Mariano Rajoy

About

Mariano Rajoy Brey is a Spanish politician born on March 27, 1955, in Santiago de Compostela. He served as Prime Minister of Spain from 2011 to 2018. Rajoy's political career began in the early 1980s, when he became a deputy in the Galician Parliament. He held various positions, including Minister of Public Administration, Education and Culture, and Interior Minister under José María Aznar's government. Rajoy became the leader of the People's Party (PP) in 2004 and led the party through several elections. During his tenure as Prime Minister, Rajoy navigated Spain through a severe economic crisis. He implemented austerity measures to reduce the country's deficit, which included tax hikes and cuts to social welfare programs. Despite initial backlash, the economy began to recover by 2015. However, his government faced challenges such as high unemployment and separatist movements. Rajoy was ousted in 2018 through a vote of no confidence. Throughout his career, he has been a strong advocate for liberal democratic values and European integration.