Jaime Mayor Oreja

Who is Jaime Mayor Oreja?

Jaime Mayor Oreja, is a Spanish politician who served as Interior Minister in the People's Party government of José María Aznar before resigning in February 2001 to stand for Basque President on 13 May 2001, a post he failed to win. He is known for his strongly anti-ETA views. Grandson of Marcelino Oreja Elósegui, the ultraconservative Carlist politician.

He graduated in agronomic engineering. In 1977 he joined the Unión de Centro Democrático and from 1979 to 1982 represented Guipúzcoa in the Spanish Parliament. On 9 March 1980 he was elected Member of the Basque Parliament. On 30 July 1982 he was appointed as the Government's Delegate in the Basque Country by the then President Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo. On 16 October a grenade was unsuccessfully thrown against his office window, and he was not hurt. On 29 December the new Spanish Socialist Workers' Party government of Felipe González removed him from office. In February 1983 the UCD disbanded and he joined Óscar Alzaga's Democratic Popular Party. On 26 February 1984 he stood for the position of Basque President for the Democratic Coalition, but failed to win. The coalition collapsed after the general elections of June 1986.