José Antonio Monago Terraza (born 10 January 1966) is a Spanish politician who belongs to the People's Party (PP) who served as President of the Regional Government of Extremadura, the Extremaduran regional administration, from 2011 to 2015. Outside of political life, Monago received a Doctorate in Law from the University of Salamanca[1] He became Extremaduran regional leader of the PP in 2007 and served as a city councillor in Badajoz and as a PP deputy in the Extremaduran Assembly.[2] The Extremaduran Assembly appointed him to the Spanish Senate in 2008.[2]

José Antonio Monago
President of the Regional Government of Extremadura
In office
4 July 2011 – 1 July 2015
MonarchsJuan Carlos I
Felipe VI
Preceded byGuillermo Fernández Vara
Succeeded byGuillermo Fernández Vara
Member of the Assembly of Extremadura
In office
25 May 2003 – 31 August 2023
ConstituencyBadajoz
Member of the Senate
Assumed office
19 July 2019
ConstituencyAssembly of Extremadura (2019-2023)
Badajoz (2023-present)
In office
3 April 2008 – 7 July 2011
ConstituencyAssembly of Extremadura
Member of the Badajoz City Council
In office
4 July 1991 – 8 November 2008
Personal details
Born (1966-01-10) 10 January 1966 (age 58)
Quintana de la Serena, Extremadura, Spain
Political partyPP
Alma materUniversity of Salamanca

Biography edit

Monago was chosen as the PP candidate for President of the Regional Government of Extremadura in the 2011 Extremaduran elections. The elections saw the PP emerge as the largest party in Extremadura for the first time,[3] although they fell one seat short of an absolute majority. The outgoing President, Guillermo Fernández Vara of the PSOE, attempted to secure re-election by forming a pact with United Left (IU).[4] However IU declined to support the PSOE and abstained in the Presidential vote with the result that Monago became the first PP President of the Regional Government of Extremadura.[5] Nine months later, Monago's minority government is threatened to collapse after the IU agreed to re-negotiate with PSOE after parliamentary elections in Andalusia and Asturias on 25 March 2012.[6]

In November 2014, it was leaked that Monago could have used public money of the Senate in 2009 and 2010 to make 32 visits to his then girlfriend in the Canary Islands[7] He promised to give the money back,[8] but he later took that promise back.[9]

This issue reached the Supreme Court,[10] which closed the matter because the journalistic information was not credited. "The complaint was inadmissible for not being the facts constituting any criminal offense". Currently, José Antonio Monago is Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.[11]

He was elected to the 15th Senate of Spain representing Badajoz in the 2023 Spanish general election.

References edit

  1. ^ El Pais profile Archived 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine accessed 4 July 2011
  2. ^ a b Monago sustituye a Floriano como senador por la región El Periodico de Extremadura, 3 April 2008
  3. ^ Election results in Extremadura historiaelectoral.com accessed 4 July 2011
  4. ^ Vara ve el pacto PSOE-IU como 'única salida' El Mundo, 23 May 2011
  5. ^ Extremadura da por hecho el cambio político La Vanguardia, 4 July 2011
  6. ^ El PSOE alienta los pactos con IU para recuperar el Gobierno en Extremadura El Pais, 26 March 2012
  7. ^ P. Cervilla (November 7, 2014). "El PP desconoce si Monago viajó 32 veces a C2anarias como senador". Madrid: ABC.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Carlos E. Cué (November 8, 2014). "Monago: "Voy a devolver hasta el último céntimo"". El País. Cáceres.
  9. ^ "Monago no devolverá el dinero de sus viajes al considerar que están justificados por actos de partido". eldiario.es. November 17, 2014.
  10. ^ "El Supremo archiva la querella contra Monago pero pide regular los viajes de políticos". 26 March 2015.
  11. ^ Monago, presidente la la Comisión de Presupuestos

External links edit

Political offices
Preceded by President of the Regional Government of Extremadura
2011-2015
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by President of the People's Party in Extremadura
2008–2022
Succeeded by
Incumbent