Eduardo Serra Rexach
Encyclopedia
Eduardo Serra Rexach is a Spanish
politician
and businessman, who served as the Minister of Defence from 1996 to 2000 during the government of José María Aznar
. He is the only person to have held public office with all three governing parties in democratic Spain, having served in senior roles in the UCD, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
, and the Partido Popular
.
on 19 December 1946, Serra attended primary and secondary school at Instituto Ramiro de Maeztu. He graduated with a degree in law
from the Complutense University of Madrid
in 1968. In 1974, he joined the Cuerpo de Abogados del Estado (the state bar
).
He has been a member of various non-profit organisations; in July 1987, he was appointed Director General of Fundación de Ayuda contra la Drogadicción (FAD - Foundation for Help Against Drug Addiction), and has been president of the institution since March 1996. He has also been President of the Royal Board of Trustees of the Museo del Prado
(2000-2004, and president and founder of Real Institute Elcano for International and Strategic Studies.
Serra is married to Luz del Camino Municio and has one son from a previous marriage.
and the Union of the Democratic Centre were in power. He soon rose to become the head of staff of the cabinet and served in this capacity until 1979. From 1979 to 1982, he served as the general secretary of National Institute of Industry.
In 1982, the new president Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo
(also UCD) appointed Oliart as his Minister of Defence, who in turn chose Serra to be his undersecretary. Serra became the first civilian to hold this post.
Later in 1982, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
won the elections. Spain's new prime minister, Felipe González
, appointed Narcís Serra i Serra
to the post of Minister of Defence, and Eduardo Serra as the secretary of defense. He assisted the government during Spain's accommodation into NATO, until his resignation in 1987.
In 1996 the Partido Popular
came into power under José María Aznar
. Aznar called Serra back into political service, this time as his Minister of Defence. He served in the post until 2000, when he was replaced by Federico Trillo-Figueroa.
Serra continues to hold positions in the private sector and various non-profit organisations, as detailed below.
, including president of Telettra España (1998-1991) and Peugeot
-Talbot
España (1992-1996), founder and chairman Airtel Móvil (1994-1996), vice-president and president of Cubiertas MZOV (1989-1995), and chair of UBS
Spain (2000-2006). He is president of Fundación everis since 2005 and in May 2010 he was appointed vicepresident of everis, an Spanish IT Consulting firm.
From 1993 to 1996, he was the president of Instituto de Cuestiones Internacionales y Política Exterior (INCIPE - Institute for International and Foreign Policy Issues). He is a reserve officer in the Infantería de Marina
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and businessman, who served as the Minister of Defence from 1996 to 2000 during the government of José María Aznar
José María Aznar
José María Alfredo Aznar López served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He is on the board of directors of News Corporation.-Early life:...
. He is the only person to have held public office with all three governing parties in democratic Spain, having served in senior roles in the UCD, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
, and the Partido Popular
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
.
Biography
Born in MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
on 19 December 1946, Serra attended primary and secondary school at Instituto Ramiro de Maeztu. He graduated with a degree in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
from the Complutense University of Madrid
Complutense University of Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid is a university in Madrid, and one of the oldest universities in the world. It is located on a sprawling campus that occupies the entirety of the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid, with annexes in the district of Somosaguas in the neighboring city of...
in 1968. In 1974, he joined the Cuerpo de Abogados del Estado (the state bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
).
He has been a member of various non-profit organisations; in July 1987, he was appointed Director General of Fundación de Ayuda contra la Drogadicción (FAD - Foundation for Help Against Drug Addiction), and has been president of the institution since March 1996. He has also been President of the Royal Board of Trustees of the Museo del Prado
Museo del Prado
The Museo del Prado is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It features one of the world's finest collections of European art, from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection, and unquestionably the best single collection of...
(2000-2004, and president and founder of Real Institute Elcano for International and Strategic Studies.
Serra is married to Luz del Camino Municio and has one son from a previous marriage.
Political activities
Serra entered politics in 1977 as part of the cabinet of the then Minister of Industry and Energy, Alberto Oliart, while Adolfo SuarezAdolfo Suárez
Adolfo Suárez y González, 1st Duke of Suárez, Grandee of Spain, KOGF is a Spanish lawyer and politician. Suárez was Spain's first democratically elected prime minister after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, and the key figure in the country's transition to democracy.-Parents:He is a son of...
and the Union of the Democratic Centre were in power. He soon rose to become the head of staff of the cabinet and served in this capacity until 1979. From 1979 to 1982, he served as the general secretary of National Institute of Industry.
In 1982, the new president Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo
Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo
Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo y Bustelo, 1st Marquis of the Ría of Ribadeo and Grandee of Spain was a Spanish political figure and prime minister during the period of transition after the end of Francisco Franco's regime.-Biography:...
(also UCD) appointed Oliart as his Minister of Defence, who in turn chose Serra to be his undersecretary. Serra became the first civilian to hold this post.
Later in 1982, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
won the elections. Spain's new prime minister, Felipe González
Felipe González
Felipe González Márquez is a Spanish socialist politician. He was the General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. To date, he remains the longest-serving Prime Minister of Spain, after having served four successive mandates from 1982 to 1996.-Early life:Felipe was...
, appointed Narcís Serra i Serra
Narcís Serra i Serra
Narcís Serra i Serra was Mayor of Barcelona from 1979 to 1982 and was Minister of Defense and successor to the vice presidency of Alfonso Guerra in 1991. He also sat in the Spanish Congress of Deputies representing Barcelona region from 1986 to 2004.-References:...
to the post of Minister of Defence, and Eduardo Serra as the secretary of defense. He assisted the government during Spain's accommodation into NATO, until his resignation in 1987.
In 1996 the Partido Popular
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
came into power under José María Aznar
José María Aznar
José María Alfredo Aznar López served as the Prime Minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004. He is on the board of directors of News Corporation.-Early life:...
. Aznar called Serra back into political service, this time as his Minister of Defence. He served in the post until 2000, when he was replaced by Federico Trillo-Figueroa.
Serra continues to hold positions in the private sector and various non-profit organisations, as detailed below.
Professional activities
Serra has held positions in many companies in the private sectorPrivate sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
, including president of Telettra España (1998-1991) and Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
-Talbot
Talbot
Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...
España (1992-1996), founder and chairman Airtel Móvil (1994-1996), vice-president and president of Cubiertas MZOV (1989-1995), and chair of UBS
UBS AG
UBS AG is a Swiss global financial services company headquartered in Basel and Zürich, Switzerland, which provides investment banking, asset management, and wealth management services for private, corporate, and institutional clients worldwide, as well as retail clients in Switzerland...
Spain (2000-2006). He is president of Fundación everis since 2005 and in May 2010 he was appointed vicepresident of everis, an Spanish IT Consulting firm.
From 1993 to 1996, he was the president of Instituto de Cuestiones Internacionales y Política Exterior (INCIPE - Institute for International and Foreign Policy Issues). He is a reserve officer in the Infantería de Marina
Infanteria de Marina
The Spanish Navy Marines is a corps within the Spanish Navy responsible for providing amphibious warfare from the sea utilizing naval platforms and resources...
.