José Ballesta

José Ballesta
Ballesta in 2015
Mayor of Murcia
In office
17 June 2023 – 10 May 2026
Preceded byJosé Antonio Serrano Martínez
Succeeded byRebeca Pérez
In office
13 June 2015 – 25 March 2021
Preceded byMiguel Ángel Cámara
Succeeded byJosé Antonio Serrano Martínez
Personal details
BornJosé Francisco Ballesta Germán
(1958-07-19)19 July 1958
Murcia, Spain
Died10 May 2026(2026-05-10) (aged 67)
PartyPP

José Francisco Ballesta Germán (Spanish pronunciation: [xoˈse fɾanˈθisko βaˈʎesta xeɾˈman]; 19 July 1958 – 10 May 2026) was a Spanish medical professor and politician who served as the mayor of Murcia between 2015 and 2021, and again between 2023 and his death in 2026. He was a member of the People's Party. Ballesta previously served as a minister in the Government of the Region of Murcia between 2007 and 2014. He was also a full professor at the University of Murcia and served as the university's president from 1998 to 2006.

Early life

Ballesta was born in Murcia on 19 July 1958.[1] He earned bachelor's (1981) and master's (1983) degrees in medicine and surgery from the University of Murcia. He then did a post-doctorate with the Royal Postgraduate Medical School at Hammersmith Hospital in London.[2]

Career

Academic career

In 1986 and 1992 respectively, Ballesta became an associate and full professor at his alma mater.[2] He was the director of the Department of Molecular Biology from 1987 to 1989, and served in other internal posts before two terms as president of the university from 1998 to 2006.[2] In June 2002, King Juan Carlos I awarded Ballesta the Grand Cross of Aeronautical Merit.[3]

Regional minister

Ballesta was elected to the Regional Assembly of Murcia in the May 2007 elections, but resigned his seat on 6 July.[4] He remained in the regional government as the minister in charge of public works, housing and transport. In this role, he disputed with the national government, which wished to introduce high-speed rail to Murcia but while sharing existing tracks, thus reducing its speed.[5] After the 2011 elections, Ballesta stayed in Ramón Luis Valcárcel's government as Minister of Universities, Business and Research. For the 2013 budget, he pledged to prioritise staff and research over facilities.[6] His role ended when the regional president resigned in April 2014.[7]

Mayor of Murcia

With Valcárcel's endorsement as regional leader of the People's Party (PP), Ballesta was named as the party's candidate for mayor of Murcia in March 2015.[7] He was invested as mayor in June, by simple majority with 12 of 27 councillors voting in favour of him, after the five from Citizens (Cs) abstained.[8] In his first term, Ballesta oversaw pedestrianisation of the Alfonso X el Sabio street, conservation of the Segura river and installation of green areas. The opposition in the council called him the "mayor of photos" for his many public appearances, and he suffered bad publicity in 2018 when one of his councillors, Roque Ortiz, was recorded insinuating that the party was giving municipal contracts to allies.[9]

Ballesta gained a second term in 2019, when his ten councillors formed a coalition with the four from Cs.[10] In this term, he worked on the preservation of the city's Moorish ruins and its former prison, while disputes between the two government parties led to mutual legal threats.[9] Relations between the two parties of the local government became worse during the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] In March 2021, Cs withdrew their support of Ballesta, and joined the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in a vote of no confidence, which passed with 15 votes in favour and 14 against replacing him with the PSOE's José Antonio Serrano Martínez. He then returned to his university department.[11]

In December 2022, having never resigned his seat on the council, Ballesta was named by President of the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, as the PP candidate for mayor of Murcia in the May 2023 elections.[12] He achieved an absolute majority of 15 out of 29 seats.[13] On 1 October 2023, thirteen people died in a nightclub fire, and Ballesta promised an investigation "no matter who falls [as a result]". By the time of his death in 2026, the court case was still ongoing, and the council's inquiry was inconclusive.[9] Ballesta also oversaw festivities for the 1,200th anniversary of Murcia, in 2025.[1] He regularly organised large events for Christmas, and in 2025 the municipal Christmas tree at the Plaza Circular was lit by Richard Gere and children with cancer whom the American actor was visiting.[9]

Personal life and death

Ballesta was a Catholic who attended Mass daily at the Cathedral of Murcia. He was married to Pilar Viñas, a chemistry professor at the University of Murcia, and had two sons and two daughters. One son, Juan, was a professional basketball player for UCAM Murcia CB.[14]

