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Imanol Pradales

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In this Basque name, the first surname is Pradales and the second is Gil.

Imanol Pradales Gil (born 21 April 1975) is a Basque politician and sociologist from Spain, member of the Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV). After leading his party in the 2024 regional election, he became the next Lehendakari.[1]

Imanol Pradales
Pradales in 2024
Lehendakari of the Basque Government
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 June 2024
MonarchFelipe VI
Preceded byIñigo Urkullu
Biscay foral offices
2019–2024Infrastructure and Territorial Development
2015–2019Economic and Territorial Development
2011–2015Economic Promotion
Member of the Basque Parliament
Incumbent
Assumed office
14 May 2024
ConstituencyBiscay
Personal details
Born
Imanol Pradales Gil

(1975-04-21) 21 April 1975 (age 49)
Santurtzi, Basque Country, Spain
Political partyBasque Nationalist Party (since 2005)
SpouseLaura Sáez
Children1
Alma materAsti Leku Ikastola
University of Deusto (Lic.)
University of Deusto (PhD)
Signature

He served as Foral Deputy (regional minister) of Infrastructure and Territorial Development of the Foral Council of Bizkaia from 2023 to 2024, upon stepping down to contest the 2024 Basque regional election. He has held the position of Foral Deputy for Economic Promotion (2011-2015), for Economic and Territorial Development (2015-2019) and for Infrastructure and Territorial Development (2019-2023).[2][3][4][5]

Previously, he held the position of managing director of the public talent recruitment agency Bizkaia Talent, attached to the economic promotion department of the Foral Council of Bizkaia between 2007 and 2011.[citation needed]

Early life and education

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Early life and family

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Imanol Pradales Gil was born on 21 April 1975 in Mamariga, a neighbourhood of Santurtzi, to a Basque nationalist family of non-Basque-speakers, the eldest of four children.[6]

 
Imanol Pradales (left) gives a press conference on 23 January 2013.

Pradales has displayed "having eight Castilian surnames", with his ancestors having immigrated to the Basque Country in the beginning of the twentieth century from Burgos, Valladolid and Cantabria.[7][8] His father, Manuel Pradales, was born in Uribarri, Bilbao, and his mother, Rosa Gil, is from Santurtzi.[9][10][11] Both of his parents joined the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) the same day in 1976. His father had previously been an underground member of the party during the Francoist dictatorship, and during the Transition he served as a member of the first Municipal Board of Santurtzi.[10] He owned a garage that closed due to the 2008 financial crisis.[12] His mother owned a hairdressing salon that also closed, after which she worked as a cook in batzokis, the political bars of the PNV.[9] His paternal grandfather fought in the Spanish Civil War on the Republican side, and was injured on the bombing of Otxandio.[10][13]

Education

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Pradales studied primary, secondary and Baccalaureate education at the Asti Leku Ikastola, a private Ikastola of Portugalete. There he was taught natural science and Spanish language by Iñigo Urkullu, a member of the PNV and future Lehendakari of the Basque Country.[14]

Pradales earned a licentiate in Sociology and Political Science at the University of Deusto in 1997, where he enrolled thanks to the compensation that his grandfather had received for his war service.[10] He later moved to Madrid for a year, where he completed and got a master's degree in knowledge management from the Technical University of Madrid in 1999. Back in Bilbao, between 2000 and 2004 he completed his doctoral studies at the University of Deusto, receiving his doctorate in Sociology and Political Science in 2004. In addition, he completed a postgraduate in Advanced Management in Executive Education at the IE Business School in Madrid in 2010.[15]

He started working there as a university teacher at the University of Deusto, until he was granted a leave of absence upon entering politics in 2007.[16]

Political career

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Early political career

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In 2005, Iñigo Urkullu, then president of the Biscayne PNV, asked Pradales to write a scholarly paper about employment and competitiveness. In light of his research, in 2007, Pradales was offered to enter politics as the CEO of Bizkaia:xede—later renamed Bizkaia Talent—a Biscayne talent recruitment agency.[17][14][16] In 2008, he became one of the coordinators of "Think Gaur", the PNV's think tank, following an offer by Urkullu.[16]

Following the 2011 Basque foral elections, General Deputy of Biscay José Luis Bilbao appointed Pradales as Foral Deputy (regional minister) of Economic Development. From 2015 until his resignation in 2024, he was reappointed in the cabinets of the General Deputies Unai Rementería and Elixabete Etxanobe as Foral Deputy of Economic and Territorial Development under the former, and as Foral Deputy of Infrastructure and Territorial Development under the latter.[18] During his tenure, he was the main promoter of the extension of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao into the Urdaibai estuary.[10][19]

