Former Prime Minister of Spain
Born on 27 March 1955 in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Mariano Rajoy graduated from the University of Santiago de Compostela. Between 1996 and 2003, he held a series of senior government posts, including Minister for Public Administrations, Minister of Education and Culture, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidency, and Minister of the Interior. In 2004, he became President of the People's Party. After leading the party to victory in the November 2011 general election, he became Prime Minister of Spain and served until 2018.
His tenure coincided with a period of severe economic recession and high unemployment in Spain. To respond to the crisis, his government implemented broad economic reforms and austerity measures, aiming to reduce the fiscal deficit to meet EU requirements, and Spain ultimately emerged from recession in 2013. Under a complex domestic political environment, his government also faced the challenge of the Catalan separatist movement, and in 2017 imposed direct rule over Catalonia.