Imanol Pradales
Imanol Pradales in 2023
Foral Deputy of Infrastructure and Territorial Development of the Foral Council of Bizkaia
Assumed office
2023
PresidentElixabete Etxanobe
Preceded byHimself
Foral Deputy of Infrastructure and Territorial Development of the Foral Council of Bizkaia
In office
2019–2023
PresidentUnai Rementeria
Succeeded byHimself
Foral Deputy of Economic and Territorial Development of the Foral Council of Bizkaia
In office
2015–2019
PresidentUnai Rementeria
Foral Deputy of Economic Promotion of the Foral Council of Bizkaia
In office
2011–2015
PresidentJosé Luis Bilbao
Director of Bizkaia Talent
In office
2007–2011
PresidentJosé Luis Bilbao
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byIván Jiménez Aira
Personal details
Born
Imanol Pradales Gil

(1975-04-21) 21 April 1975
Santurtzi, Basque Country, Spain
Political partyBasque Nationalist Party
Children1
Alma materAsti Leku Ikastola
University of Deusto (Lic.)
University of Deusto (PhD)

Imanol Pradales Gil (born 21 April 1975) is a Basque sociologist, university teacher and politician member of the Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV).

He currently serves as Foral Deputy (regional minister) of Infrastructure and Territorial Development of the Foral Council of Bizkaia. He has held the position of Foral Deputy for Economic Promotion (2011-2015), for Economic and Territorial Development (2015-2019) and for Infrastructure and Territorial Development (2019-2023 and since 2023).[1][2][3][4]

Previously, he held the position of managing director of the public talent recruitment agency Bizkaia Talent, attached to the economic promotion department of the Foral Council of Bizkaia between 2007 and 2011.[5]

He will lead the candidacy of the EAJ-PNV in the 2024 Basque regional election.[6]

Early life

Imanol Pradales during his tenure as Foral Deputy of Economic Promotion
Imanol Pradales (left) gives a press conference on 23 January 2013.

Imanol Pradales Gil was born in 1975 in Santurtzi to a humble family of non-Basque-speakers.[7] His grandfather fought in the Spanish Civil War in the republican side, for which he received a financial compensation that allowed him to study at the University of Deusto.[8] He is the eldest of four brothers.

He studied at the Asti Leku Ikastola of Portugalete, a Basque private school, where he studied the primary, secondary and Baccalaureate education. There he was taught by Iñigo Urkullu, future Lehendakari of the Basque Country.[7]

He earned a Licentiate in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Deusto. He got his master's degree in Knowledge Management from the Technical University of Madrid and completed a postgraduate in Advanced Education Management at the IE Business School. In 2004, he returned to Deusto to receive his Doctorate in Sociology and Political Science and started working as a professor until 2007.[9]

Political career

In 2007, Pradales asked for a leave of absence from his position as professor after his former teacher and then president of the Basque Nationalist Party's Biscay Executive Branch Iñigo Urkullu asked him to enter into politics as the managing director of Bizkaia Talent, a Biscayan talent recruitment agency.

In 2011, he was appointed by the General Deputy of Biscay, José Luis Bilbao, as Foral deputy of Economic Development. Since then, he has served in the cabinets of the General Deputies Unai Rementería and Elixabete Etxanobe as Foral Deputy of Economic and Territorial Development under the former, and as Foral Deputy of Infrastructure and Territorial Development under the latter.[10]

On 25 November 2023, the EAJ-PNV's Central Executive Branch (Euzkadi Buru Batzar, EBB) appointed Pradales as the party's candidate for Lehendakari in the 2024 Basque regional election, replacing incumbent Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu.[11] The surprising dismissal of the incumbent Lehendakari and the appointment of a low-profile young man were seen as an attempt to promote a generational renewal in the party and to halt the growth of EH Bildu.[6]

See also

References

  1. "Sólo una cara nueva en el Gobierno de José Luis Bilbao | País Vasco | elmundo.es". www.elmundo.es. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  2. "UNAI REMENTERIAK AHALDUN NAGUSI KARGUAREN ZINA EGIN DU ETA BERE GOBERNUAREN OSAKETA IRAGARRI DU - Komunikazioa - Bizkaia.eus". www.bizkaia.eus. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  3. "Gobernu paritarioa osatu du Rementeriak berriro Ahaldun Nagusi aukeratua izan ostean, EAJko 7 diputatu eta PSEko beste birekin - Komunikazioa - Bizkaia.eus". www.bizkaia.eus. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  4. "LAS JUNTAS GENERALES DE BIZKAIA ELIGEN A ELIXABETE ETXANOBE LANDAJUELA PRIMERA DIPUTADA GENERAL DEL TERRITORIO - Bizkaiko Batzar Nagusiak". jjggbizkaia.eus. Retrieved 2023-12-03.
  5. "A non-profit organization with a clear mission: to foster and facilitate the implementation of the necessary conditions for attracting, connecting and retaining in The Basque Country: Bizkaia Talent". The Silicon Review. Retrieved 2023-12-02.
  6. 1 2 Izarra, Josean (25 November 2023). "El PNV sorprende con el gestor Imanol Pradales como sustituto de Urkullu para las elecciones de 2024". El Mundo (in Spanish). Vitoria. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  7. 1 2 Ormazabal, Mikel (25 November 2023). "Imanol Pradales, de alumno de Urkullu en la 'ikastola' a sucederle como candidato". El País (in Spanish). San Sebastián. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  8. Legasa, Adrián (25 November 2023). "Pradales, delfín de Ortuzar y alumno del 'maisu' Urkullu que remará la trainera del PNV". Crónica Vasca (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  9. "Así es Imanol Pradales, candidato de PNV a lehendakari y alumno de Urkullu, su "referente político", en la EGB". La Razón (in Spanish). Europa Press. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  10. Fernández de Lucio, Iñigo (25 November 2023). "Imanol Pradales, un remero para retener la Lehendakaritza". El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  11. "Así ha anunciado Ortuzar la candidatura de Pradales y la despedida de Urkullu". El Correo (in Spanish). 25 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
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