Mayor, Ayuntamiento de Málaga

Bachelor of Sociology from the Pontifical University of Salamanca (1965). Regional Development Specialist from Rennes, France (1966). PhD in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Madrid (1967).

Mayor of Malaga since 2000. He is vice president of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) on behalf of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CMRE), and vice president of the Euro-Mediterranean Association of Local and Regional Authorities (COPPEM).

He was President of the Provincial Council of Malaga and Minister of Economy, Finance and Tourism of the first Pre-autonomic Board of Andalusia.

He was awarded in 2017 by the French Republic the Legion of Honour for his role as an exceptional collaborator with France in cultural matters. In 2018, he received the Russian Federation Pushkin Medal for the promotion of cultural ties between Russia and Spain; and in 2019, he was awarded the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Distinction for his outstanding contribution to the promotion of friendly relations between Japan and Spain.

In 2020, he is appointed a member of the Advisory Council of UNITAR, The United Nations Institute for Training and Research. This agency ensures that the quality standards adopted in accordance with UNITAR's mandate and UN guidelines are respected and well integrated into all activities of both the agency and the CIFAL Global Network.