Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca
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Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca | |
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First Vice-President of the European Parliament | |
In office 30 July 2004 – 16 January 2007 | |
President | Josep Borrell |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou |
Member of the European Parliament for Spain | |
In office 13 June 1999 – 1 July 2014 | |
Member of the Senate | |
In office 29 June 1996 – 28 August 1999 | |
Constituency | Parliament of Catalonia |
President of the People's Party of Catalonia | |
In office 9 January 1991 – 28 September 1996 | |
Preceded by | Jorge Fernández Díaz |
Succeeded by | Alberto Fernández Díaz |
Member of the Parliament of Catalonia for Barcelona | |
In office 29 May 1988 – 25 August 1996 | |
Member of the Barcelona City Council | |
In office 10 June 1987 – 26 May 1991 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca 20 May 1945 Barcelona, Spain |
Political party | Vox (2014–2015) |
Other political affiliations | People's Alliance (1983–1989) People's Party (1989–2014) |
Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca (born 20 May 1945) is a Spanish former politician and radiation physicist. Born in Barcelona, he served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2014 and served as First Vice President of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007.
Career
[edit]Vidal-Quadras was elected on the People's Party ticket and sat with the European People's Party group. In 2014, he announced that he was leaving the People's Party for a new party, Vox. He was the frontrunner for Vox in the 2014 European election, but the party failed to win a seat. He is a member of the European Friends of Israel, a lobby group aiming to defend Israel's interests within the European Union.[1]
Relationship with Iran
[edit]In 2013 EL Pais reported that 35 Iranian dissidents said to be affiliated to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) gave VOX about one million euros. According to Vidal-Quadras, the donations were not made to VOX but to himself.[2]
After 2014, Vidal-Quadras operated pro bono the International Committee in Search of Justice, a Brussels-based lobby supporting the NCRI against the Iranian government.[3][4]
Vidal-Quadras has aligned with People's Mojahedin of Iran, which led the Iranian Foreign Ministry to impose sanctions on him in 2023. The Iran Foreign Ministry accused Vidal-Quadras of "supporting terrorism and terrorist groups" while Maryam Rajavi said that "Prof. Vidal-Quadras has dedicated an important part of his life to fight against [Iran's ruling religious fascism]".[5]
Attempted assassination
[edit]On 9 November 2023, Vidal-Quadras was shot in the face in Madrid[6] by a person on a motorbike in Calle de Núñez de Balboa at 1:30 p.m. local time.[5][7] He was taken to hospital and was described as recovering after suffering a fracture on his jawbone that required surgery.[5] The assassination attempt is being investigated as a possible terrorist attack.[8][9] On November 21, Spanish police arrested three people in connection to the shooting.[10]
Vidal-Quadras has claimed that Iran was behind the attempted assassination.[11] According to Vidal-Quadras, his connection to the Iranian opposition the National Council of Resistance of Iran could be linked the assassination attempt.[12] Vidal-Quadras is one of the first politicians that Tehran has added to their terrorist list.[13] The Iranian opposition attributes the authorship to Religious Fascism that governs the country.[14][15]
In 2019 Vidal-Quadras stated that he considers the Iranian regime a cruel dictatorship which foments terrorism.[16] He is the first European politician to be targeted within Europe.[17]
Aftermath
[edit]In January 2024, a suspect in the assassination attempt was arrested in Colombia. Currently four individuals have been arrested in connection with the shooting, while the alleged shooter, a French citizen of Tunisian descent with multiple prior convictions in France, is still at large.
Also Vidal-Quadras called for a change in the EU policy towards the Islamic Republic to avoid trying to "appease, to negotiate, to dialogue and to make concessions".[18]
Political positions
[edit]Alejo Vidal-Quadras defines himself as liberal-conservative. He is opposed to abortion rights[19] and gay marriage.
Personal life
[edit]He currently lives off his pensions as a former university professor and a former member of the European Parliament.[3] In addition to serving in the European Parliament, he has occupied several elected positions in Spain: he was a member of the Barcelona City Council (1987–1991), member of the Parliament of Catalonia (1988–1996) and Senator in the Spanish Senate (1996–1999).
Books about politics
[edit]- "Cuestión de fondo" (Editorial Montesinos, 1993)
- "Amarás a tu tribu" (Editorial Planeta, 1998)
- "Ahora, cambio de rumbo" (Editorial Planeta, 2012)
References
[edit]- ^ "Políticos españoles se unen al movimiento más poderoso de Amigos Europeos por Israel". 3 December 2017.
- ^ Irujo, José María; Gil, Joaquín (11 November 2023). "La carpeta secreta de Vidal-Quadras con los donantes iraníes de Vox". El País (in Spanish).
- ^ a b Suanzes, Pablo R. (23 January 2019). "Alejo Vidal-Quadras, fundador de Vox: "Abascal sabía que el dinero era iraní y le parecía muy bien"". ELMUNDO (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ "The Committee". International Committee In Search of Justice. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
PRESIDENT Alejo Vidal Quadras
- ^ a b c "Spanish conservative politician shot in face in Madrid. Gunman escaped on a motorbike, reports say". AP News. 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Fahey, Ryan (2023-11-09). "Politician shot in the face in busy city centre by brazen gunman on motorbike". The Mirror. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Herido grave en Madrid Alejo Vidal-Quadras, ex presidente del PP de Cataluña y fundador de VOX, tras recibir un disparo en la cara". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Attempted murder of right wing Spanish politician being investigated as "terrorist" incident". Politico. 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ^ "La Audiencia Nacional investiga el disparo a Vidal-Quadras como un delito de terrorismo". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 2023-11-14. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ^ "Three arrested over shooting of former rightwing politician in Madrid". The Guardian.
- ^ "La Policía investiga si Irán está tras el intento de asesinato a Vidal-Quadras". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
- ^ "Vidal-Quadras y otros dos políticos españoles están en la "lista de terroristas" del régimen de Irán por apoyar el CNRI". ELECONOMISTA (in Spanish). 2023-11-13. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ "Intento de asesinato a Vidal-Quadras: la sospecha iraní, un pistolero "profesional" y un giro de cuello que le pudo salvar la vida". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
- ^ "Conference at the European Parliament, Strasbourg". Maryam Rajavi. 2023-11-22. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "Spanish far-right politician shot in the face suspects a link to his work with Iranian opposition". AP News. 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "Po que Vidal-Quadras responsibiliza a Iran del disparo sufrido en Madrid?". 20MINUTOS (in Spanish). 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
- ^ David Maddox. "Top EU politician who survived Iran assassination plot delivers 'end appeasement' plea to Cameron". Independent.
- ^ Spanish politician shot in Madrid points finger at Iran | Reuters
- ^ "Vidal-Quadras acusa a los socialistas de destruir con su política del aborto". www.larazon.es. Archived from the original on 4 November 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- 1945 births
- Living people
- Politicians from Barcelona
- Scientists from Barcelona
- Members of the Parliament of Catalonia
- Members of the Senate of Spain
- MEPs for Spain 1999–2004
- MEPs for Spain 2004–2009
- MEPs for Spain 2009–2014
- Vox (political party) politicians
- Members of the 5th Parliament of Catalonia
- Shooting survivors