Josep Borrell
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Josep Borrell Fontelles (Template:IPA; born 24 April 1947) is a Spanish politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission from 2019 to 2024. A member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), he served as President of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007 and as Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation from 2018 to 2019.
Born and raised in the Catalan village of La Pobla de Segur, Borrell is an aeronautical engineer and economist by training as well as a professor of mathematics. He entered politics in the 1970s as a member of the PSOE during Spain's transition to democracy, and went on to serve in several positions during the governments of Felipe González, first within the Ministry of Economy and Finance as General Secretary for the Budget and Public Spending (1982–1984) and Secretary of State for Finance (1984–1991), then joining the Council of Ministers as Minister of Public Works and Transport (1991–1996). In the opposition after the 1996 election, Borrell unexpectedly won the PSOE primary in 1998 and became Leader of the Opposition and the designated prime ministerial candidate of the party until he resigned in 1999. He then switched to European politics, becoming a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) during the 2004–2009 legislative period and serving as President of the European Parliament for the first half of the term.
He returned to the Council of Ministers in June 2018, when he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation in the Sánchez government. In July 2019, Borrell was announced as the European Council's nominee to be appointed High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. He took office in December 2019.
Early life and career
Josep (or José)Template:Refn Borrell Fontelles was born on 24 April 1947 in the Catalan village of La Pobla de Segur, province of Lleida, near the Pyrenees, son of Joan Borrell (father) and Luisa Fontelles Doll (mother).<ref name=pobladesegur>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He grew up in the village, where his father owned a small bakery.<ref name="auto">Martin Banks (14 July 2004), Parliament's head boy European Voice.</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> His paternal grandparents were Spanish immigrants in Argentina, where they ran a bakery in the city of Mendoza, close to the General San Martín Park.<ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> They returned to Spain when Joan Borrell, Josep's father, was eight years old.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Borrell's father arrived in Spain just before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War and afterwards he would never leave his village of La Pobla de Segur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
After completing primary education, the remote location of his village led Josep Borrell to be home-schooled with aid from his mother and a retired teacher, taking the official Baccalaureate exams at the Lleida high school.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" /> He continued his higher education thanks to several scholarships, including from the Juan March Foundation and the Fulbright Program.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1964 he moved to Barcelona to study industrial engineering, but left after a year in 1965 to study aeronautical engineering at the Technical University of Madrid (UPM),<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" /> graduating in 1969. In the summer of 1969 Borrell worked as volunteer at the Gal On kibbutz in Israel, where he met his future French wife Caroline Mayeur,<ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> from whom he is now divorced.
During this time, he also began to study for a bachelor's degree and later a PhD in economics at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). Borrell also holds a master's degree in applied mathematics (operations research) from Stanford University in Palo Alto (California, US), and a postgraduate in energy economics from the French Institute of Petroleum in Paris (France).<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> In May 1976 Borrell defended his PhD thesis in economics at the UCM.<ref name=":9" /><ref name=":10">Template:Cite thesis</ref>
From 1972 to 1982 he lectured in mathematics at the Higher Technical School of Aeronautical Engineering of the UPM.<ref name=":0" /> In 1982 he was appointed associate professor of Business Mathematics at the University of Valladolid.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From 1975 to 1982 he also worked for Cepsa, employed at the company's Department of Systems and Information Engineering; he combined this activity with the teaching of university classes and involvement in local politics.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Political career
Involvement in local politics
Borrell joined the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in 1975 and started his political activity during Spain's transition to democracy in the Socialist Grouping of Madrid along with Luis Solana and Luis Carlos Croissier.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He ran for office as the number 5 in the PSOE list for the 1979 municipal election in Majadahonda, becoming city councillor. Borrell also became a member of the 1979–1983 corporation of the Provincial Deputation of Madrid and managed the Financial Department of the provincial government body in the pre-autonomic period.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Smallcaps: Template:Cite journal</ref>
Role during the González's governments
