Violeta Barba Borderías (born 1987)[1] is a Spanish lawyer and former politician of the Podemos party. Formerly the leader of the youth sector of the United Left of Aragon, she joined Podemos and was elected to the Cortes of Aragon in the 2015 election, becoming president of the Cortes (speaker) the following year; she was the first woman and youngest person in the office. She ran for mayor in the 2019 Zaragoza City Council election but resigned days after only winning two seats, and returned to the legal profession.
Violeta Barba | |
|---|---|
_Violeta_Barba_exige_verdad,_justicia_y_reparaci%C3%B3n_en_el_D%C3%ADa_de_la_Rep%C3%BAblica_(cropped).jpg) | |
| President of the Cortes of Aragon | |
| In office September 2016 – 26 May 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Antonio Cosculluela |
| Succeeded by | Javier Sada |
| Member of the Cortes of Aragon | |
| In office 24 May 2015 – 26 May 2019 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1987 Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain |
| Political party | Podemos |
| Education | University of Zaragoza |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Biography
editBorn in Zaragoza, Aragon, Barba graduated with a law degree from the University of Zaragoza and became a labour lawyer.[1] After taking part in the 15M movement, she led the youth sector of the United Left of Aragon, and left in late 2014. Endorsed by party leader Pablo Iglesias, she ran for leader of Podemos in her native region against Pablo Echenique,[2] but later conceded and ran as number two on his list as he was elected with 100% of the votes.[3]
In the 2015 Aragonese regional election, Podemos led by Echenique came third with 14 out of 67 seats.[4] Antonio Cosculluela of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) was elected President of the Cortes of Aragon (speaker), with Barba as his deputy.[5] When Cosculluela resigned in September 2016, Barba succeeded him, as the first woman in the office and the youngest person, aged 29. She was the second person from her party to preside over an autonomous legislature, after Ainhoa Aznárez in the Parliament of Navarre.[6]
In the primaries in February, Barba took 68.37% of the votes to be Podemos's candidate for mayor in the 2019 Zaragoza City Council election on 26 May.[7] Having come fifth and taken two of 16 seats, she resigned on 3 June, being replaced by Amparo Bella who was third on her list; she returned to her legal practice.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b Marco, Sara (4 July 2023). "De Rudi a Violeta Barba: 4 mujeres que han despuntado en la política aragonesa" [From Rudi to Violeta Barba: 4 women who have excelled in Aragonese politics] (in Spanish). RTVE. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ Millán, V. (1 February 2015). "Violeta Barba: "Podemos no puede ser patrimonio de nadie en Aragón"" [Violeta Barba: "Podemos can't be anyone's inheritance in Aragon"]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ "José Manuel López y Pablo Echenique serán los candidatos de Podemos en Madrid y Aragón" [José Manuel López and Pablo Echenqiue will be Podemos's candidates in Madrid and Aragon] (in Spanish). RTVE. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ Pérez, Roberto (18 June 2015). "Cada escaño de las Cortes de Aragón más fragmentadas de su historia costará 278.000 euros" [Each seat in the most fragmented Cortes of Aragon in history will cost 278,000 euros]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ "Todo preparado en las Cortes para la IX legislatura con más pluralidad y 39 caras nuevas" [Everything ready in the Cortes for the 9th legislature with more plurality and 39 new faces]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). EFE. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ "Violeta Barba, una vertiginosa carrera hasta la Presidencia de las Cortes" [Violeta Barba, a dizzying career to the Presidency of the Cortes]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). EFE. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ "Violeta Barba gana las primarias de Podemos al Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza" [Violeta Barba wins Podemos's primaries for Zaragoza City Council]. elDiario.es (in Spanish). 8 February 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ López, Manuel (3 June 2019). "Violeta Barba renuncia a su acta como concejal tras el fracaso de Podemos en las elecciones del 26-M" [Violeta Barba renounces her office as counicllor after Podemos's failure in the 26 May elections]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 August 2023.