In 2015, Pradales came under criticism after being disclosed that while at office he had bought 7,200 shares of the construction company Sacyr, which had been awarded several projects in Bizkaia such as the Autzagane tunnels and the Igorre by-pass.[20] Despite defending that the purchase "was legal and there is no conflict of interest" and ruling out his resignation, he acknowledged that he had made a "mistake" and sold all of his shares in the company.[21][22]

2024 Basque regional election

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On 25 November 2023, the EAJ-PNV's National Executive Branch (Euzkadi Buru Batzar, EBB) appointed Pradales as the party's candidate for Lehendakari in the 2024 Basque regional election, replacing incumbent Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu.[23] The surprising dismissal of the incumbent Lehendakari and the appointment of a low-profile young man were seen as an attempt to promote a generational renewal in the party and to halt the growth of EH Bildu.[24] He was unanimously ratified as candidate for Lehendakari on 27 January 2024 by the General Assembly of the party and selected as the leading candidate for Biscay.[25][26]

Opinion polls for the election suggested a neck and neck race between the PNV and EH Bildu, with the latter being favoured to become the largest force in the Basque Parliament for the first time ever.[27][28] Initially, the campaign stayed away from national politics and Basque independence, revolving around criticism of the PNV over the previous government's management of Osakidetza, the Basque health system, and the housing crisis.[29][30] However, the campaign heated up in its last week following comments from EH Bildu's candidate, Pello Otxandiano, refusing to describe ETA as a "terrorist organization," which prompted criticism from the rest of the parties.[31]

On 16 April 2024, Pradales was attacked with pepper spray after attending a campaign rally at Barakaldo while he was heading to an electoral debate organized by the EITB.[32][33] His aggressor, a 49-years-old man, was immediately arrested by the Ertzaintza and Pradales was admitted to the Gurutzeta hospital after losing his sight in the left eye. Nonetheless, Pradales eventually took part in the debate, where the attack was condemned by every other candidate.[34][35]

In the election, the PNV won 35.2% of the vote, a decline of 3.7% compared to the previous election, but narrowly prevailed as the most voted party by almost 30,000 votes. However, the PNV tied at 27 seats with EH Bildu, losing 4 seats.[36][37] The Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (PSE–EE) emerged as the kingmaker with 12 seats, making a repetition of the incumbent coalition between the PNV and the PSE–EE the likeliest outcome.[38]

