Alberto Bretón

Alberto Bretón Rodríguez (born 12 September 1964)[1] is a Spanish politician. As a member of the People's Party (PP), he served in the Parliament of La Rioja (2003; 2019–2023) and the Senate of Spain (2011). He was also a minister in the Government of La Rioja from 2003 to 2007, and again in 2019, as well as the government delegate to La Rioja from 2011 to 2018.

In 2023, he left the PP and founded Por La Rioja (PLRi). In the year's local elections, his party ranked third in La Rioja for mayors and councillors, but his run for mayor of Logroño resulted in no seats, nor did his party win a seat in the regional parliament. He left the party leadership later that year, while remaining a member.

Biography

People's Party

Bretón was born in Logroño in La Rioja, and graduated in law from the University of Zaragoza.[2] He joined the People's Party (PP) in 2002.[3]

In the 2003 Riojan regional election, Bretón was elected to the Parliament of La Rioja, resigning his seat soon after to serve as minister of public administration in the government of Pedro Sanz until 2007.[2] In Sanz's next government following re-election in 2007, he named Conrado Escobar in the position instead.[4]

In July 2011, Bretón was named director general of judicial services, resigning two months later to lead the PP list for the Senate of Spain in the La Rioja constituency during the general election. He was elected, and resigned weeks later when he was named government delegate to La Rioja by the prime minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy.[5]

Bretón returned to the government of La Rioja in April 2019, as Minister of Social Policy, Family, Equality and Justice in the government of José Ignacio Ceniceros. He replaced Escobar, who was running for mayor of Logroño.[2] He was named fifth on Ceniceros's PP list for the 2019 Riojan regional election.[6] He was elected, while his party lost control of the government for the first time in 24 years.[7]

Por La Rioja

Bretón quit his seat in the Parliament of La Rioja, and PP membership, in a dispute with Gonzalo Capellán being appointed the party's lead candidate for the 2023 Riojan regional election by the party'a national leadership. He announced the party Por La Rioja (PLRi) on 16 February 2023, and was joined by former members of the Riojan Party (PR+), who had left due to their party running a joint list with the Empty Spain platform.[8] He was unanimously voted as secretary general of the new party.[9]

Por La Rioja took five mayors' offices and 52 councillors in the 2023 Spanish local elections, ranking third in La Rioja behind the PP and the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).[10][11] The party did not win a seat in the Parliament, nor in the city council of Logroño, where Bretón was running for mayor. He resigned as secretary general on 18 October while remaining a member; regional list leader Sonsoles Soriano replaced him.[12]

References

  1. ^ "Sonsoles Soriano será la candidata de 'Por La Rioja' al Gobierno regional" [Sonsoles Soriano will be 'Por La Rioja' candidate for the regional government] (in Spanish). Haro Digital. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Alberto Bretón toma posesión este viernes como consejero de Políticas Sociales, Familia, Igualdad y Justicia" [Alberto Bretón takes office this Friday as minister of Social Policy, Family, Equality and Justice] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  3. ^ García, Pío (17 January 2023). "Alberto Bretón: «No descarto absolutamente nada»" [Alberto Bretón: "I'm not ruling anything out"]. La Rioja (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  4. ^ "Cuando ocho años no son nada" [When eight years are nothing]. El Correo (in Spanish). 23 July 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  5. ^ Munoz, M. (31 December 2011). "El 'hijo pródigo' Alberto Bretón es el nuevo delegado del Gobierno en La Rioja" ['Prodigal son' Alberto Bretón is the new government delegate to La Rioja]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  6. ^ Ruiz, Luis J. (22 April 2019). "Ceniceros se rodea de los miembros de su Gobierno para las Autonómicas" [Ceniceros surrounds himself with members of his government for the autonomous elections]. La Rioja (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  7. ^ Lastra, Roberto G. (27 May 2019). "Los populares, en su noche más oscura" [People's Party, on their darkest night]. La Rioja (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  8. ^ "Bretón y críticos del PR crean el nuevo partido 'Por La Rioja'" [Bretón and critics of the PR create the new party 'Por La Rioja']. El Día de La Rioja (in Spanish). 16 February 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  9. ^ "Bretón espera «unos magníficos resultados» para el 28M" [Bretón hopes for "some magnificent results" for the 28 May elections] (in Spanish). Nueve Cuatro Uno. EFE. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  10. ^ "¿Aquí quién manda? Todos los alcaldes de La Rioja, pueblo a pueblo" [Who governs here? All the mayors of La Rioja, town to town] (in Spanish). Nueve Cuatro Uno. 17 June 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  11. ^ "El PP logra 537 concejales en La Rioja, frente a los 340 del PSOE" [PP achieves 537 councillors in La Rioja, against 340 of the PSOE] (in Spanish). Nueve Cuatro Uno. EFE. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Alberto Bretón deja la Secretaría General de Por La Rioja y la asume Sonsoles Soriano" [Alberto Bretón leaves secretary general position of Por La Rioja and Sonsoles Soriano succeeds him] (in Spanish). Nueve Cuatro Uno. EFE. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
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