In the 1982 general election the PSOE won a landslide victory, returning the socialists to power for the first time since the years of the Second Republic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Under Prime Minister Felipe González, Borrell was appointed to several prominent positions within the Ministry of Economy and Finance, first as General Secretary for the Budget and Public Spending (1982–1984),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and then as Secretary of State for Finance (1984–1991).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During his tenure as Secretary of State for Finance, Spain joined the European Economic Community in 1986. He became known for his actions seeking to combat fraud and tax evasion, going after the rich and famous, including celebrities such as Lola Flores, Marujita Díaz or Pedro Ruiz.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In the 1986 general election he was for the first time elected to the Congress of Deputies, remaining as an MP representing Barcelona until 2004.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1991 he joined the Council of Ministers as Minister of Public Works and Transport.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
He took a role in the process of liberalization of telecommunications in Spain,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> promoting the 1991–2001 National Plan of Telecommunications (PNT); in 1993, Borrell threatened nonetheless the European Commission with blocking the liberalization unless the concession of a moratory Spain was given, as Borrell deemed imperative to achieve first the universalization of service before the complete liberalization.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Following the 1993 general election, Borrell continued with a seat at the Council of Ministers, assuming the portfolio of Minister of Public Works, Transport and Environment in the last government presided by Felipe González. He left the office after the arrival to power of the People's Party in 1996, remaining as an MP for Barcelona in the Spanish Congress.Template:Citation needed
Brief spell as leader of the opposition
In 1998 Borrell decided to run against the PSOE's then party leader Joaquín Almunia<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> in the first national primary election ever held in the PSOE since the Second Republic,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> intended to determine who the party would nominate as its prime ministerial candidate vis-à-vis the 2000 general election. Borrell ran as the underdog, campaigning as the candidate of the socialist base against the party establishment,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and surprisingly won the voting,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> commanding 114,254 of the member's votes (54.99%), versus the 92,860 (44.67%) obtained by Almunia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</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>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
However, in May 1999, a fraud investigation was launched into two officials whom, several years earlier, Borrell had appointed to senior posts in the finance ministry. Though not involved in the inquiry into property purchases, Borrell resigned from the role of Prime Ministerial candidate, stating that he did not want the affair to damage his party's chances in the upcoming local and general elections.<ref name="auto"/>
Involvement in European politics
Amid the sixth term of the Cortes Generales, Borrell was elected to chair the Joint Congress-Senate Committee for the European Union in October 1999,<ref name=elpais>Template:Cite journal</ref> replacing Pedro Solbes. Reelected as MP for Barcelona in the 2000 general election, Borrell repeated as president of the Joint Committee for the European Union for the full 7th parliamentary term.<ref name=elpais /><ref name=":5">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":6">Template:Cite news</ref> Then, in 2001, Borrell was also appointed the Spanish parliament's representative on the Convention on the Future of Europe.<ref name="auto"/><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> In 2011 he was awarded Spain's medal of the Order of Constitutional Merit in recognition of his participation in this convention, which drafted the European Constitution that eventually led to the Treaty of Lisbon.<ref name=":4" /> During his time at the convention, he unsuccessfully pushed for a mention to a "federal model" in the draft, as well as he advocated for the explicit mention of the equality between women and men. A laicist, he also then opposed the inclusion of the notion of a "Christian heritage" in the text.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2004, the prime minister and PSOE's leader José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero proposed Borrell to lead the Socialist Ticket in the 2004 European elections.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The PSOE won the elections with 6,6 million votes (43,30%), obtaining 25 MEP seats, although turnout was relatively low at 46%.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Borrell sat with the Party of European Socialists (PES) group, and served as leader of the Spanish delegation.Template:Citation needed
In July 2004 Borrell was elected President of the European Parliament, as a result of an agreement between the EPP and the Socialists, becoming the third Spaniard to hold this position after Enrique Barón and José María Gil-Robles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the presidential vote, out of 700 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) he received an absolute majority with 388 votes in the first ballot. The other two candidates were the Polish Liberal Bronisław Geremek (208 votes) and the French communist Francis Wurtz (51 votes).<ref>Borrell confirmed in top job European Voice, 21 July 2004.</ref> He was the first newly elected MEP to hold the post since direct elections were held in 1979.<ref>Martin Banks (7 July 2004), Newly elected Borrell set to land top Parliament position European Voice.</ref> As part of a deal with the conservative faction in the parliament, the EPP, he was succeeded as president of the parliament by the German conservative politician Hans-Gert Pöttering in the second part of the five-year term.<ref>Dan Bilefsky (16 January 2007), EU Parliament elects German conservative International Herald Tribune.</ref>