Ballesta was diagnosed with cancer in 2024,[15] and died of it on 10 May 2026, at the age of 67.[16] The city council in Murcia announced three days of mourning. His deputy Rebeca Pérez, the first woman mayor of Murcia, was put in temporary charge prior to being elected as his successor.[1][17] His funeral was held on 12 May at the cathedral.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bastante Hernáiz, Paula (10 May 2026). "Muere José Ballesta, alcalde de Murcia, por un cáncer a los 67 años: "Una persona que dedicó su vida al servicio público"" [José Ballesta, mayor of Murcia, dies of cancer at 67: "A person who dedicated his life to public service"] (in Spanish). Infobae. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "José Ballesta Germán" (in Spanish). University of Murcia. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  3. ↑ "Real Decreto 581/2002, de 14 de junio, por el que se concede la Gran Cruz del Mérito Aeronáutico, con distintivo blanco, al Rector Magnífico de la Universidad de Murcia don José Ballesta Germán" [Royal Decree 581/2002, of 14 June, by which the Grand Cross of Aeronautical Merit, with white decoration, is bestowed upon the Magnificent President of the University of Murcia, Don José Ballesta Germán] (in Spanish). Boletín Oficial del Estado. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "Boletín Oficial" [Official Bulletin] (PDF) (in Spanish). Regional Assembly of Murcia. 10 July 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  5. ↑ "La Comunidad quiere negociar con Fomento que llegue un AVE y no un 'gorrión'" [The Community wants to negotiate with Fomento so that a high-speed train arrives, and not a 'sparrow']. 20 minutos (in Spanish). 15 October 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  6. ↑ "Ballesta garantiza "el capital humano de las universidades" por encima de las infraestructuras" [Ballesta guarantees the "human capital of the universities" above infrastructure]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 17 October 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  7. 1 2 "José Ballesta, candidato del PP a la alcaldía de Murcia" [José Ballesta, PP candidate for mayor of Murcia] (in Spanish). Murcia Economía. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  8. ↑ "Ballesta (PP) elegido alcalde de Murcia por mayoría simple tras los votos en blanco de Ciudadanos" [Ballesta (PP) elected mayor of Murcia by simple majority after Citizens abstain] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Muere José Ballesta, el alcalde de Murcia que persiguió la excelencia" [José Ballesta, the mayor who pursued excellence, dies]. El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 11 May 2026. Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  10. ↑ "José Ballesta, del PP, elegido alcalde de Murcia" [José Ballesta, of the PP, elected mayor of Murcia]. La Verdad (in Spanish). 15 June 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  11. ↑ Perals, Fernando (25 March 2021). "José Ballesta volverá en los próximos días a su plaza en la Universidad de Murcia" [José Ballesta will return in the following days to his position at the University of Murcia]. La Verdad (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  12. ↑ Gómez, David (14 December 2022). "El Partido Popular confirma a Ballesta como candidato a la alcaldía de Murcia" [People's Party confirms Ballesta as candidate for mayor of Murcia]. La Verdad (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  13. ↑ Sánchez, Fernando (28 May 2023). "Ballesta (PP) reconquista el bastión de Murcia con la mayoría absoluta tras lograr 15 concejales" [Ballesta (PP) reconquers the bastion of Murcia with an absolute majority after achieving 15 councillors] (in Spanish). Murcia Plaza. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  14. ↑ García, Lola (12 May 2026). "El lado más personal y humano de José Ballesta" [The more personal and human side of José Ballesta]. La Opinión de Murcia (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 May 2026.
  15. ↑ de La Flor, Sergio (10 May 2026). "Fallece el alcalde de Murcia, José Ballesta" [Mayor of Murcia, José Ballesta, dies] (in Spanish). Murcia Plaza. Retrieved 11 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "José Ballesta, mayor of Murcia, dies at 67: three days of official mourning in the city". Demócrata. 10 May 2026. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  17. ↑ Vadillo, Virginia (14 May 2026). "La popular Rebeca Pérez será la primera alcaldesa de Murcia de la historia" [People's Party's Rebeca Pérez will be first ever female mayor of Murcia]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 May 2026.
  18. ↑ Gómez, David (12 May 2026). "Un funeral para los libros de historia" [A funeral for the history books]. La Verdad (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 May 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.