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In this Basque name, the first surname is Pradales and the second is Gil.

Imanol Pradales Gil (born 21 April 1975) is a Basque politician and sociologist from Spain, member of the Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV). After leading his party in the 2024 regional election, he is expected to become the next Lehendakari.[1]

He served as Foral Deputy (regional minister) of Infrastructure and Territorial Development of the Foral Council of Bizkaia from 2023 to 2024, upon stepping down to contest the 2024 Basque regional election. He has held the position of Foral Deputy for Economic Promotion (2011-2015), for Economic and Territorial Development (2015-2019) and for Infrastructure and Territorial Development (2019-2023).[2][3][4][5]

Previously, he held the position of managing director of the public talent recruitment agency Bizkaia Talent, attached to the economic promotion department of the Foral Council of Bizkaia between 2007 and 2011.[6]

Early life

Imanol Pradales during his tenure as Foral Deputy of Economic Promotion
Imanol Pradales (left) gives a press conference on 23 January 2013.

Imanol Pradales Gil was born in 1975 in Santurtzi to a humble family of non-Basque-speakers.[7] His grandfather fought in the Spanish Civil War in the republican side, for which he received a financial compensation that allowed him to study at the University of Deusto.[8] He is the eldest of four brothers.

He studied at the Asti Leku Ikastola of Portugalete, a Basque private school, where he studied the primary, secondary and Baccalaureate education. There he was taught by Iñigo Urkullu, future Lehendakari of the Basque Country.[7]

He earned a Licentiate in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Deusto. He got his master's degree in Knowledge Management from the Technical University of Madrid and completed a postgraduate in Advanced Education Management at the IE Business School. In 2004, he returned to Deusto to receive his Doctorate in Sociology and Political Science and started working as a professor until 2007.[9]

Political career

In 2007, Pradales asked for a leave of absence from his position as professor after his former teacher and then president of the Basque Nationalist Party's Biscay Executive Branch Iñigo Urkullu asked him to enter into politics as the managing director of Bizkaia Talent, a Biscayan talent recruitment agency.

In 2011, he was appointed by the General Deputy of Biscay, José Luis Bilbao, as Foral deputy of Economic Development. Since then, he has served in the cabinets of the General Deputies Unai Rementería and Elixabete Etxanobe as Foral Deputy of Economic and Territorial Development under the former, and as Foral Deputy of Infrastructure and Territorial Development under the latter.[10]

In 2015, Pradales came under criticism after being disclosed that while at office he had bought 7,200 shares of the construction company Sacyr, which had been awarded several projects in Bizkaia such as the Autzagane tunnels and the Igorre by-pass.[11] Despite defending that the purchase "was legal and there is no conflict of interest" and ruling out his resignation, he acknowledged that he had made a "mistake" and sold all of his shares in the company.[12][13]

On 25 November 2023, the EAJ-PNV's National Executive Branch (Euzkadi Buru Batzar, EBB) appointed Pradales as the party's candidate for Lehendakari in the 2024 Basque regional election, replacing incumbent Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu.[14] The surprising dismissal of the incumbent Lehendakari and the appointment of a low-profile young man were seen as an attempt to promote a generational renewal in the party and to halt the growth of EH Bildu.[15] He was unanimously ratified as candidate for Lehendakari on 27 January 2024 by the General Assembly of the party and selected as the leading candidate for Biscay.[16][17]

On 16 April 2024, Pradales was attacked with pepper spray after attending a campaign rally at Barakaldo while he was heading to an electoral debate organized by the EITB.[18][19] His aggressor, a 49-years-old man, was immediately arrested by the Ertzaintza and Pradales was admitted to the Gurutzeta hospital after losing his sight in the left eye. Nonetheless, Pradales eventually took part in the debate, where the attack was condemned by every other candidate.[20][21]

