Ana Botella | |
---|---|
Botella in 2015
|
|
Mayor of Madrid | |
In office 27 December 2011 – 13 June 2015 |
|
Preceded by | Manuel Cobo (interim) |
Succeeded by | Manuela Carmena |
Personal details | |
Born |
Madrid, Spain |
23 July 1953
Nationality | Spanish |
Political party | People's Party |
Spouse(s) | José María Aznar |
Children | 3 |
Residence | Madrid, Spain |
Alma mater | Complutense University of Madrid |
Profession | Public Servant, Lawyer |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Ana Botella Serrano (born 23 July 1953) is a Spanish politician belonging to the Spanish People's Party and Mayor of Madrid from December 2011 to June 2015. She was Madrid's first female Mayor.
She was sworn in as mayor on 27 December 2011, after having been deputy mayor to Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, mayor of the capital from 2003, who had resigned to serve as Justice Minister in the new government formed by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. She was not elected to the office of mayor and was, in effect, appointed, which caused considerable controversy as to her legitimacy.
Botella has served on the Madrid City Council since 2003 where, as well as being deputy mayor, she also headed the Departments of Social Services (2003-2007) and of the Environment (2007-2011). She was criticised for failure to tackle Madrid's air pollution which frequently exceeded permitted levels while she was responsible for the city's environment. Botella was a outspoken climate change skeptic.
On 9 September 2014 Ana Botella called a press conference after having cancelled all her appointments where she announced that she would not be running in the May 2015 municipal elections for mayor.
Botella and former Spanish prime minister José María Aznar married in 1977, and have three children: José María, Ana, and Alonso. Her daughter married Alejandro Agag at the royal site of El Escorial on 5 September 2002. Ana Botella has four grandchildren by her daughter.