The Diplomat
MEP Maite Pagazaurtundua will be on the Ciudadanos lists for the European elections on June 9 and will leave politics at the end of the current legislature after holding public office for more than 25 years, according to The Objective.
Sources close to the MEP confirmed the news to Europa Press, indicating that she had already informed them a long time ago of her intention to leave politics.
After ten years in the European Parliament, first with Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) and then with Ciudadanos, Pagazaurtundúa will return to Logroño and recover its public square. The same sources indicate that she will return to writing, something that she wants “very much” and that, as a citizen, she will continue to defend civil liberties and the rule of law.
Pagazaurtundúa, a philologist by training, is an activist for freedom, human rights and against terrorism and fanaticism. Her brother Joseba was murdered by ETA in 2003, after years of harassment, threats and attacks. After the murder, she had to move out of the Basque Country with her family. She has been president of the Foundation for Victims of Terrorism and the Collective of Victims of Terrorism (Covite).
She became a deputy in the Basque Parliament with the PSE in 1993 and was linked to this party until 2005. She returned to active politics with UPyD, with whom she was spokesperson in the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019, replacing Franciso Sosa Wagner. Later, she joined the Ciudadanos lists as an independent in the 2019 elections. Her work in the European Parliament has always focused on issues of defending the rule of law.
Her withdrawal from active politics has prompted messages of support from her colleagues. The political spokesperson and ‘orange’ MEP, Jordi Cañas, has pointed out through the social network “It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with you,” he added.
Ciudadanos is going through a crisis after negotiations with the PP to participate together in the Catalan and European elections have failed, a circumstance that has caused the resignation of Adrián Vázquez as ‘orange’ general secretary.
The Ciudadanos leadership decided late on Friday to attend both elections alone. Eyes point towards Cañas as a possible head of the list.
