|title=Anexo I. Proclamació de la relació de candidatures presentades corresponents als municipis que s'esmenten|url=https://bop.diba.cat/scripts/ftpisa.aspx?fnew?bop2003&04/03102a19999.pdf&23}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{Smallcaps|Junta Electoral de Zona de Barcelona}}: {{Cite journal|url=https://bop.diba.cat/scripts/ftpisa.aspx?fnew?bop2007&05/07104a29999.pdf&23|journal=Butlletí Oficial de la Província de Barcelona|issue=124|date=1 May 2007|title=Publicación de las candidaturas proclamadas para las elecciones municipales del 2007.|pages=1–349}}{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He also ran as candidate to the European Parliament (EP) for the 2004 European Parliament election in Spain, 28th in the United Left–Initiative for Catalonia Greens–United and Alternative Left (IU–ICV–EUiA) list.{{Smallcaps|Junta Electoral Central}}: {{Cite journal|url=https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2004/05/18/pdfs/A18938-18951.pdf|journal=Boletín Oficial del Estado|issue=120|date=18 May 2004|issn=0212-033X|title=Candidaturas proclamadas a las elecciones de Diputados al Parlamento Europeo, convocadas por Real Decreto 561/2004, de 19 de abril, a celebrar el 13 de junio de 2004|pages=18938–18951}}
Between 2004 and 2008 Urtasun worked as adviser for MEP Raül Romeva. Later, he began working as a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation and in 2011 became director of the general secretariat of the international organization Union for the Mediterranean. Since 2012, he has been member of the trade union Comisiones Obreras.
In 2009, Urtasun ran as candidate to the European Parliament (EP), 33rd in the list of The Left for the May 2009 european election in Spain.{{Smallcaps|Junta Electoral Central}}: {{Cite journal|url=https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2009/05/12/pdfs/BOE-A-2009-7933.pdf|journal=Boletín Oficial del Estado|issue=115|date=12 May 2009|issn=0212-033X|title=Candidaturas proclamadas a las elecciones de Diputados al Parlamento Europeo convocadas por Real Decreto 482/2009, de 3 de abril, a celebrar el 7 de junio de 2009|pages=40777–40828}}
For the European elections in 2014, Urtasun was elected as his party lead candidate in a primary election in which he defeated Salvador Milà.{{Cite web|publisher=La Vanguardia|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20131221/54397431473/icv-proclama-ernest-urtasun-candidato-elecciones-europeas.html|website=www.lavanguardia.com|title=ICV proclama Ernest Urtasun candidato a las elecciones europeas|date=21 December 2013}} He was ultimately included in the third place of the Plural Left coalition list. After his election to the European Parliament, he became a member of the Greens/EFA political group. He served in the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) and the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), also joining the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (DLAT) and the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America (DCAM).{{Cite web|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/124972/ERNEST_URTASUN/history/8#mep-card-content|publisher=European Parliament|website=www.europarl.europa.eu|title=Ernest Urtasun. 8th parliamentary term}}
After the 2019 european elections, in which he ran under the Unidas Podemos Cambiar Europa banner, he was appointed as Greens/EFA deputy chairman, under the leadership of co-chairs Ska Keller and Philippe Lamberts.[https://www.greens-efa.eu/en/article/press/greens-efa-group-positions-elected/ Greens/EFA group positions elected] Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA), press release of June 12, 2019. He repeated as member of the ECON and the FEMM committees and he also joined the Delegation for relations with Iran (D–IR).
In December 2020, Urtasun received the Economics & Monetary Affairs, Taxation & Budgets award at The Parliament Magazine's annual MEP Awards.{{cite news|url=https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/news/article/mep-awards-2020-reaction-and-comment-from-our-winners|title=MEP Awards 2020: Reaction and comment from our winners|last=Johnson|first=Brian|date=2 December 2020|work=The Parliament Magazine|access-date=8 January 2021}}
He was appointed Minister of Culture on 21 November 2023.{{Cite web |date=November 21, 2023 |title=Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's new cabinet |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/who-is-who-spains-new-cabinet-2023-11-20/ |website=Reuters}}
References
{{Reflist|3}}
{{Current_EP_Spain}}
{{EP Political Group Greens–EFA}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Urtasun, Ernest}}
Category:MEPs for Spain 2014–2019
Category:Initiative for Catalonia Greens MEPs
Category:Autonomous University of Barcelona alumni