See also

References

  1. ^ Goyoaga, Ander. "El PNV aguanta ante el empuje de EH Bildu e Imanol Pradales será lehendakari". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Bilbao. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  2. ^ "Sólo una cara nueva en el Gobierno de José Luis Bilbao | País Vasco | elmundo.es". www.elmundo.es. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  3. ^ "UNAI REMENTERIAK AHALDUN NAGUSI KARGUAREN ZINA EGIN DU ETA BERE GOBERNUAREN OSAKETA IRAGARRI DU - Komunikazioa - Bizkaia.eus". www.bizkaia.eus. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  4. ^ "Gobernu paritarioa osatu du Rementeriak berriro Ahaldun Nagusi aukeratua izan ostean, EAJko 7 diputatu eta PSEko beste birekin - Komunikazioa - Bizkaia.eus". www.bizkaia.eus. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  5. ^ "LAS JUNTAS GENERALES DE BIZKAIA ELIGEN A ELIXABETE ETXANOBE LANDAJUELA PRIMERA DIPUTADA GENERAL DEL TERRITORIO - Bizkaiko Batzar Nagusiak". jjggbizkaia.eus. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  6. ^ "A non-profit organization with a clear mission: to foster and facilitate the implementation of the necessary conditions for attracting, connecting and retaining in The Basque Country: Bizkaia Talent". The Silicon Review. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  7. ^ a b Ormazabal, Mikel (25 November 2023). "Imanol Pradales, de alumno de Urkullu en la 'ikastola' a sucederle como candidato". El País (in Spanish). San Sebastián. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  8. ^ Legasa, Adrián (25 November 2023). "Pradales, delfín de Ortuzar y alumno del 'maisu' Urkullu que remará la trainera del PNV". Crónica Vasca (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Así es Imanol Pradales, candidato de PNV a lehendakari y alumno de Urkullu, su "referente político", en la EGB". La Razón (in Spanish). Europa Press. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  10. ^ Fernández de Lucio, Iñigo (25 November 2023). "Imanol Pradales, un remero para retener la Lehendakaritza". El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  11. ^ "El diputado foral Imanol Pradales se hace con 7.200 acciones de la constructora Sacyr". Naiz (in Spanish). Bilbao. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  12. ^ Segovia, Mikel (1 December 2015). "Pradales anuncia que ha vendido las acciones de Sacyr y reconoce que su compra fue 'desacertada'". El Mundo (in Spanish). Bilbao. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  13. ^ Azumendi, Eduardo (1 December 2015). "El diputado Pradales admite su "error" al comprar acciones de una constructora, pero no dimite". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Así ha anunciado Ortuzar la candidatura de Pradales y la despedida de Urkullu". El Correo (in Spanish). 25 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  15. ^ Izarra, Josean (25 November 2023). "El PNV sorprende con el gestor Imanol Pradales como sustituto de Urkullu para las elecciones de 2024". El Mundo (in Spanish). Vitoria. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  16. ^ Vázquez, Míriam (24 January 2024). "Pradales liderará la lista del PNV por Bizkaia con un aval unánime". Noticias de Gipuzkoa (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  17. ^ Izarra, Josean (27 January 2024). "Pradales arremete contra los "populismos" en su primer acto oficial como sustituto de Urkullu para derrotar a EH Bildu". El Mundo (in Spanish). Durango. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  18. ^ Guimón, Pablo (16 April 2024). "Un hombre ataca con un espray pimienta al candidato del PNV al terminar un mitin en Barakaldo". El País (in Spanish). Bilbao. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  19. ^ "Pradales perdió la visión del ojo izquierdo durante el debate electoral tras el ataque recibido con un espray de pimienta". Vozpópuli (in Spanish). 17 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  20. ^ Rioja Andueza, Iker (17 April 2024). "Pradales se lanza a confrontar con EH Bildu en el debate decisivo para evitar la derrota del PNV en las elecciones vascas". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Vitoria. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  21. ^ "Los candidatos a lehendakari condenan el ataque a Pradales y le muestran su apoyo" (in Spanish). EITB. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.

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