Iñigo Urkullu


Íñigo Urkullu Renteria is a Spanish politician, and the current Lehendakari of the Basque Government since 2012.

Life

Urkullu graduated in Teaching, specialized in Basque language, from the University of Deusto. He was the Basque Nationalist Party chairman from 2008 to 2013 when he was succeeded by Andoni Ortuzar, since the party's rules do not allow a Lehendakari to be the party's chairman at the same time.
He was the Biscay leader of the party from 2004 to 2008 and has been a member since 1996. He was the director of the Biscay foral Department for Youth and Social Services from 1987 to 1994 and served in the Basque Parliament from 1984 to 1987 and from 1994 to 2005.
Amid the 2017-18 Spanish constitutional crisis, Urkullu tried to mediate between the Spanish and Catalan governments to avoid the declaration of independence and the application of Article 155, but these attempts failed. He declared as a witness in the Trial of Catalonia independence leaders on 28 February 2019.