Ignacio Cosidó | |
|---|---|
_Homenaje_a_Miguel_%25C3%2581ngel_Blanco_en_el_vig%25C3%25A9simo_primer_aniversario_de_su_asesinato_01_(cropped).jpg) In 2018. | |
| Spanish Senator designated by theCortes of Castile and León | |
| In office 14 December 2016 – 23 July 2019 | |
| Director General of the National Police | |
| In office 2 January 2012 – 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Francisco Javier Velázquez López |
| Succeeded by | Germán López Iglesias |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 2011 – 2 January 2012 | |
| Constituency | Palencia |
| In office 2008–2011 | |
| Constituency | Palencia |
| Member of theSenate | |
| In office 2004–2008 | |
| Constituency | Palencia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1965-07-31)31 July 1965 (age 60) Salamanca, Spain |
| Citizenship | Spanish |
| Political party | People's Party |
| Alma mater | |
Ignacio Cosidó Gutiérrez (born in 1965) is a Spanishconservative politician, member of thePeople's Party (PP). He has been member of both the Lower and Upper House of theCortes Generales, and directed theNational Police Corps from 2012 to 2016. From 2018 to 2019, he served asSpokesperson of the PP parliamentary group in theSenate.
Born on 31 July 1965 inSalamanca,[1] Cosidó graduated in political science at theComplutense University of Madrid.[2][3] He has been a prominent collaborator of theneo-conservative Grupo de Estudios Estratégicos (GEES) think-tank.[4][5]
His political activity began in 1988, as Secretary General of the "Liberal Youths".[6] He later served as Secretary of Political Action of theNew Generations (NN.GG.) of thePeople's Party (PP), reading in 1994 his PhD thesis in History at theNational University of Distance Education before a tribunal formed by historianJavier Tusell, Juan Gómez Castañeda, fellow GEES colleagueFlorentino Portero, as well as two members of the Congress of Deputies representing the PP,Cristóbal Montoro and Luis Gamir Casares.[2][7]
After the win of the PP in the1996 general election, he became and assistant to the new Director General of theCivil Guard, Santiago López Valdivieso.[8]
He was elected Senator in2004 general election, representing theprovince of Palencia. Aligned to the most reactionary wing of the PP, he acquired a political profile bashing the PSOE in the Senate, with the later party having arrived to power after the general election.[9] In 2005, Cosidó deridedGregorio Peces-Barba, the new High Commissioner for Support to the Victims of Terrorism and one of theFathers of the 1978 Spanish Constitution, as "High Commissioner for (offering) dialog and shelter to terrorist executioners".[9] He also adhered to the conspiracy theories surrounding the authorship of the11-M train bombings in Madrid.[10]
He was elected member of theCongress of Deputies in the2008 general election, also representing Palencia. He was re-elected in theNovember 2011 general election.
Appointed in December 2011 (after the win of the PP in the general election and the subsequent arrival to the premiership ofMariano Rajoy) as Director General of theNational Police Corps (CNP), Cosidó took office on 2 January 2012.[11] During his spell as director of the CNP, Cosidó created in 2012 the Strategic Planning and Coordination Unit (Unidad de Planificación Estratégica y Coordinación), of uncertain functions, as purposed solely towards analysis, the special unit worked as sort of full-blownintelligence agency, thus it got the moniker of "laCIA de Cosidó".[12][13]
After taking office, new ministerJuan Ignacio Zoido re-shifted the high-ranking officials of his Ministry in late 2016, removing Cosidó from office.[14]
_Conferencia_Pablo_Casado_en_La_Raz%25C3%25B3n._(42937385570)_(cropped).jpg)
In December 2016, Cosidó returned to the Senate, as he was designated Senator by theCortes of Castile and León, with the sole support in the regional parliament from the PP's parliamentary group.[15] After the ascension ofPablo Casado to the presidency of the People's Party (now in theopposition after the successfulvote of no confidence in Mariano Rajoy) in the summer of 2018, the new PP leader appointed Cosidó asSpokesperson of the PP parliamentary group in the Spanish Upper house, where the party enjoyed an absolute majority of senators.[9]
In November 2018 aWhatsApp message of Cosidó directed at the members of the PP group at the Senate became public. In that message, Cosidó took pride in the deal tentatively agreed between the PP and the PSOE to renovate theGeneral Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), as the collegiate body responsible for appointing judges would have ConservativeManuel Marchena as president, while he also emphasized that the PP would somehow retain a "backdoor control" over the 2nd Penal Hall of the Supreme Court (responsible for judging legislators and government members) and would "preside" over the 61st Hall (responsible for the illegalization of political parties).[16][17] Harshly criticised over this perceived partisan understanding of the judicial power and with the political rivals asking for his resignation, he lamented the tone of the message[16] but declined to step down, as he declared to enjoy full support from his party leader, Casado.[18] Marchena renounced then to the potential candidacy to the dual presidency of the CGPJ and the Supreme Court,[19] and the PP declared any sort of deal with the PSOE to renovate the body "broken" as long as the minister of JusticeDolores Delgado did not resign,[20] thusde facto prolonging the mandate ofCarlos Lesmes.
On 23 July 2019, theParliament of Castile and León dismissed him and appointedJavier Maroto to replace him.
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A practicing Catholic,[9] Cosidó espouses a deeply religious and conservative worldview.[2] He is considered a "hardliner" within the PP.[21] In 2008 Cosidó declared Muslim immigrants to be "a risk to our democracy" because, with their customs and ideas, they would bring to Spain a lifestyle presenting "serious incompatibilities".[4]
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