The former president of the European Parliament between 1997 and 1999, Jose Maria Gil-Robleshas died this Monday at the age of 87, as confirmed by the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.
The son of José María Gil-Robles, historical leader of the Spanish Confederation of Autonomous Rights (CEDA), “led Parliament through times of change with great determination to make this institution stronger and closer to the citizens”, Metsola has written on his official Twitter profile.
Saddened by the death of the former president of @Europarl_ES Jose Maria Gil-Robles.
He led Parliament in moments of change with great determination to make this institution stronger and closer to the citizens.
Our deepest condolences to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/cmRPp5Pc10
— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) February 13, 2023
Also, it has been shownsad” by the news He has sent his deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Profile
José María Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado (Madrid, 1935) graduated in Law with Extraordinary Award from the University of Salamanca and began his professional activity as Lawyer of the Cortes (1959) and directed the ‘Foreign Legislation Bulletin‘. Between 1959 and 1964 he was a professor of Political Law at the Complutense University.
Between 1959 and 1997 and from 1999 onwards he practiced law and since 1974 he has published various legal works related to the restoration of democracy and parliamentary and public law. In 2004 he obtained the “Jean Monnet” Chair at the Complutense University (Faculty of Political Science and Sociology) and in 2006 he was appointed director of the “Truyol Serra” Center of Excellence at the Complutense University.
Between 1989 and 2004 was a member of the European Parliament. In 1990, member of the Bureau of the European People’s Party and between 1990 and 1992, Vice-President of the Group of the European People’s Party. From 1993 to 1994 he was President of the Institutional Affairs Committee and between 1994 and 1997 he held the Vice-Presidency of the European Parliament, after his re-election as a deputy.
In January 1997 he was elected President of the European Parliament, a position he held until July 1999, the same year in which he held the presidency of the International European Movement. It was later, in 2005, when he was Honorary President of the International European Movement and a year later, President of the Board of Trustees of the Model program of the European Parliament. From 2008 to 2015 he chaired the Jean Monnet Foundation.
Award
Related news
Between his decorations stand out, in chronological orderthe Schuman Medal, awarded by the Group of the European People’s Party (1995), the Cross of Agricultural Merit, the Great Cross of Isabel la Católica and the Great Cross of Civil Merit (Spain).
In addition to the Francisco Morazán Grand Cross, awarded by the Central American Parliament (1997); the Great Cross of the Order of Merit, from Chile; the Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator San Martín, from Argentina; the Medal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay; the title of adopted son of the city of Salamanca (Spain); the Grand Cross of the Order of Antonio José Irizarri (Guatemala) (1999); the Legion of Honor (France) (2000); the Gold Medal of the European Parliament (2000); the Galician Silver Medal (2000) and the European Merit Medal (Spain) (2009).