José María Aznar (Madrid 1953) is a lawyer. He chairs the FAES Foundation and the Atlantic Institute of Government. He belongs to the Board of Directors of News Corp; is Latham & Watkins Special Advisor; and member of the Board of Directors of Afiniti, the International Advisory Board of Barrick Gold Corporation and the International Advisory Board of the Atlantic Council of the US.

 

He is Honorary Chairman of the Friends of Israel Initiative; and member of the Advisory Board of the San Ignacio de Loyola University; the Leadership Council of Concordia y the Board of Trustees of the Real Instituto Elcano.

 

President of the Government from 1996 to 2004. After the absolute majority of the Popular Party in 2000, he voluntarily resigned to run in 2004. President of the PP between 1990 and 2004 and Head of the Regional Government of Castile-Leon between 1987 and 1989.

 

He was a Distinguished Scholar at Georgetown University, and a Distinguished Fellow of the SAIS at Johns Hopkins University. He has written ten books and has been awarded Doctor Honoris Causa by thirteen universities, as the Florida International University (1998) and Bar-Ilan University in Israel.