Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. (May 2013) The Most Excellent José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero OIC Prime Minister of Spain In office 16 April 2004 – 21 December 2011 Monarch Juan Carlos I Deputy María Teresa Fernández de la Vega Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba Elena Salgado Preceded by José María Aznar Succeeded by Mariano Rajoy Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party In office 22 July 2000 – 4 February 2012 President Manuel Chaves Preceded by Joaquín Almunia Succeeded by Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba Leader of the Opposition In office 22 July 2000 – 16 April 2004 Monarch Juan Carlos I Prime Minister José María Aznar Preceded by Luis Martínez Noval Succeeded by Mariano Rajoy Personal details Born (1960-08-04) 4 August 1960 (age 54) Valladolid, Spain Political party Spanish Socialist Workers' Party Spouse(s) Sonsoles Espinosa (1990–present) Children Laura Alba Alma mater University of León Religion Agnosticism Signature José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (Spanish: [xoseˈlwiz roˈðɾiɣeθ θapaˈteɾo] ( listen); born 4 August 1960) is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). He was elected for two terms as Prime Minister of Spain, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. On 2 April 2011 he announced he would not stand for re-election in the 2011 general election. He left office on 21 December 2011. Among the main actions taken by the Zapatero administration were the withdrawal of Spanish troops from the Iraq war, which allegedly resulted in long-term diplomatic tensions with the George W. Bush administration; the increase of Spanish troops in Afghanistan; the idea of an Alliance of Civilizations, co-sponsored by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; the legalisation of same-sex marriage; reform of abortion law; a controversial attempt at peace negotiation with ETA; the increase of tobacco restrictions; and the reform of various autonomous statutes, particularly the Statute of Catalonia.