Maider Etxebarria

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Etxebarria and the second or maternal family name is García.
Maider Etxebarria
Etxebarria in 2018
Mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 June 2023
Preceded byGorka Urtaran
Deputy Mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz[1]
In office
5 July 2019 – 17 June 2023
Preceded byPeio López de Munain
Succeeded byBeatriz Artolazabal
Personal details
Born (1976-07-08) 8 July 1976 (age 48)
Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Political partyPSE-EE

Maider Etxebarria García (born 8 July 1976) is a Spanish politician. A member of the Socialist Party of the Basque Country, she has served as mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz since 2023.

Biography

Maider Etxebarria was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 1976. She graduated as a technician in companies and tourism from the University of Deusto in 1999. She obtained a degree in German studies from the University of the Basque Country in 2014.[2]

She was named Director of Tourism and Hospitality of the Basque Government in 2016. She served in that post until 2019, when she stood as the candidate of the Socialist Party for mayor of Vitoria-Gasteiz.[3] Despite most opinion polls predicting a poor result for her candidacy, she finished a close second behind Gorka Urtaran of the Basque Nationalist Party.[4] Her party entered a coalition with the Basque Nationalist Party after the election and she was subsequently named deputy mayor.[5]

She finished second again in the 2023 election, behind Rocío Vitero of EH Bildu.[6] In the aftermath of the election, she was elected mayor with the support of the Basque Nationalist Party and the People's Party.[7] She is the first woman to hold the post.

References

  1. ^ Decreto de Alcaldía. Delegación de Competencias (PDF) (Decree) (in Spanish). Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council. 5 July 2019 – via BOTHA.
  2. ^ Lobera, Andrea (11 June 2023). "Políglota y deportista incansable: Maider Etxebarria, la futura alcaldesa de Vitoria". Crónica Vasca (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  3. ^ Cueto, Iosu (18 September 2018). "Maider Etxebarria será la aspirante del PSE a la Alcaldía de Vitoria". El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  4. ^ Goñi, Andrés (27 May 2019). "Sorpresa del PSE, segunda fuerza política en Vitoria". Noticias de Álava (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Maider Etxebarria se presenta a las primarias para repetir como candidata del PSE a la alcaldía de Vitoria". Cadena SER (in Spanish). 16 September 2022. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  6. ^ Crespo, Íñigo (28 May 2023). "Bildu logra un triunfo histórico en Vitoria y el PNV se hunde hasta el cuarto puesto". El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  7. ^ Crespo, Íñigo (17 June 2023). "Maider Etxebarria recupera la Alcaldía de Vitoria para el PSE". El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 June 2023.