Eduardo Andrés Julio Zaplana Hernández-Soro (born 3 April 1956) is a Spanish politician who served as Minister of Labour and Social Issues from 2002 to 2004, President of the Valencian Government from 1995 to 2002 and Spokesperson of the Partido Popular (PP) in the Spanish Congress of Deputies from 2004 to 2008.

Eduardo Zaplana
Eduardo Zaplana, 2004
Minister of Labor and Social Issues
In office
10 July 2002 – 18 April 2004
PresidentJosé María Aznar
Preceded byJuan Carlos Aparicio
Succeeded byJesús Caldera
President of the Valencian Government
In office
3 July 1995 – 10 July 2002
Vice PresidentJosé Luis Olivas
Preceded byJoan Lerma
Succeeded byJosé Luis Olivas
Member of the Congress of Deputies
In office
14 March 2004 – 9 March 2008
ConstituencyValencia
In office
9 March 2008 – 30 April 2008
ConstituencyMadrid
Personal details
Born
Eduardo Andrés Julio Zaplana Hernández-Soro

(1956-04-03) 3 April 1956 (age 68)
Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
Political partyPeople's Party
Other political
affiliations
Union of the Democratic Centre
SpouseRosa Barceló
Children3

Biography

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A lawyer, Zaplana studied at the University of Alicante. After involvement in the now defunct Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD), Zaplana joined PP. He served as mayor of Benidorm from 1991 to 1994; he also served in the Valencian Regional Parliament as a deputy, becoming president of the Valencian Community in 1995, a position he held until 24 July 2002. He resigned after being appointed Minister of Employment and Social Security, a post he held until the 2004 General Election.

He served as a senator from 2002 until 2004, when he was elected to the Spanish Congress, representing Valencia and becoming PP's main spokesman in Congress.

For 2008, he changed electoral districts, moving to Madrid, where he was fourth on the PP list.[1] Following PP's election defeat in March 2008, he resigned as PP Spokesman, stating that he intended to become a backbench MP.[2] On 29 April, he resigned as PP MP altogether, announcing that he would become a European delegate for Telefónica.

In 2017, the media reported some of his opinions about Spanish conservative leaders.[3]

In May 2018, Eduardo Zaplana was arrested for money laundering and bribery. The general coordinator of PP, Fernando Martínez Maíllo, announced that party will suspend Zaplana's party membership.[4]

Personal life

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He is married with three children.

References

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  1. ^ EFE (23 January 2008). "Mato i Zaplana seran els números tres i quatre de la llista electoral del PP per Madrid". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Catalan). Madrid. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  2. ^ h.b. (13 March 2008). "Eduardo Zaplana quits as the Partido Popular spokesman in Congress". Typically Spanish. Archived from the original on 20 March 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
  3. ^ "Los trapos sucios del PP, al descubierto en las grabaciones del caso Lezo". Cadena SER (in Spanish). Madrid. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  4. ^ "The PP announces that it will suspend from militancy to Zaplana". Turkey Telegraph. 22 May 2018. Archived from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
edit
  • Biography at Spanish Congress site. [1]
  • Transcription of telephone conversation between Eduardo Zaplana and Salvador Palop related to the Naseiro corruption case (in Spanish). [2] Archived 2009-12-15 at the Wayback Machine
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Benidorm
1991-1994
Succeeded by
Preceded by President of the Valencian Government
1995–2002
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Labor and Social Issues
2002-2004
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by President of the People's Party in Valencia
1993–2004
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Popular Group in the Congress of Deputies
2004–2008
Succeeded by