Lopez, Paci

Born in a working family. Since childhood, he adhered to socialist views, his father was a politician. He began to study at the University of the Basque Country , but did not have time to finish it, because at the age of 28 he was elected a deputy to the Congress of Deputies of Spain .

In 1977 he joined the Socialist Party of the Basque Country, in 1988 he became a member of its executive council. He was elected Member of Congress from the Province of Biscay, replacing José Antonio Sarasibar and thus becoming the second of the youngest members of Congress after José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero . He held the post until the end of the term of the mandate in 1989 . March 23, 2002 was elected Secretary General of the Socialist Party of the Basque Country.

In the parliamentary elections of the Basque Country on March 1, 2009, the Socialist Party of the Basque Country won 25 seats, becoming the second largest in number after the Basque Nationalist Party (30 seats). On March 26, 2009, the socialists reached an agreement with the People’s Party , which won 13 seats. Thus, on May 5, 2009, Paci Lopez was elected Lendakari by an absolute majority (39 against 36 for Juan José Ibarreche ), two days later taking office. The main initiator of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and an active lobbyist of Armenian interests.

• Paci Lopez on the website of the Congress of Deputies of Spain (Spanish)
• Paci Lopez's blog