In his capacity as president, Borrell also chaired the Parliament's temporary committee on policy challenges and budgetary means of the enlarged Union 2007–2013. From 2007 until leaving the Parliament in 2009,<ref name="auto1">Dave Keating (25 April 2012), Borrell forced to resign over energy interests European Voice.</ref> he served as chairman of the Committee on Development. In addition to his committee assignments, he was a member of the Parliament's delegation to the ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.Template:Citation needed
Step back from the political front
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Borrell was nominated president of the European University Institute on 12 December 2008, and assumed this position in January 2010. In 2012, he was forced to resign after failing to disclose a financial relationship with Abengoa, which paid him €300,000 yearly as a board member for the company.<ref name="auto1"/>
In 2012, the University of Lleida appointed Borrell to a professorship of competition and regional development sponsored by energy company Repsol.<ref name="auto1"/> He also held the Jean Monnet Chair at the Institute of International Studies at Complutense University of Madrid. Template:Citation needed
Borrell collaborated along with other prominent PSOE figures, such as Cristina Narbona, José Félix Tezanos and Manuel Escudero, in the making of Somos socialistas. Por una nueva socialdemocracia ("We are socialists. For a new social-democracy"), a manifesto in support of Pedro Sánchez's successful bid to the leadership of the PSOE in the May 2017 PSOE primary election prior to the 39th Federal Congress of the party.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
He also stood out as one of the most outspoken opponents of Catalan secessionism. Borrell co-authored Las cuentas y los cuentos de la independencia ("The calculations and tales behind independence"), a 2015 essay that vowed to dismantle the economic arguments laid out by the pro-independence movement.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He also took a leading role in a mass rally defending the unity of Spain held in Barcelona on 8 October 2017, in which Borrell gave an impassionated speech demanding "not to bring up more frontiers" while displaying a European Union flag that he called "our estelada" (starred flag),<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> bringing him back to the media first line.<ref>Raphael Minder (6 June 2018), Spain's New Leader Forms Government With Almost Two-Thirds Women New York Times.</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He also took part on a second mass rally on 29 October 2017 under the slogan "We are all Catalonia".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Foreign Minister, 2018–2019
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Following the 2018 successful motion of no confidence against Mariano Rajoy and subsequent investiture of Pedro Sánchez as new prime minister, Borrell was announced on 5 June as Sánchez's choice for the post of foreign minister in his new government.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 22 years after the end of his last tenure as member of the Government of Spain, Borrell assumed the portfolio of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation on 7 June along the rest of the new cabinet in La Zarzuela.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The new minister relocated some of the high-rank officials appointed by the government of Mariano Rajoy with a diplomatic background to ambassadorial posts, including secretaries of State and, most notably, the former foreign minister (Alfonso Dastis) and the prime minister's chief of staff (Jorge Moragas).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Borrell decided to reformulate the High Commissioner for the 'Marca España' (Spain Brand), a one-person body functionally dependent directly on the Office of the Prime Minister but organically included within the Foreign Office structure to the post of Secretary of State for Global Spain.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The officeholder responsible for the 'Marca España' since 2012, The Marquess of Valtierra, was replaced by Irene Lozano.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In June 2018, Borrell accompanied King Felipe VI on an official visit to the US.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Borrell had a meeting with Mike Pompeo, where the Spanish delegation expressed concern over the US protectionist drift; discrepancies were found between the two countries in their approach to migration policies.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 2018, the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) settled a disciplinary action against Borrell opened in 2017 due to the latter's insider trading in the sale of stocks of Abengoa (whose board of directors Borrell was a member of) in November 2015, sanctioning him with a fine of Template:Nts€.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Refn
Regarding the negotiations with the United Kingdom on Gibraltar in the context of Brexit, Borrell vowed to prioritise improvement of the living conditions in neighbouring Campo de Gibraltar<ref name=elespanol /> (he reportedly considered the reality of the "3rd territory with the highest GDP per capita in the World"—Gibraltar—surrounded by "a flatland of underdevelopment"—the Campo de Gibraltar—as something unacceptable).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> On the other hand, he renounced attempts to include the longstanding bid for sovereignty as an element of the negotiations.<ref name=elespanol>Template:Cite journal</ref> Borrell highlighted the fact that this soft approach was the same stance used by his predecessor, Dastis, outlining a continuity in the negotiations with the former government, with the ministry keeping the same negotiating team as before the government change.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In November 2018, he signed four MoUs negotiated with the United Kingdom, settling aspects of the future relationship with the British Overseas Territory.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Given the aggravation of the political crisis in Nicaragua, in December 2018 Borrell pressed EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini for EU-wide involvement in the situation.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In May 2019, the Spanish Embassy in Caracas lodged Venezuelan dissident Leopoldo López as a guest following the Venezuelan uprising, as the latter had been freed from domiciliary imprisonment by forces endorsing Juan Guaidó. However, Borrell warned Spain was not going "to allow the embassy to become a centre of political activism", vowing to restrict the political activities of López as a guest.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
For the 2019 European Parliament election in Spain, Borrell ran first in the PSOE list.<ref>Charlie Duxbury (23 May 2019), Big names aim to swap national politics for EU career Politico Europe.</ref> During the electoral campaign, he appealed to the unity of Europe and stressed the need for EU member states to pool sovereignty in order to survive as a civilization.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Shortly after his election, he gave up his newly won seat before the inaugural session of the legislature, arguing that acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez and he had agreed that, amid the uncertainty regarding the second investiture of Sánchez, the post of foreign minister should not be left vacant for an indefinite period.<ref>Ya Chun Wang (26 June 2019), Spanish foreign minister gives up European Parliament seat Politico Europe.</ref>
In October 2019, Borrell condemned the Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria against Syrian Kurds, adding that "We don't have magic powers" to stop the Turkish invasion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
He stepped down from the office on 29 November 2019 and was succeeded ad interim by the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref>
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
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2019
On 2 July 2019, President of the European Council Donald Tusk announced that the European Council would nominate Josep Borrell as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The portfolio had been reportedly beefed up with additional responsibilities in humanitarian aid, support of development policies in Africa and the external dimension of immigration.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in July 2019, he announced the acquisition of double Argentine–Spanish citizenship, assumed on 18 July 2019, thus gaining the citizenship his father was born with.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He passed the hearing before the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) on 7 October 2019. His nomination was green-lighted the next day by a vote of AFET members.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
To counter its negative image in the EU, China sent medical aid and supplies to EU countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Borrell warned that there is "a geopolitical component, including a struggle for influence through spinning and the 'politics of generosity'." He also said that "China is aggressively pushing the message that, unlike the US, it is a responsible and reliable partner."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2020
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Borrell said that proposed Israeli annexation of the West Bank "could not pass unchallenged" and warned that "failure to adequately respond would encourage other states with territorial claims to disregard basic principles of international law".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He said that "In line with international law and relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, the EU does not recognize Israel's sovereignty" over the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Borrell hailed the peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates as benefiting both nations and being important for stability in the Middle East. He also called Israeli suspension of its annexation plans positive and stated that the European Union hoped for a two-state solution.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 9 April 2020, Borrell, on behalf of the EU, with the release of the first report of the Investigation and Identification Team to the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 8 April 2020, declared that "We fully support the report's findings and note with great concern its conclusions. The European Union strongly condemns the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Arab Air Force as concluded by the report. Those identified as responsible for the use of chemical weapons must be held accountable for these reprehensible acts."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 24 April, the EU's foreign security policy agency, the European External Action Service (EEAS), published a report on disinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York Times reported that the language had been toned down amid criticism from China. The final report differed in key areas from both an internal version and an earlier draft planned for public release. At a parliamentary hearing on 30 April, Borrell acknowledged that China had expressed concerns about the report after it leaked, but he denied the EU had bowed to pressure or that the report had been revised.