Personal life

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Pradales is married to Laura Sáez, with whom he has a daughter.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Goyoaga, Ander. "El PNV aguanta ante el empuje de EH Bildu e Imanol Pradales será lehendakari". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Bilbao. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Sólo una cara nueva en el Gobierno de José Luis Bilbao | País Vasco | elmundo.es". www.elmundo.es. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  3. ^ "UNAI REMENTERIAK AHALDUN NAGUSI KARGUAREN ZINA EGIN DU ETA BERE GOBERNUAREN OSAKETA IRAGARRI DU - Komunikazioa - Bizkaia.eus". www.bizkaia.eus. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  4. ^ "Gobernu paritarioa osatu du Rementeriak berriro Ahaldun Nagusi aukeratua izan ostean, EAJko 7 diputatu eta PSEko beste birekin - Komunikazioa - Bizkaia.eus". www.bizkaia.eus. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  5. ^ "LAS JUNTAS GENERALES DE BIZKAIA ELIGEN A ELIXABETE ETXANOBE LANDAJUELA PRIMERA DIPUTADA GENERAL DEL TERRITORIO - Bizkaiko Batzar Nagusiak". jjggbizkaia.eus. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  6. ^ Carbajo, María (21 April 2024). "Quién es Imanol Pradales, candidato del PNV para las elecciones del País Vasco: de una infancia entre penurias económicas a ser alumno de Iñigo Urkullu". ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Los 16 apellidos no vascos de Imanol, el líder para 'un nuevo estatus vasco'". El Mundo (in Spanish). 21 April 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  8. ^ Blanco Vázquez, Cristina (22 April 2024). "Imanol Pradales, el alumno de Urkullu que creció entre ikurriñas sin tener apellidos vascos". El Debate (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Cobo, Inmaculada (22 April 2024). "Laura, la discreta mujer del nuevo lehendakari Imanol Pradales a la que besó apasionadamente tras la victoria". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e Rioja Andueza, Iñaki (21 April 2024). "Imanol Pradales, un remero que ha salvado los muebles para el PNV y que sucederá a Urkullu". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Vitoria-Gasteiz. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  11. ^ Jotanito, J. (2024-04-23). "Así es Imanol Pradales, el nuevo lehendakari y remero: sus padres, su mujer Laura Sáez y la curiosa forma en la que se conocieron". Vozpópuli (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  12. ^ Izarra, Josean (22 April 2024). "Imanol Pradales, un militante 'abertzale' con 16 apellidos no vascos al frente de una Euskadi plural". El Mundo (in Spanish). Bilbao. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  13. ^ Legasa, Adrián (25 November 2023). "Pradales, delfín de Ortuzar y alumno del 'maisu' Urkullu que remará la trainera del PNV". Crónica Vasca (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  14. ^ a b Ormazabal, Mikel (25 November 2023). "Imanol Pradales, de alumno de Urkullu en la 'ikastola' a sucederle como candidato". El País (in Spanish). San Sebastián. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Advanced Management Program Madrid | IE Business School". Lifelong Learning (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  16. ^ a b c "Así es Imanol Pradales, candidato de PNV a lehendakari y alumno de Urkullu, su "referente político", en la EGB". La Razón (in Spanish). Europa Press. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  17. ^ Ruiz, Roberto (2023-11-25). "¿Quién es Imanol Pradales, el candidato del PNV a lehendakari?". elconfidencial.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  18. ^ Fernández de Lucio, Iñigo (25 November 2023). "Imanol Pradales, un remero para retener la Lehendakaritza". El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  19. ^ Zelaieta, Ahoztar (5 December 2023). "La cara oculta de Imanol Pradales: ampliar el Guggenheim en contra de la protección de la Reserva de Urdaibai". El Salto (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  20. ^ "El diputado foral Imanol Pradales se hace con 7.200 acciones de la constructora Sacyr". Naiz (in Spanish). Bilbao. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  21. ^ Segovia, Mikel (1 December 2015). "Pradales anuncia que ha vendido las acciones de Sacyr y reconoce que su compra fue 'desacertada'". El Mundo (in Spanish). Bilbao. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  22. ^ Azumendi, Eduardo (1 December 2015). "El diputado Pradales admite su "error" al comprar acciones de una constructora, pero no dimite". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  23. ^ "Así ha anunciado Ortuzar la candidatura de Pradales y la despedida de Urkullu". El Correo (in Spanish). 25 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  24. ^ Izarra, Josean (25 November 2023). "El PNV sorprende con el gestor Imanol Pradales como sustituto de Urkullu para las elecciones de 2024". El Mundo (in Spanish). Vitoria. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  25. ^ Vázquez, Míriam (24 January 2024). "Pradales liderará la lista del PNV por Bizkaia con un aval unánime". Noticias de Gipuzkoa (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  26. ^ Izarra, Josean (27 January 2024). "Pradales arremete contra los "populismos" en su primer acto oficial como sustituto de Urkullu para derrotar a EH Bildu". El Mundo (in Spanish). Durango. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  27. ^ Jones, Sam (19 April 2024). "Basque election: leftwing coalition partly descended from Eta leads in polls". The Guardian. Madrid. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  28. ^ Heller, Fernando (8 April 2024). "Far-left close to victory in Basque election". Euractiv. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  29. ^ Menéndez, María (19 April 2024). "La campaña de las elecciones vascas llega a su fin marcada por Osakidetza, los vetos y ETA en su recta final". RTVE (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  30. ^ Marín, Elena (20 April 2024). "Euskadi concluye una campaña "atípica" marcada por el viraje provocado por la sombra del pasado". El Periódico de España (in Spanish). San Sebastián. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  31. ^ Pereda, Rubén. "Otxandiano, sobre si ETA fue una organización terrorista: "Fue un grupo armado. Afortunadamente no existe"". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Vitoria-Gasteiz. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  32. ^ Guimón, Pablo (16 April 2024). "Un hombre ataca con un espray pimienta al candidato del PNV al terminar un mitin en Barakaldo". El País (in Spanish). Bilbao. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  33. ^ "Pradales perdió la visión del ojo izquierdo durante el debate electoral tras el ataque recibido con un espray de pimienta". Vozpópuli (in Spanish). 17 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  34. ^ Rioja Andueza, Iker (17 April 2024). "Pradales se lanza a confrontar con EH Bildu en el debate decisivo para evitar la derrota del PNV en las elecciones vascas". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Vitoria. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  35. ^ "Los candidatos a lehendakari condenan el ataque a Pradales y le muestran su apoyo" (in Spanish). EITB. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  36. ^ Serra, Ot (22 April 2024). "El PNV aguanta la embestida de Bildu y Pradales será lendakari". Ara (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  37. ^ Jones, Sam (22 April 2024). "Basque separatists make historic gains but fail to win election outright". The Guardian. Madrid. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  38. ^ García, Verónica; Pascual, María; Vilches, Sandra (21 April 2024). "El PNV puede revalidar su coalición con los socialistas en País Vasco tras un empate inédito con EH Bildu en escaños". Newtral (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 June 2024.
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Political offices
Preceded by Lehendakari of the Basque Country
2024–present 		Incumbent
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