Jordi Sebastià

Jordi Sebastià i Talavera (born 1966) is a Spanish professor and politician. He was the mayor of Burjassot (2011–2014) and a Member of the European Parliament (2014–2016).

Biography

Sebastià became a professor of journalism at the University of Valencia in 2004, and has written for El Temps. He has also written independent journalism and is the author of several books.[1]

Representing the Valencian Nationalist Bloc (BNV) within the Coalició Compromís, Sebastià was elected to the town hall of his hometown of Burjassot near Valencia in 1999.[1] From 2003, he was his party's spokesman in the town hall. In 2011, he was elected mayor as fellow left-wing parties Socialist Party of the Valencian Country (PSPV) and United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV) voted to invest him and impede the People's Party (PP) candidate Cristina Subielda. The agreement maintained that the PSPV would govern in the last year of the mandate.[2]

Sebastià was indicted in court for a December 2012 incident in which he ordered the dismantling of a stall that the far-right party España 2000 had erected without municipal permission. The party accused him of impeding the right to free speech, and of inciting hatred.[3] The case was dismissed on appeal for the second time in March 2014.[4]

In March 2014, Sebastià received 54% of the votes to lead Compromís in the 2014 European Parliament election in Spain, in which they would be aligned with parties including Greens Equo and Chunta Aragonesista.[5] He was the sole member elected from his coalition, which was called the European Spring.[6] Per an agreement between the two parties, he ceded his seat to Equo's Florent Marcellesi in October 2016.[7]

In April 2019, Sebastià was chosen to lead the coalition for the 2019 European Parliament election in Spain, now named Commitment to Europe.[8] The party's votes fell by over 10,000, dropping from 1.92% to 1.31% and losing their only seat.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b "Jordi Sebastiá [sic] i Talavera". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  2. ^ García, César (12 June 2011). "El Bloc logra una vara de mando histórica en Burjassot" [The Bloc achieves a historic baton in Burjassot]. Levante-EMV (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  3. ^ "El alcalde de Burjassot se siente "perseguido" por España 2000" [The mayor of Burjassot feels "persecuted" by España 2000]. Levante-EMV (in Spanish). 9 April 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  4. ^ "La Justícia torna a desestimar la denuncia d'España 2000 contra Sebastià" [Court dismisses España 2000's complaint against Sebastià again]. Diari La Veu (in Catalan). 6 March 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Jordi Sebastià, elegido cabeza de lista de Compromís para las europeas con el 54% de los votos" [Jordi Sebastià, elected list leader for Compromís for the European elections with 54% of the votes] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 22 March 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Cuatro valencianos ocuparán un escaño en el Parlamento Europeo" [Four Valencians will occupy a seat in the European Parliament]. Las Provincias (in Spanish). EFE. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Jordi Sebastià (Compromís) deixa de ser eurodiputat i cedix l'escó a Equo en compliment del pacte de Primavera" [Jordi Sebastià (Compromís) no longer MEP and cedes the seat to Equo per the Spring pact] (in Catalan). Europa Press. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  8. ^ Loren, Eduardo (8 April 2019). "Jordi Sebastià encabezará la coalición Compromiso por Europa en las elecciones europeas" [Jordi Sebastià will lead the Commitment to Europe coalition in the European elections]. The Huffington Post (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Compromís se deja más de 10.000 votos en las europeas y Jordi Sebastià no logra volver a ser eurodiputado" [Commitment loses more than 10,000 votes in the European elections and Jordi Sebastià will not be an MEP again] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2021.