Ana Botella
Botella in 2015
Mayor of Madrid
In office
27 December 2011 – 13 June 2015
Preceded byAlberto Ruiz-Gallardón
Manuel Cobo [es] (interim)
Succeeded byManuela Carmena
Personal details
Born (1953-07-23) 23 July 1953 (age 70)
Madrid, Spain
Political partyPeople's Alliance (1978–1989)
People's Party (since 1989)
Spouse
​
(m. 1977)​
Children3
Alma materComplutense University of Madrid
Profession
  • Civil servant
  • politician
Signature

Ana Botella Serrano (born 23 July 1953) is a Spanish politician who served as the Mayor of Madrid from the end of 2011 until 2015 and the Spouse of the Prime Minister when her husband José María Aznar. She was the first female Mayor of Madrid.

Early life

Botella was born in Madrid on 23 July 1953.[1] She took her primary education at the Colegio Irlandesas Madrid, associated with the Congregation of Jesus.[2] She then studied law at Complutense University of Madrid. After graduating, she passed a public examination to the Corps of Civil Administrators of the State,[3]

Early political career

Botella joined the People's Alliance in 1978.[4] She served for 14 years as civil servant in the Ministry of the Interior, the Civil Governance of Logroño, the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Finance in Valladolid.[5]

Botella in 1996 in La Moncloa

Politics of Madrid

In April 2013 before a plenary meeting of the city council

Botella served on the Madrid City Council from 2003 to 2011. During her terms, she served as deputy mayor to Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón and oversaw the Departments of Social Services (2003-2007) and Environment (2007-2011).[6] She was criticized for failure to tackle Madrid's air pollution which frequently exceeded permitted levels while she was responsible for the city's environment.[7] Botella was an outspoken climate change denier.[8]

In September 2013, Botella garnered national attention following embarrassing and nonsensical comments made in broken English during Madrid's push to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, which derailed what was otherwise a highly respected bid and turned her into a popular meme.[9]

When Ruiz-Gallardón resigned to become the Justice Minister in Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government, Botella became mayor on 27 December 2011. On 9 September 2014, Botella announced that she would not run for re-election in the May 2015 elections.[10]

Personal life

Botella married future Spanish Prime Minister José María Aznar in 1977.[11] The couple has three children: José María, Ana, and Alonso. Their daughter married businessman Alejandro Agag at the royal site of El Escorial on 5 September 2002.[12] Ana Botella has four grandchildren by her daughter.[citation needed]

Electoral history

Electoral history of Ana Botella
Election List Constituency List position Result
Madrid local election, 2003 PP - 3rd (out of 55)[13] Elected
Madrid local election, 2007 PP - 2nd (out of 57)[14] Elected
Madrid local election, 2011 PP - 2nd (out of 57)[15] Elected

References

  1. ^ Ceballos-Escalera y Gila (2003). "La familia de José María Aznar. Presidente del Gobierno (notas para una genealogía aragonesa y navarra)" (PDF). Cuadernos de Ayala. Madrid: Federación Española de Genealogía, Heráldica y Ciencias Históricas: 7–11. ISSN 1576-2068. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  2. ^ "El poder femenino en Madrid del 'clan de las irlandesas': Botella, la 'black' Cafranga, la mujer de González..." El Plural. 16 February 2015.
  3. ^ Treceño, Jaime G. (21 December 2011). "La hora de la ex primera dama". El Mundo.
  4. ^ "Con marcado perfil social". El Mundo. 9 January 2003.
  5. ^ Treceño (21 December 2011). "La hora de la ex primera damafirst=Jaime G." El Mundo.
  6. ^ (in Spanish) Ana Botella será la nueva concejala de Medio Ambiente de Madrid 20minutos
  7. ^ Sarah Rainsford (2011), "Madrid in smog warning to commuters"
  8. ^ Ana Botella, Deeply Unpopular Madrid Mayor, A Study In Political Falls From Grace
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ May 2015 elections for mayor
  11. ^ Elola, Joseba (16 March 2012). "Incógnita Botella". El País.
  12. ^ "In pictures: Aznar's daughter marries" 2002 report, BBC
  13. ^ "Madrid. Candidaturas proclamadas" (PDF). Boletín Oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid (100): 213–221. 29 April 2003. ISSN 1989-4791.
  14. ^ "Zona de Madrid. Candidaturas proclamadas" (PDF). Boletín Oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid (162): 254–280. 1 May 2007. ISSN 1989-4791.
  15. ^ "Madrod. Elecciones Locales 2011. Candidaturas proclamadas" (PDF). Boletín Oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid (97): 412–437. 26 April 2011. ISSN 1989-4791.

Bibliography

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Honorary titles Preceded byCarmen Romero López Spouse of the Prime Minister of Spain 1996–2004 Succeeded bySonsoles Espinosa Political offices Preceded byManuel Cobo [es] Acting Mayor of Madrid 2011–2015 Succeeded byManuela Carmena
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