View source for Joaquín Almunia

{{Short description|Spanish politician (born 1948)}}
{{update|date=November 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{family name hatnote|Almunia|Amann|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Joaquín Almunia
| image               = Joaquin Almunia Mercosul.jpg
| office              = [[European Commissioner for Competition]]
| president           = [[José Manuel Barroso]]
| term_start          = 9 February 2010
| term_end            = 1 November 2014
| predecessor         = [[Neelie Kroes]]
| successor           = [[Margrethe Vestager]]
| office1             = [[European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs]]
| president1          = [[Romano Prodi]]<br />[[José Manuel Barroso]]
| term_start1         = 24 April 2004
| term_end1           = 9 February 2010<br />Served with [[Siim Kallas]]
| predecessor1        = [[Pedro Solbes]]
| successor1          = [[Olli Rehn]]
| office2             = [[Leader of the Opposition (Spain)|Leader of the Opposition]]
| primeminister2      = [[José María Aznar]]
| term_start2         = 14 May 1999
| term_end2           = 1 July 2000
| predecessor2        = [[Josep Borrell]]
| successor2          = [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]]
| primeminister3      = [[José María Aznar]]
| term_start3         = 22 June 1997
| term_end3           = 24 April 1998
| predecessor3        = [[Felipe González]]
| successor3          = [[Josep Borrell]]
| office4             = [[Cabinet of Spain|Minister of Public Administrations]]
| primeminister4      = [[Felipe González]]
| term_start4         = 26 July 1986
| term_end4           = 12 March 1991
| predecessor4        = [[Félix Pons Irazazábal]]
| successor4          = [[Juan Manuel Eguiagaray]]
| office5             = [[Cabinet of Spain|Minister of Labor and Nacional Health Service]]
| primeminister5      = [[Felipe González]]
| term_start5         = 2 December 1982
| term_end5           = 26 July 1986
| predecessor5        = [[Santiago Rodríguez Miranda]]
| successor5          = [[Manuel Chaves González]]
| birthname           = Joaquín Almunia Amann
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1948|6|17|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Bilbao]], [[Spanish State|Spain]]
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[Spanish Socialist Workers' Party|Socialist Workers' Party]]
| alma_mater          = [[University of Deusto]]<br />[[École pratique des hautes études|Practical School for Advanced Studies]]
| caption             = Almunia in 2007
}}
'''Joaquín Almunia Amann''' (born 17 June 1948) is a Spanish politician and former member of the [[European Commission]]. During his tenure in the two [[Barroso Commission]]s, he was European commissioner responsible for economic and monetary affairs (2004–2009) and, subsequently, vice-president and the [[European Commissioner for Competition]] (2009–2014).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.euronews.net/2009/11/27/barroso-names-new-eu-commission-team/ |title=Barroso names new EU commission team |work=[[Euronews]] |access-date=27 November 2009 |date=27 November 2009 |archive-date=29 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229173707/http://www.euronews.net/2009/11/27/barroso-names-new-eu-commission-team/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> 

Previously, he had been [[Spain|Spanish]] Minister for Employment (1982–1986) and Public Administrations (1986–1991). From 1997 to 2000, he was the [[Leader of the Opposition (Spain)|leader of the opposition]] as secretary general of the [[Spanish Socialist Workers' Party]], standing in and losing the [[2000 Spanish general election]] against the then incumbent Spanish [[prime minister]], [[José María Aznar]].

==Early life and education==
Born in [[Bilbao]] on 17 June 1948 to a [[Bourgeoisie|bourgeois]] family, son to an engineer (father) of [[Valencia]]n origin and a cultivated mother, daughter of a German physician of Jewish ancestry.<ref name=ordaz>{{Cite journal|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2000/02/13/espana/950396409_850215.html|title=El candidato que reescribió su propio guión|date=13 February 2000|first=Pablo|journal=[[El País]]|last=Ordaz}}</ref> His grandfather Isaac Amann was one of the promoters of the Bilbao–Getxo railway.<ref name=ordaz /> Almunia attended the Jesuit School of Indautxu in Bilbao.<ref name=ordaz /> He graduated with degrees in economics and law in 1971 and 1972, respectively, from the also Jesuit [[University of Deusto]] in Bilbao, and completed follow-up studies at the [[École pratique des hautes études]] in Paris, from 1970 to 1971. He also completed a program at the [[Harvard Kennedy School]] at [[Harvard University]] for senior managers in government in 1991. He was an associate lecturer on employment and social security law at the [[University of Alcalá de Henares]] from 1991 to 1994.<ref name=CV>{{cite web|title=CV Joaquín Almunia|url=http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/almunia/about/cv/index_en.htm|publisher=European Commission|access-date=12 February 2013}}</ref>

==Career==
=== Parliamentary and government posts ===
[[File:(Joaquín Almunia) Felipe González acompañado de varios ministros visitan la exposición de las maquetas de las olimpiadas de Barcelona 92. Pool Moncloa. 4 de mayo de 1990 (cropped).jpeg|thumb|upright=0.7|left|Almunia in May 1990]]
Almunia was chief economist of the [[Unión General de Trabajadores]] (UGT), a trade union linked to the [[Spanish Socialist Workers' Party]] (PSOE), from 1976 to 1979. He was economist at the Council Bureau of the Spanish Chambers of Commerce in [[Brussels]] from 1972 to 1975.

Almunia was a member of the [[Congress of Deputies]] from 1979 to 2004, representing [[Madrid (Spanish Congress Electoral District)|Madrid]]. He served as Minister of Employment and Social Security of the [[Government of Spain]] from 1982 to 1986 and as Minister of Public Administration from 1986 to 1991. He was replaced by [[Juan Manuel Eguiagaray]] in the latter post.<ref>{{cite book |title=New Wine in Old Bottles: How New Democracies Deal with Inherited Bureaucratic Apparatuses. The Experiences of Mexico and Spain |url=http://www.libreriacide.com/librospdf/DTAP-190.pdf |work=CIDE |access-date=4 September 2013 |first=Guillermo |last=M. Cejudo |date=March 2007 |issue=190 |pages=36}}</ref> He was also the PSOE spokesperson from 1994 to 1997.

=== Socialist party leader ===
Upon the resignation of [[Felipe González]] after being defeated in the [[1996 Spanish general election|1996 elections]], the PSOE Convention (''Congreso federal'') appointed Almunia as the party leader (Secretary-General), a position he held from 1997 to 2000.
[[File:José María Aznar recibe al secretario general del PSOE.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.7|Almunia received by PM [[José María Aznar]] in 1997 at [[La Moncloa]].]]
In 1998, fellow party member and former minister [[Josep Borrell]] decided to run against Almunia,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/03/22/espana/890521205_850215.html|title=Borrell anuncia que disputará a Almunia la candidatura a la presidencia del Gobierno|date=1998-03-22|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-17|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref> in the first national [[1998 PSOE prime ministerial primary|primary election]] ever held in the PSOE since the [[Second Spanish Republic|Second Republic]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/03/22/espana/890521208_850215.html|title=Tribuna {{!}} ¿Quien teme a las primarias?|date=1998-03-22|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-17|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref> intended to determine who the party would nominate as its prime ministerial candidate vis-à-vis the [[2000 Spanish general election|2000 general election]]. Borrell ran as the underdog, campaigning as the candidate of the socialist base against the party establishment, which largely supported Almunia, including former Prime Minister González.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/03/22/espana/890521209_850215.html|title=El verbo radical de Borrell reta al sobrio liderazgo de Almunia|date=1998-03-22|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-17|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/04/20/espana/893023204_850215.html|title=Borrell ve "curioso" que "todos los altos cargos" del PSOE apoyen a Almunia|date=1998-04-20|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-18|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/04/24/espana/893368805_850215.html|title=Tribuna {{!}} El efecto Borrell|date=1998-04-24|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-17|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/05/02/madrid/894108256_850215.html|title=Tribuna {{!}} Borrell|date=1998-05-02|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-17|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/politica/2011/05/24/actualidad/1306248688_742769.html|title=Las otras primarias|last=Alcaide|first=Soledad|date=2011-05-24|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-18|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref> Unexpectedly, Borrell won the primary election,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/04/25/espana/893455228_850215.html|title=Borrell gana y trastoca la situación del PSOE|date=1998-04-25|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-17|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref> commanding 114,254 of the member's votes (54.99%), versus the 92,860 (44.67%) obtained by Almunia.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/05/07/espana/894492018_850215.html|title=Borrell gana por 21.394 votos a Almunia en las primarias|date=1998-05-07|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-17|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|journal=[[El País]]|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/05/07/espana/894492018_850215.html|date=7 May 1998|title=Borrell gana por 21.394 votos a Almunia en las primarias }}</ref> Thus began an uneasy relationship and power-sharing —the "bicefalia" (''duumvirate'')— between the official party leader, Almunia, and the prime ministerial candidate elected by the members in the primaries, Borrell.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/04/28/espana/893714401_850215.html|title=Borrell exigirá a Almunia el control sobre la maquinaria electoral y el programa socialista|date=1998-04-28|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-17|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/04/26/espana/893541604_850215.html|title=Borrell será el portavoz socialista en el Congreso y hablará en el debate del estado de la nación|date=1998-04-26|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-17|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1998/05/01/espana/893973601_850215.html|title=El PSOE concede a Borrell el papel de líder de la oposición y evita el congreso extraordinario|date=1998-05-01|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-17|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://elpais.com/politica/2017/05/20/actualidad/1495280668_452787.html|title=Por un puñado de votos, con sorpresas y con heridas|last=Garea|first=Fernando|date=2017-05-20|work=El País|access-date=2019-07-18|language=es|issn=1134-6582}}</ref> However, in May 1999, a fraud investigation affecting two former officials appointed by Borrell several years earlier while he was at the Ministry of Finance, led to his resignation as Prime Ministerial candidate.

In [[2000 Spanish general election|2000]], Almunia was therefore the PSOE candidate for [[Prime Minister of Spain|prime minister]]. The party was again defeated by incumbent Prime Minister [[José María Aznar]] of the conservative [[People's Party (Spain)|PP]], suffering its worst result in a general election since the [[Spanish transition to democracy]], which resulted in an absolute majority for Aznar. As a result, Almunia resigned as PSOE leader.

Almunia was the director of the research program on "equality and redistribution of income" at the Fundación Argentaria from 1991 to 1994. In 2002 he founded and served as director of a progressive [[think tank]] called [[Laboratorio de Alternativas]] ([[Fundación Alternativas]]).

=== European Commissioner ===
[[File:ES komisāra H.Almunjas tikšanās ar Latvijas valdības locekļiem (4007187633).jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|right|Almunia in October 2009 next to Latvian PM [[Valdis Dombrovskis]].]]
He first joined the [[Prodi Commission]] on 26 April 2004 as a successor to [[Pedro Solbes]] (who had resigned to join the new [[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero|Zapatero government]]) and was reappointed by Barroso in November 2004.

As EU Commissioner for Competition, Almunia was in charge of [[State aid (European Union)|state aid]] and antitrust investigations relating to Google<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2024-09-16|title=MEPs to question Almunia about delays in Google case|url=https://www.politico.eu/article/meps-to-question-almunia-about-delays-in-google-case/|date=2014|website=POLITICO}}</ref> and to the tax planning practices of Apple, Starbucks and Fiat,<ref>{{Cite web |title=State aid: Commission investigates transfer pricing arrangements on corporate taxation of Apple (Ireland) Starbucks (Netherlands) and Fiat Finance and Trade (Luxembourg) |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-663_en.htm |work=[[European Commission]] |access-date=11 June 2014 |date=11 June 2014 |first1=Antoine |last1=Colombani |first2=Yizhou |last2=Ren}}</ref> as well as Amazon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=State aid: Commission investigates transfer pricing arrangements on corporate taxation of Amazon in Luxembourg |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-1105_en.htm |access-date=7 October 2014 |work=[[European Commission]] |date=7 October 2014 |first1=Antoine |last1=Colombani |first2=Yizhou |last2=Ren}}</ref> The cases were wrapped up in 2016 by his successor Vestager and eventually closed by the CJEU in 2024, which upheld the Commission's decision.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Hanna|last1=Ziady|access-date=2024-09-16|title=Europe’s top court just delivered multi-billion-dollar blows to Apple and Google - CNN Business|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/10/tech/europe-ruling-apple-tax-google-fine/index.html|date=2024-09-10|website=CNN}}</ref>

He is an Honorary Fellow of [[St Edmund's College, Cambridge]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/people/mr-joaqu%C3%ADn-almunia |work=[[St Edmund's College, Cambridge|St Edmund's College]] |publisher=[[University of Cambridge]] |access-date=10 September 2018 |title=Mr Joaquín Almunia |archive-date=10 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180910204105/http://www.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/people/mr-joaqu%C3%ADn-almunia |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Other activities==
===International organizations===
* [[European Bank for Reconstruction and Development]] (EBRD), Ex-Officio Member of the Board of Governors (2004–2010)<ref>[https://www.200.com/downloads/research/annual/ar05a.pdf 2005 Annual Report]{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} [[European Bank for Reconstruction and Development]] (EBRD).</ref>

===Non-profit organizations===
* Aristide Merloni Foundation, Member of the Scientific Council (since 2019)<ref>[https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/10061/2016/EN/10061-2016-2165-EN-F1-1.PDF Minutes of the 2165thmeeting of the Commission held in Brussels (Berlaymont) on 20 April 2016] [[European Commission]].</ref>
* [[Ambrosetti Forum|The European House – Ambrosetti]], Member of the Scientific Committee for 'Building the Energy Union to Fuel European Growth' (2015)<ref>[https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/10061/2015/EN/10061-2015-2135-EN-F1-1.PDF Minutes of the 2135th meeting of the Commission held in Brussels (Berlaymont) on 15 July 2015] [[European Commission]].</ref>
* [[Centre for European Policy Studies]] (CEPS), Chairman
* [[Centre for European Reform]], Member of the Advisory Board
* [[European Council on Foreign Relations]] (ECFR), Member
* [[European Policy Centre]] (EPC), Member of the Strategic Council<ref>[http://www.epc.eu/about_council.php  Strategic Council] [[European Policy Centre]] (EPC).</ref>
* Friends of Europe, Member of the Board of Trustees
* [[Jacques Delors Institute]], Member of the Board of Directors

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Joaquín Almunia}}
* [http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/2010/mediaGallery.cfm?&gallery=yes&sitelang=en#7594 Joaquín Almunia, Official Media Gallery]

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Jesús Sancho Rof]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Cabinet of Spain|Minister of Labor and Nacional Health Service]]|years=1982–1986}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Manuel Chaves González]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Félix Pons Irazazábal]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Cabinet of Spain|Minister of Public Administrations]]|years=1986–1991}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Juan Manuel Eguiagaray]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Felipe González]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Leader of the Opposition (Spain)|Leader of the Opposition]]|years=1997–2000}}
{{s-vac|next=[[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|rows=2|before=[[Pedro Solbes]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of European Commissioners by nationality#Spain|Spanish European Commissioner]]|years=2004–2014}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Miguel Arias Cañete]]}}
|-
{{s-ttl|title=[[European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs|European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs]]|years=2004–2010|alongside=[[Siim Kallas]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Olli Rehn]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Neelie Kroes]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[European Commissioner for Competition]]|years=2010–2014}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Margrethe Vestager]]}}
|-
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef||before=[[Carlos Solchaga]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Leader of the [[Spanish Socialist Workers' Party|Socialist Group]] in the [[Congress of Deputies (Spain)|Congress of Deputies]]| years=1994–1997}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Juan Manuel Eguiagaray]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Felipe Gonzalez]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Secretary General of the [[Spanish Socialist Workers' Party]]|years=1997–2000}}
{{s-vac|next=[[José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Spanish Socialist Workers' Party}}
{{Leaders of the Opposition (Spain)}}
{{First Barroso Commission}}
{{Second Barroso Commission}}{{European Commissioners from Spain}}{{European Commissioner for Competition}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Almunia, Joaquin}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:European commissioners for competition]]
[[Category:Harvard Kennedy School alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the 1st Congress of Deputies (Spain)]]
[[Category:Members of the 2nd Congress of Deputies (Spain)]]
[[Category:Members of the 3rd Congress of Deputies (Spain)]]
[[Category:Members of the 4th Congress of Deputies (Spain)]]
[[Category:Members of the 5th Congress of Deputies (Spain)]]
[[Category:Members of the 6th Congress of Deputies (Spain)]]
[[Category:Members of the 7th Congress of Deputies (Spain)]]
[[Category:Members of the 8th Congress of Deputies (Spain)]]
[[Category:Politicians from Bilbao]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 2nd Class]]
[[Category:Spanish European commissioners]]
[[Category:Spanish Socialist Workers' Party politicians]]
[[Category:University of Deusto alumni]]
[[Category:University of Paris alumni]]
[[Category:Spanish expatriates in France]]
[[Category:Secretaries-general of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party]]