José Blanco López

Who is José Blanco López?

José Blanco López, also known as Pepe Blanco, is a Spanish socialist politician. He is currently the deputy general of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and was the Minister of Public Works and Transport from 2009 to 2011. He began his political career in 1986 when he was elected to the Spanish Senate. In 1996 he was elected to the Spanish Congress as a deputy for Lugo Province and was re-elected in 2000, 2004 and 2008. He is a trustee of the Fundacion IDEAS, Spain's Socialist Party's think tank.

He was appointed Minister of Public Works and Transport in a cabinet reshuffle on 7 April 2009, replacing Magdalena Álvarez. On July 11, 2011 he was appointed spokesperson of the government without losing previous duties.

On 28 December 2011 Spain's Supreme Court opened a probe into his conduct on charges of influence peddling and accepting bribes. Just two days later, and in keeping with the controversial tradition for incoming Spanish governments to issue blanket awards to their predecessors regardless of merit, Blanco received the Grand Cross of the Order of Carlos III from the new Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy.