José Ignacio Echeverría

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = José Ignacio Echeverría

| image =(José Ignacio Echeverría Echániz) Jornadas Económicas Abiertas del PP de Moncloa-Aravaca (7010588059) (cropped).jpg

| caption = {{small|In 2012}}

| office = President of the Assembly of Madrid

| term_start = 7 June 2011

| term_end = 9 June 2015

| office2 = Minister of Transportation of the Community of Madrid

| term_start2 = 26 June 2008

| term_end2 = 17 June 2011

| office3 = Member of the Assembly of Madrid

| term_start3 = 30 June 1999

| term_end3 = 17 December 2015

| office4 = Deputy Mayor of Madrid

| term_start4 = 1996

| term_end4 = 1999

| office5 = Madrid City Councillor

| term_start5 = 27 February 1987

| term_end5 = 3 July 1999

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1946|02|08}}

| birth_place = Tangier

| party = People's Alliance {{Small|(1981–1989)}}
People's Party {{Small|(since 1989)}}

| citizenship = Spanish

| occupation = Politician, lawyer, legal advisor

}}

José Ignacio Echevarría Echániz (born 1946) is a Spanish politician active in the scope of Madrilenian politics. A former city councillor, member of the Assembly of Madrid and senator, he served as Minister of Transportation of the Government of the Community of Madrid (2008–2011) and chaired the regional legislature from 2011 to 2015.

Early life

Born on 8 February 1946 in Tangier,{{Cite journal|url=https://www.abc.es/espana/madrid/abci-ignacio-echeverria-consejero-transportes-nego-existencia-metrobus-201512171750_noticia.html|journal=ABC|title=Ignacio Echeverría, el consejero de Transportes que negó la existencia del Metrobús|date=17 December 2015}} Morocco, then an international zone. He graduated in Law and Business Administration at the ICADE, in Madrid.{{Cite journal|journal=Villa de Madrid. Informativo Quincenal|url=http://www.memoriademadrid.es/doc_anexos/Workflow/0/44683/hem_villademadridinforquince_19890801.pdf|pages=5|title=El nuevo Equipo de Gobierno Municipal|date=August 1989|issue=151}} Before entering politics he also worked as lawyer and legal advisor.

Municipal politics

Echeverría, who had joined People's Alliance (AP) on 24 September 1981,{{Cite journal|url=http://www.expansion.com/2008/06/26/economia-politica/politica/1139298.html|journal=Expansión|title=José Ignacio Echeverría, nuevo consejero de Transportes e Infraestructuras|date=26 June 2008}} ran as candidate in the list of the AP–PDP–UL coalition for the 1983 Madrid municipal election but he was not elected then. Nonetheless, he became a member of the Madrid City Council later in the term, on 27 February 1987,{{Cite web|url=https://datos.madrid.es/portal/site/egob/menuitem.c05c1f754a33a9fbe4b2e4b284f1a5a0/?vgnextchannel=374512b9ace9f310VgnVCM100000171f5a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default&vgnextoid=0ee64fc858ae0610VgnVCM1000001d4a900aRCRD|title=Concejales del Ayuntamiento de Madrid desde 1979|accessdate=28 January 2019|publisher=Ayuntamiento de Madrid}} covering a vacant seat. He renovated the seat in the May 1987 election, in which he had run 9th in the AP list.{{cite journal|url=https://www.bocm.es/boletin/CM_Boletin_BOCM/19870506_B/10600.pdf |journal=Boletín Oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid|issue=106|date=6 May 1987|title=Elecciones Municipales 1987. Publicación de candidaturas. Fase proclamación|pages=7–101|issn=1989-4791}} After the 1989 successful vote of no-confidence on Juan Barranco and the subsequent investiture of Agustín Rodríguez Sahagún as the new Mayor he became a member of the municipal government board, charged with the competences of Economy and Finance. Re-elected in 1991, he had powers in Urbanism during the first municipal government of José María Álvarez del Manzano.{{Cite journal|journal=El País|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1999/03/19/madrid/921846257_850215.html|date=19 March 1999|title=La dirección regional del PP decide apartar del Ayuntamiento al primer teniente de alcalde|first=Antonio|last=Jiménez Barca}} During his last term at the city council, between 1995 and 1999 he had competences in Traffic and Citizen Security, also becoming the first deputy Mayor in 1996,{{Cite web|url=https://www.europapress.es/madrid/noticia-nunez-plenamente-satisfecho-siente-orgullo-puesto-lista-20150416132048.html|publisher=Europa Press|title=Núñez está "plenamente satisfecho" y siente "orgullo" con su puesto en la lista|date=16 April 2015}} replacing Esperanza Aguirre.

Following problems in the municipal areas of government within his powers, such as the forging of signatures of municipal policemen, or a municipal by-law punishing people running in the street and people waiting for the bus outside of the shelter, the PP decided to remove him from government responsibilities and designate him a candidate to the 1999 regional election, with no intended executive responsibilities.

Regional politics

Running 18th in the PP list for the 1999 elections to the Assembly of Madrid,{{Smallcaps|Junta Electoral Provincial de Madrid}}: {{Cite journal|journal=Boletín Oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid|page=26|issue=116|date=18 May 1999|title=Elecciones a la Asamblea de Madrid 1999. Candidaturas proclamadas|url=http://www.bocm.es/boletin/CM_Boletin_BOCM/1999/05/18/11600.pdf|issn=1989-4791}} Echeverría became a member of the 5th term of the regional legislature. He would subsequently renovate his seat in the May 2003, October 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 elections. Between 2005 and 2008, he also served as Senator, designated by the Assembly of Madrid.

File:Repita conmigo 'Yo no soy populista' (20).jpg and José Masa.]]

"Mr. Walker", as Echeverría is known in political circles,{{Cite journal|url=https://www.elespanol.com/reportajes/20170421/210229582_0.html|journal=El Español|title=La emperatriz Esperanza y su condenada corte de vasallos|first=Juan Luis|last=Galiacho|date=22 April 2017}} returned to executive responsibilities in 2008, following his appointment by Esperanza Aguirre as member of the Council of Government of the Community of Madrid, at the helm of the Ministry of Transportation, replacing Manuel Lamela in a cabinet reshuffle. He was sworn into office on 26 June 2008.{{Cite journal|journal=Diario Sur|url=https://www.diariosur.es/20080626/espana/esperanza-aguirre-remoleda-gobierno-200806260014.html|date=26 June 2008|title=Aguirre achaca a "la crisis económica" la remodelación por sorpresa de su Gobierno}}

On 10 March 2011, during his mandate as Minister of Transportation, he wrongly stated in a parliamentary response to Socialist MP Modesto Nolla that the Metrobús (the popular 10-trip ticket for bus and rapid transit) "does not exist".{{Cite journal|first=Marta|last=Belver|date=10 March 2011|title=El consejero de Transportes de Aguirre afirma que el 'metrobús no existe'|journal=El Mundo|url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2011/03/10/madrid/1299775201.html}}{{Cite journal|title=José Ignacio Echeverría: "El metrobús no existe"|first=Jesús|date=10 March 2011|last=Sérvulo González|url=http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/Jose/Ignacio/Echeverria/metrobus/existe/elpepuesp/20110310elpepunac_36/Tes}} Amid heavy criticism, Echeverría recognised it to be the worst "mistake" in his political career and handed in his resignation some days later, but the regional president Esperanza Aguirre did not accept it.{{Cite web|url=http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20110314/consejero-madrileno-nego-existencia-del-metrobus-presenta-su-dimision-esperanza-aguirre/416726.shtml|publisher=RTVE|title=El consejero que negó la existencia del Metrobús presenta su dimisión y Aguirre la rechaza|date=14 March 2011}}

Following the formation of a new cabinet after the 2011 regional election Echeverría was removed from his post of Minister, replaced by Antonio Beteta.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/madrid/20110617/54172539614/los-ocho-nuevos-consejeros-de-aguirre-toman-posesion-jurando-cumplir-fielmente-con-sus.html|journal=La Vanguardia|date=17 June 2011|title=Los ocho nuevos consejeros de Aguirre toman posesión jurando cumplir "fielmente" con sus obligaciones}} During the 9th term of the Assembly of Madrid (2011–2015) Echeverría chaired the presidency of the legislature. He was re-elected for his last term in the May 2015 regional election. In December 2015 he had a car accident while driving in Collado Villalba. He was measured an alcohol content of 0.65 mg/L of exhaled breath (well over the allowed rate of 0.25 mg/L). He resigned to his seat in the Assembly of Madrid on 17 December.{{Cite journal|date=17 December 2015|journal=El País|first=Esther|last=Sánchez|first2=José Antonio|last2=Hernández|title=El diputado del PP que conducía ebrio presenta su dimisión|url=https://elpais.com/ccaa/2015/12/17/madrid/1450348389_102918.html}}

On 8 March 2017 he was called to declare by the judge Eloy Velasco as accused party for his alleged involvement in the Púnica corruption scheme.{{Cite journal|title=El juez halla papeles secretos con toda la financiación ilegal del PP de Madrid|first=José Antonio|last=Hernández|journal=El País|date=10 March 2017|url=https://elpais.com/politica/2017/03/08/actualidad/1488968705_893334.html}}