José Antonio Ardanza Garro

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José Antonio Ardanza Garro is a former Basque politician that became the third elected Lehendakari (President of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country) after José Antonio Aguirre, who held that office from 1985-1999.

[edit] Politics

In 1985, the Basque Parliament chose Ardanza as its new President. Spanning several legislatures, Ardanza's presidency continued until 1999. He continued the work on self-government begun by his predecessor, concentrating particularly on social and economic development, modernizing the region and claiming greater levels of self-government. Much of Ardanza's time and effort also went into bringing peace to the region and to denouncing the terrorism of ETA. One achievement was the Pact of Ajuria Enea, subscribed by virtually all the political parties in the region and designed to create a normal political environment in the Basque Country and eradicate violence. The modernization of the Basque Country that occurred under Ardanza’s mandate facilitated further economic and social development that gave Basque society levels of wealth and welfare comparable with most in Europe.