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Borrell said that there were two separate reports, one for internal consumption and one for publication. Responding to questions from members of the European Parliament, Borrell accused staff of damaging the EU by leaking. He also appeared to suggest that analysts' views were biased and cast doubt on their credibility: "I cannot accept that the personal belief or feeling of a member of staff leaking mails—maybe being written to be leaked—created damage to the credibility of the institution", he said, later asking MEPs why "more credibility" was being given "to the personal opinion of a member of a staff". Template:Citation needed
Multiple EU officials told BuzzFeed News and The New York Times that they were angry and disappointed by Borrell's focus on leaks and, in particular, his singling out of junior staff members.<ref name=bf1>Template:Cite web</ref>
Concerning the long-standing Aegean dispute between Turkey and Greece, Borrell in August 2020 expressed "full solidarity" with Greece and Cyprus (Turkey has occupied northern Cyprus since July 1974)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and called for "immediate deescalation" by Turkey and "reengaging in dialogue."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In October 2020, Borrell called on Armenia and Azerbaijan to cease fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region and return to the negotiating table.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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2021
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In February 2021, Borrell voiced "strong concern" about China's "treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, in particular" ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In March 2021, he said China's sanctions on EU officials had created "a new atmosphere" and "a new situation".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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Although warned against doing so by several EU countries, Borrell decided on his own initiative to make the first high-level EU trip of its type in four years to Russia amidst the 2021 Russian protests, to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The visit was described by MEPs, diplomats and other political observers as a humiliation for Borrell, as he stood by while Lavrov called the EU an "unreliable partner" and Russia expelled three EU diplomats while Borrell and Lavrov held their joint press briefing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This led to a group of over 70 MEPs to call for Borrell's resignation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In May 2021, Borrell called for a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In June 2021, the Spanish newspaper ABC published a mail that described that Borrell had informed the Cuban embassy about the debate in the European Parliament about the situation in Cuba and that showed his intention to stop the debate and prevent it from reaching the Parliament's floor. A group of at least 16 MEPs asked Borrell for explanations.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In August 2021, Borrell received criticism for sending a high-ranking EU representative, Enrique Mora, to attend the inauguration of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi. Mora was seated directly behind senior leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah during the ceremony.<ref name="inauguration"/> Borrell's decision to send him there was blasted by David Lega and eight other members of the European Parliament who sent Borrell a letter stating that his action "contradicts European commitments to uphold and stand for human rights." The MEPs also pointed to Raisi's role in the 1988 executions of Iranian political prisoners and warned that honoring the "inauguration of the 'Hangman of Tehran' only serves to encourage such behavior".<ref name="inauguration">Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 2021, Borrell compared the situation on the Belarus–Poland border to the migrant crisis on the Morocco–Spain border.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In October 2021, he went to Saudi Arabia after visiting Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Borrell said that the EU "now has human rights dialogues with all Gulf States and we launched such a dialogue with Saudi Arabia this week. This is an area where there is much to gain for both sides from closer cooperation."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Borrell and Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also discussed the conflict in Yemen and the humanitarian situation in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Borell described the situation in Yemen as a "terrible tragedy" and called for a peaceful solution to the war in Yemen, which is largely seen in the region as a proxy conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 8 October 2021, Borrell said the EU's relations with Turkey has significantly improved and he called his relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan "excellent".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 18 October 2021, Borrell argued that the 2021 global energy crisis had "deep geopolitical roots. ... the price of gas, the scarcity, is something that has to be looked at from a geopolitical perspective."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In December 2021, he criticised EU member states for not imposing sanctions on Ethiopia, which was accused of war crimes during the Tigray War. Borrell said the situation in Ethiopia was "one of my biggest frustrations" of the year because the EU was not able to react properly to the large-scale human rights violations, "mass rapes using sexual violence as a war arm, killings and concentration camps based on ethnic belonging."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2022
