Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca

Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca (born 20 May 1945) is a Spanish former politician and radiation physicist. Born in Barcelona, he served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1999 to 2014 and as First Vice-President of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2007. He survived an assassination attempt in 2023, he says was ordered by Iran, which became known in Spain as "The Sunflower case".

Career Vidal-Quadras was elected on the People's Party ticket and sat with the European People's Party group. In 2014, he announced that he was leaving the People's Party for a new party, Vox. He was the frontrunner for Vox in the 2014 European election, but the party failed to win a seat. He is a member of the European Friends of Israel, a lobby group aiming to defend Israel's interests within the European Union.

Relationship with Iran In 2013 El País reported that 35 Iranian dissidents said to be affiliated to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) gave Vox about one million euros. According to Vidal-Quadras, the donations were not made to Vox but to himself.

After 2014, Vidal-Quadras operated the International Committee in Search of Justice (ISJ), a Brussels-based lobby supporting the NCRI against the Iranian government.

Vidal-Quadras has aligned with People's Mojahedin of Iran, which led the Iranian Foreign Ministry to impose sanctions on him in 2023. The Iran Foreign Ministry accused Vidal-Quadras of "supporting terrorism and terrorist groups" while Maryam Rajavi said that "Prof. Vidal-Quadras has dedicated an important part of his life to fight against [Iran's ruling religious fascism]". by a person on a motorbike in at 1:30 p.m. local time. He was taken to hospital and was described as recovering after suffering a fracture on his jawbone that required surgery. On November 21, Spanish police arrested three people in connection to the shooting.

Vidal-Quadras has claimed that Iran was behind the attempted assassination. According to Vidal-Quadras, his connection to the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an Iranian opposition group, could be linked to the assassination attempt. To date, eight people have been arrested, including Mehrez Ayari who is linked to the Mocro Maffia. Sami Bekal Bounouare, a Palma-born man believed to be the mastermind behind the attack, remains at large.

Vidal-Quadras is one of the first politicians that Tehran has added to their terrorist list. The Iranian opposition attributes the authorship to religious fascist elements that govern the country. In 2019 Vidal-Quadras stated that he considers the Iranian regime a cruel dictatorship which foments terrorism. He is the first European politician to be targeted within Europe.

Aftermath In January 2024, a suspect in the assassination attempt was arrested in Colombia. Currently four individuals have been arrested in connection with the shooting, while the alleged shooter, a French citizen of Tunisian descent with multiple prior convictions in France, is still at large.

Also Vidal-Quadras called for a change in the EU policy towards the Islamic Republic to avoid trying to "appease, to negotiate, to dialogue and to make concessions".

Political positions Alejo Vidal-Quadras defines himself as liberal-conservative. He is the founder of far-right political party Vox, and is opposed to abortion rights and gay marriage.

Personal life He currently lives off his pensions as a former university professor and a former member of the European Parliament. In addition to serving in the European Parliament, he has occupied several elected positions in Spain: he was a member of the Barcelona City Council (1987–1991), member of the Parliament of Catalonia (1988–1996) and Senator in the Spanish Senate (1996–1999).