Verónica Martínez Barbero
Verónica Martínez Barbero | |
|---|---|
 Martínez Barbero in 2024 | |
| Spokesperson of the Sumar Parliamentary Group | |
| Assumed office 6 November 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Íñigo Errejón |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| Assumed office 17 August 2023 | |
| Constituency | Pontevedra |
| Director General of Labour | |
| In office 29 January 2020 – 13 June 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Ángel Allué |
| Succeeded by | Ricardo Morón |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Verónica Martínez Barbero February 2, 1980 Gijón, Spain |
| Political party | Movimiento Sumar (since 2023) |
| Education | University of Oviedo (LL.B., BBA) |
| Occupation |
|
Verónica Martínez Barbero (born 2 February 1980) is a Spanish politician, lawyer, and labour inspector who has served as the spokesperson for the Sumar parliamentary group in the Congress of Deputies since November 2024.[1] She previously served as Director General of Labour in the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy from 2020 to 2023 under Yolanda Díaz.[2] She has been a member of the Congress of Deputies representing Pontevedra since August 2023.[3]
Martínez Barbero succeeded Íñigo Errejón as spokesperson following his resignation amid sexual assault allegations in October 2024.[4] A career civil servant and labour law specialist, she joined the Superior Corps of Labour and Social Security Inspectors in 2006 and served as President of the Galician Council of Labour Relations from 2017 to 2020.[5]
Early life and education
[edit]Verónica Martínez Barbero was born on 2 February 1980 in Gijón, Asturias, Spain.[6] She graduated with degrees in Law and Business Administration from the University of Oviedo.[7]
Career
[edit]Civil service
[edit]In 2006, Martínez Barbero joined the Superior Corps of Labour and Social Security Inspectors through competitive examination. Since 2008, she has performed mediation and arbitration tasks within the Galician Interprofessional Agreement on Extrajudicial Procedures for Labour Conflict Resolution (AGA).[8]
From 2017, she served as President of the Galician Council of Labour Relations, a position dependent on the Xunta de Galicia.[9] She also worked as a lecturer at the School of Labour Relations in A Coruña.[10]
Business ventures
[edit]In December 2015, Martínez Barbero co-founded Novovinilo Edicións, a publishing company based in Vigo, which remained active for several years.[11]
Political career
[edit]Director General of Labour
[edit]In January 2020, Martínez Barbero was appointed Director General of Labour in the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy under Minister Yolanda Díaz.[12] In this role, she was involved in key labour reforms and policies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain.[13]
She resigned from the position on 13 June 2023 to lead the Sumar electoral list for Pontevedra in the 2023 Spanish general election.[14]
Member of Congress
[edit]Following the 2023 Spanish general election, Martínez Barbero became a member of the Congress of Deputies representing Pontevedra, taking office on 17 August 2023.[15] As a parliamentarian, she serves as spokesperson for the Labour Committee and chairs the Social Rights Committee. She was instrumental in promoting the recently approved ALS Law.[16]
Spokesperson of Sumar
[edit]On 6 November 2024, Martínez Barbero was unanimously selected by all forces within the Sumar parliamentary group to serve as spokesperson, succeeding Íñigo Errejón who had resigned on 24 October 2024 following sexual assault allegations.[17] She officially assumed the role on 14 November 2024.[18]
Her appointment was part of a broader restructuring of responsibilities within the parliamentary group, with an agreement to establish a coordination space where all political forces participate on equal terms.[19] She becomes the third spokesperson for Sumar in the current legislature, following Marta Lois and Errejón.[20]
Personal life
[edit]Martínez Barbero is married to a spokesperson for the General Union of Workers (UGT).[21] She is known to be an enthusiast of speleology.[22] She describes herself as "Asturian, very Galician" and is a mother.[23]
Electoral history
[edit]| Election | Constituency | Party | Votes | % | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Pontevedra | Sumar | Elected |
References
[edit]- ^ "Sumar elige a Verónica Martínez nueva portavoz en el Congreso" [Sumar chooses Verónica Martínez as new spokesperson in Congress]. El País (in Spanish). 6 November 2024. Archived from the original on 10 February 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Real Decreto 181/2020, de 29 de enero, por el que se nombra Directora General de Trabajo a doña Verónica Martínez Barbero" [Royal Decree 181/2020, of 29 January, appointing Verónica Martínez Barbero as Director General of Labour]. Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). 29 January 2020. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Verónica Martínez Barbero - XV Legislatura" [Verónica Martínez Barbero - XV Legislature]. Congress of Deputies (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Quién es Verónica Martínez, nueva portavoz de Sumar en el Congreso" [Who is Verónica Martínez, new spokesperson for Sumar in Congress]. RTVE (in Spanish). 