| Iñigo Méndez de Vigo y Montojo MEP | |
|---|---|
| Member of the European Parliament for Spain |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 19 October 1992 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 January 1956 Tetuan, Morocco |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Political party | Partido Popular |
| Website | www.mendezdevigo.com |
Íñigo Méndez De Vigo y Montojo (born on 21 January 1956 in Tetuan, Morocco) is a Spanish politician, Minister for European Affairs since December 2011, having served as a Spanish Member of the European Parliament with the People's Party since 1992, and Member of the Bureau of the European People's Party.
In 2009 he was named President of the College of Europe.
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He was born the 21st of January 1955 in Tetuan (Morocco), then under Spanish Protectorate, where his father had been posted as an Infantry Lieutenant. On his mother's side he is the grandson of Spanish novelist Carmen de Icaza, from whom he inherited the title of Baron of Claret in 1980.
He completed his schooling at the German School of Madrid, as well as language studies in French at the Académie française and in English at the British Institute School. He graduated in law at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 1978.
Following the completion of his military service as an Alférez, he became a Legal adviser to the Cortes Generales in 1981 after passing the public examination.
In 1982, at the age of 26, he became Director of Interparliamentary Relations for the Cortes Generales. In 1984, he is offered the position of special advisor to then-Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marcelino Oreja.
He joined the People's Party at its foundation Conference in 1989, and was one of its candidates for the European election held that same year. In October 1992 he became a Member of the European Parliament, having been re-elected ever since. He has been a Member of the National Steering Committee of the People's Party since 1992.
He is currently the European People's Party coordinator in the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, where he has been active since 1994, as well as a member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs.
He has authored numerous books and articles on European issues:
He is also a columnist of the newspaper ABC, and contributor to the online newspaper El Economista.