Canary Islands

 

Canary Islands

 
Government
On the 11th of June 1983 Jeronimo Saavedra (photo below) took over the presidency of the Autonomous Community of the Canaries. The results of the first autonomous elections, which took place on the 8th of May 1983, nine months after the Statute of Autonomy came into existence, made him the first Canarian president as a result of his party PSOE (Socialist Party) being the party for which most people voted.

Along with Saavedra, the first Canarian government was formed with Juan Alberto Martin as the vice president; Luis Balbuena as the Minister for Education; Rafael Molina, Economics and Business; Francisco Jimenez, Housing; Maria Dolores Palliser, Tourism and Transport; Nicolas Alvarez, Industry, Water and Energy; Felipe Perez Moreno, Agriculture and Fishing; Jose Medina, Public Works, Organisation of the Regions and the Environment; Alberto Guanche, Work, Health and Social Security and Alfredo Herrera Pique, Culture and Sports.
 
The six electoral processes which the Canaries have held to date have given place to six legislatures, complicated by a lack of absolute majority. Although the presence of five presidents gives an appearance of normality, in truth there have been seven governments, presided over by Jeronimo Saavedra from 1983 to 1987 and from 1991 to 1993; by Fernando Fernandez between 1987 and 1989: by Lorenzo Olarte, between 1989 and 1991; by Manuel Hemoso from 1993 to 1995 and from 1995 to 1999; by Roman Rodriguez from 1999 to 2003; and by Adan Martin from 2003 to the present date.
 
The present Government of the Canaries is made up of ten advisers and one commissioner. The nomenclature and areas of responsibility have changed in some cases and for the first time there is a commissioner.

Along with Adan Martin, responsibility is shared by Maria del Mar Julios, as the vice president and the head of Department for the Health; Jose Carlos Mauricio, Economy and Estate; Antonio Castro Cordobez in Infrastructures, Transport and Housing; Pedro Rodríguez Zaragoza, Agriculture, Farming, Fishing and Food; Jose Miguel Ruano, Education, Culture and Sports; Augusto Lorenzo Tejera, Environment; Jose Juan Herrera Velazquez, Tourism; Luis Soria Lopez, Business, Industry and New Technologies; Maria Australia Navarro, Presidency and Justice; and Agueda Montelongo, Employment and Social Affairs.

The Commissioner of Foreign Action and Institutional Relations with Europe, Africa and America is Javier Morales.
 
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