7 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Así es Verónica Martínez Barbero, sustituta de Errejón" [This is Verónica Martínez Barbero, Errejón's replacement]. El Debate (in Spanish). 10 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Verónica Martínez, una forjadora de acuerdos para la nueva etapa de Sumar en el Congreso" [Verónica Martínez, a consensus builder for Sumar's new stage in Congress]. elDiario.es (in Spanish). 11 November 2024. Archived from the original on 24 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Sumar oficializa el nombramiento de Verónica Martínez Barbero como nueva portavoz" [Sumar formalizes the appointment of Verónica Martínez Barbero as new spokesperson]. ABC (in Spanish). 6 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "De asesorar a la Xunta de Feijóo a portavoz de Sumar" [From advising Feijóo's Xunta to Sumar spokesperson]. El Confidencial (in Spanish). 8 November 2024. Archived from the original on 23 December 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Quién es Verónica Martínez, la portavoz de Sumar que sustituye a Íñigo Errejón" [Who is Verónica Martínez, the Sumar spokesperson who replaces Íñigo Errejón]. La Razón (in Spanish). 7 November 2024. Archived from the original on 27 January 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Sumar nombra a Verónica Martínez portavoz de Sumar en sustitución de Errejón" [Sumar appoints Verónica Martínez as Sumar spokesperson replacing Errejón]. Infobae (in Spanish). 6 November 2024. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "¿Quién es Verónica Martínez, la gallega probable sustituta de Errejón en Sumar?" [Who is Verónica Martínez, the Galician probable replacement for Errejón in Sumar?]. Galicia Press (in Spanish). 6 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Verónica Martínez Barbero designada nueva portavoz de Sumar en el Congreso tras el caso Errejón" [Verónica Martínez Barbero designated new Sumar spokesperson in Congress after the Errejón case]. Valencia Plaza (in Spanish). 6 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Verónica Martínez Barbero releva a Errejón como portavoz de Sumar" [Verónica Martínez Barbero replaces Errejón as Sumar spokesperson]. Telemadrid (in Spanish). 7 November 2024. Archived from the original on 10 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Real Decreto 474/2023, de 13 de junio, por el que se dispone el cese de doña Verónica Martínez Barbero como Directora General de Trabajo" [Royal Decree 474/2023, of 13 June, ordering the dismissal of Verónica Martínez Barbero as Director General of Labour]. Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). 13 June 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Verónica Martínez Barbero, nueva portavoz parlamentaria de Sumar" [Verónica Martínez Barbero, new parliamentary spokesperson for Sumar]. Mundo Obrero (in Spanish). 6 November 2024. Archived from the original on 6 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Verónica Martínez Barbero reúne el consenso de Sumar en el Congreso para sustituir a Errejón como portavoz" [Verónica Martínez Barbero gathers Sumar consensus in Congress to replace Errejón as spokesperson]. Público (in Spanish). 5 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Íñigo Errejón ya tiene sustituta en el Congreso: Sumar elige a la gallega Verónica Martínez como portavoz" [Íñigo Errejón already has a replacement in Congress: Sumar chooses Galician Verónica Martínez as spokesperson]. Ara (in Spanish). 6 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Sumar elige a Verónica Martínez como sustituta de Íñigo Errejón en el Congreso" [Sumar chooses Verónica Martínez as Íñigo Errejón's replacement in Congress]. The Objective (in Spanish). 6 November 2024. Archived from the original on 6 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "La exdirectora de Trabajo Verónica Martínez releva a Errejón como portavoz de Sumar" [Former Labour director Verónica Martínez replaces Errejón as Sumar spokesperson]. Diari de Tarragona (in Spanish). 6 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "La gijonesa Verónica Martínez sustituye a Errejón como portavoz de Sumar en el Congreso" [Gijón native Verónica Martínez replaces Errejón as Sumar spokesperson in Congress]. El Comercio (in Spanish). 6 November 2024. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "El patrimonio de Verónica Martínez, sustituta de Errejón en Sumar" [The assets of Verónica Martínez, Errejón's replacement in Sumar]. Infobae (in Spanish). 7 November 2024. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Sumar perfila a Verónica Martínez como sustituta de Errejón dentro de la crisis del grupo" [Sumar profiles Verónica Martínez as Errejón's replacement amid group crisis]. El Periódico (in Spanish). 5 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ "Verónica Martínez: Un parche frente a Errejón" [Verónica Martínez: A patch against Errejón]. La Razón (in Spanish). 10 November 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.