On 22 February 2022, after Russia recognised the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic and subsequently sent troops into the two regions, Borrell issued a statement condemning the actions and called upon Russia to return to the tenets of the Normandy Format.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, Borrell and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen were part of an EU delegation visiting Kyiv on 8 April.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Borrell said he wants EU countries to confiscate frozen foreign-exchange reserves of the Russian central bank—which amount to over $300 billion—to cover the costs of rebuilding Ukraine after the war.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In September 2022, he welcomed a UN report on the human rights abuses of the Uyghur minority in China.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 13 October 2022, when speaking at the European Diplomatic Academy's inauguration ceremony in Bruges, Belgium, Borrell declared that "Europe is a garden and the rest of the world is a jungle." He added that the garden could be invaded by the jungle and that the gardeners would need to travel there in order to defend it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 18 October, in response to his comments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates summoned the acting head of the EU mission at UAE to explain Borrell's remarks, stating that the remarks were "inappropriate and discriminatory" and "contribute to a worsening climate of intolerance and discrimination worldwide."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2023
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In March 2023, after the Ethiopia–Tigray peace agreement was signed and after talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Borrell said that the European Union and the United States would normalize relations with Ethiopia "in a gradual way, step-by-step".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In April 2023, he criticised China for its support of Russia, saying that "We have been clear with China that its position on Russia's atrocities and war crimes will determine the quality of our relations with Beijing."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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On 3 June 2023, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto proposed a multi-point peace plan for the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling for a ceasefire, a demilitarized zone observed and monitored by UN peacekeepers, and a U.N. referendum in what he called "disputed territory".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Borrell criticized Prabow's proposal, saying that "We need to bring peace to Ukraine", but it must be a "just peace, not a peace of surrender."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 21 September 2023, Borrell released a statement which condemned the military operation by Azerbaijan against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and deplored the casualties and loss of life caused by the offensive.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He condemned the "barbaric and terrorist attack" by Hamas on Israel, which started the Gaza war. On 10 October 2023, Borrell accused Israel of breaking international law by imposing a blockade of the Gaza Strip.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 3 January 2024, he condemned the comments of the Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, writing, "Forced displacements are strictly prohibited as a grave violation of [international humanitarian law] & words matter."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In March 2024, Borrell said Israel's depriving food from Palestinians was a serious violation of international humanitarian law, and described the Flour massacre as "totally unacceptable carnage".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confronted Borrell over his months-long criticism of Israel, saying Borrell did not speak for Germany.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2024
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In April 2024, Borrell "strongly condemned" the Iranian strikes on Israel, calling them "an unprecedented escalation and a grave threat to regional security".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Previously in March 2024, Borrell had stalled efforts by nine EU foreign ministers to sanction Iran over its missile and drone program, because he felt that new sanctions might hamper efforts to bind Iran to a nuclear non-proliferation deal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 15 May 2024, Borrell called on Israel to immediately halt its assault on Rafah, stating it was disrupting humanitarian aid and causing a humanitarian crisis, while also calling on Hamas to release all Israeli hostages.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Borrell condemned the Tel al-Sultan attack, saying that Israel's military actions needed to stop.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Post Brussels, 2025–present
In May 2025, after his retirement as an EU diplomat, Borrell spoke out against Israel's actions, accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite|news|last1=Jones |first1=Sam |date=9 May 2025 |title=Israel committing genocide in Gaza, says EU's former top diplomat |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/09/israel-committing-genocide-in-gaza-says-eus-former-top-diplomat |access-date=9 May 2025 |work=The Guardian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250510092805/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/09/israel-committing-genocide-in-gaza-says-eus-former-top-diplomat |archive-date=10 May 2025}}</ref>
