Jerónimo Saavedra
Jerónimo Saavedra Acevedo (3 July 1936 – 21 November 2023) was a Spanish politician and academic. He served as President of the Canary Islands twice, from 1983 to 1987, and again from 1991 to 1993.
Jerónimo Saavedra | |
|---|---|
Saavedra in 1992 | |
| President of the Canary Islands | |
| In office 25 July 1991 – 6 April 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Lorenzo Olarte |
| Succeeded by | Manuel Hermoso |
| In office 13 January 1983 – 3 August 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Francesco Ucelay (president of the Junta of Canarias) |
| Succeeded by | Fernando Fernández |
| Minister of Education and Science of Spain | |
| In office 3 July 1995 – 5 May 1996 | |
| Prime Minister | Felipe González |
| Preceded by | Gustavo Suárez Pertierra |
| Succeeded by | Esperanza Aguirre |
| Minister of Public Administrations of Spain | |
| In office 14 July 1993 – 3 July 1995 | |
| Prime Minister | Felipe González |
| Preceded by | Juan Manuel Eguiagaray |
| Succeeded by | Joan Lerma |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 July 1936 Las Palmas, Spain |
| Died | 21 November 2023 (aged 87) Las Palmas, Spain |
| Political party | PSOE (1972–2011) |
| Alma mater | Complutense University of Madrid |
He became the first president of the Canary Islands after the establishment of the autonomous communities system under the 1978 Constitution and was in charge of structuring the regional administration and overseeing the democratic transition in the islands. Saavedra also served as Minister of Public Administrations of Spain between 1993 and 1995 and as Minister of Education and Science of Spain between 1995 and 1996. He was a member of the Congress of Deputies in the constituent legislature until 1983, a senator twice and mayor of his hometown Las Palmas de Gran Canaria between 2007 and 2011.
Saavedra was a significant figure in Spanish LGBT history, being the first openly gay politician to hold several high public offices.