Cristóbal Montoro Romero

 Manuel Chaves González was born in Ceuta on 7th July 1945 and is a Doctor in Law from the University of Seville, where he worked as a temporary lecturer while completing his doctoral thesis, before occupying a permanent position in Bilbao (1975-1977) and later in the Law Faculty in Cordoba.

He was President of the Regional Government of Andalusia from 27th July 1990 to 7th April 2009, when he was sworn in as Third Vice-President of the Government and Minister of Territorial Policy. Manuel Chaves was also a member of the Spanish Government from 1986 to 1990, as the Minister for Employment and Social Security.

From 1990 until his incorporation in the Government, he was also a Member of Parliament for Cadiz in the Regional Parliament, a constituency which he had previously represented as a Member of Parliament in the Lower House (1977-1990).

As a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and the General Workers’ Union (UGT) since 1968, Manuel Chaves participated in the reconstruction of these two organizations in Andalusia during Franco’s Regime and the transition to democracy. He was a member of PSOE’s Federal Executive Committee between 1981 and 1986, to which he was re-elected in 1990 and 1994.

In July 2000, he was elected President of the PSOE and was also the Party’s Secretary General in Andalusia from April 1994 until 12th March past. In his trade union period, he was a member of the UGT Confederate Executive Committee between 1976 and 1986.

As Minister for Employment and Social Security, Manuel Chaves promoted the European Charter of Fundamental Social Rights of Workers and the approval of legislation such as the Cooperatives Act, Maternity Leave Act, Law on Infractions and Sanctions in Social Order, Reform of Social Security Funding and the Law on Non-contributive Assistance, among others.

During Manuel Chaves’ Presidency of the Regional Government of Andalusia, the region has undergone an intense process of modernization and economic convergence with the rest of the European regions. The extension of the Welfare State, with an important block of social measures, and the approval of the new Statute of Autonomy can also be highlighted during his period at the helm of the Regional Government.