Other positions
- Corporate boards
- Abengoa, member of the board of directors (2009–2016)<ref name="auto1"/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Non-profit organizations
- European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), member of the board<ref>Advisory Council Template:Webarchive European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed).</ref>
- European Movement International, member of the board of trustees<ref>Board of Trustees Template:Webarchive European Movement International.</ref>
- Fundación Focus, member of the board of trustees<ref>Board of Trustees Template:Webarchive Fundación Focus.</ref>
- Graduate School for Global and International Studies, University of Salamanca, member of the advisory board<ref>Advisory Council Graduate School for Global and International Studies, University of Salamanca.</ref>
- Reporters Without Borders (RWB), member of the emeritus board<ref>Emeritus Board Reporters Without Borders (RWB).</ref>
Honours
National honours
- 1996 : Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III<ref>Template:Smallcaps: Template:Cite journal</ref>
- 2000 : Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic<ref>Template:Smallcaps: Template:Cite journal</ref>
- 2007 : Grand Cross of the Order of the Civil Merit<ref>Template:Smallcaps: Template:Cite journal</ref>
- 2011 : Medal of the Order of Constitutional Merit<ref name=":4">Template:Smallcaps: Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Doctor honoris causa by Universidad de Valladolid (Spain, 2024).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- 2024 : Grand Cross - White Decoration - of the Cross of Aeronautical Merit<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Doctor honoris causa by Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Spain, 2025).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Foreign honours
- 2015 : Commander of the Légion d'Honneur (France)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- 2022 : Third Class of the Order of Merit (Ukraine) Template:Citation needed
- 2025 : ribbon bar Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
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Borrell was first married to French sociologist Carolina Mayeur. The marriage produced two sons: Joan, a diplomat, and Lionel, an aircraft pilot.<ref name=mellado>Template:Cite journal</ref> Borrell and Mayeur divorced in the 1990s. Template:Citation needed
Since 1998, Borrell has been in a relationship with Cristina Narbona, a Spanish PSOE politician and former Minister of Environment (2004–2008) in the Zapatero administration.<ref name="bio">Cristina Narbona, El Mundo Template:In lang</ref> The couple, resident in Valdemorillo since 2001, married in July 2018.<ref name=mellado /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
In 2019, he acquired Argentine citizenship through descent, stating that he wished to honour the memory of his father, who grew up in Mendoza, Argentina.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Borrell speaks Spanish, Catalan, Italian, French and English.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
He has been a keen participant in the annual festivity in his native Pobla de Segur descending the Noguera Pallaresa river, in which the stream is rowed down by the partakers as log drivers (Template:Italics correction).<ref name=pobladesegur /><ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Corrupt share dealing
In November 2018, the national stock market regulator in Spain concluded that Borrell traded shares of the company Abengoa while in possession of insider information.<ref name=euo1>Template:Cite web</ref> Borrell was fined 30,000 euros for the breach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Electoral history
Publications
- Authored books
- Template:Cite book<ref name=":8">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Cite book<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Template:Cite book<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
- Template:Cite book<ref name=":9">Template:Cite thesis</ref><ref name=":10"/>Template:Refn
- Template:Cite book<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Co-authored books
- Template:Cite book<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Template:Cite book<ref name=":7" />
- Template:Cite book<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Notes
References
External links
- Template:Wikiquote-inline
- Official biography
- Josep Borrell Template:Webarchive
- Biography by CIDOB (in Spanish)
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Template:High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union Template:Von der Leyen CommissionTemplate:European Commissioners from SpainTemplate:Party of European Socialists Template:Leaders of the Opposition (Spain) Template:Presidents of the European Parliament Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- 1947 births
- Politicians from Catalonia
- City councillors in the Community of Madrid
- Complutense University of Madrid alumni
- Foreign ministers of Spain
- Living people
- Members of the 3rd Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the 4th Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the 5th Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the 6th Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- Members of the 7th Congress of Deputies (Spain)
- MEPs for Spain 2004–2009
- People from Pallars Jussà
- Polytechnic University of Madrid alumni
- Presidents of the European Parliament
- Spanish Socialist Workers' Party MEPs
- Spanish expatriates in the United States
- Directors of Abengoa
- European commissioners (2019–2024)
- Spanish European commissioners
- Presidents of the European University Institute
- Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun