Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba

Interior Minister

Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba is the most experienced, and possibly the most respected, member of the Spanish government.

Born in 1951 in Solares (Cantabria), married Rubalcaba is Doctor and University professor of Chemistry, although he has been a member of parliament for the Socialist party for the past 14 years.

Rubalcaba served as Education and Science Minister and Minister of the Presidency under Felipe Gonzalez in previous Socialist governments, and ha remained a key member of Joaquin Almunia's team when Almunia took over the leadership of the PSOE party from Gonzalez.

When Almunia resigned and Rodriguez Zapatero won the following leadership contest, he named Rubalcaba as one of his key advisors, and put the2004 election campaign in his hands.

When Zapatero named Rubalcaba as Party Spokesman on winning the elections, many were surprised that he hadn't been given a post with more responsability. However it proved to be a shrewd appointment by Zapatero, who decided that Rubalcaba's negotiation skills would be much more useful in the offices and corridors of Congress, than in an office in a Ministry.

Rubalcaba played a key role in securing the support of minority parties and so making it possible for the Socialist Party to form a government. And he played a major role in negotiations to draw up a proposal for a new Catalan statute which was acceptable to all sides.

His most recent appointment as Interior Minister comes at a key moment in Spanish history. He will now be in charge of negotiations with terrorist group ETA following their recent announcement of a permanent ceasefire. There is probably no member of the Socialist government better equipped to lead this peace process than Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba.