Antonio Basagoiti Pastor

Antonio Basagoiti Pastor (born 25 October 1969) is a Spanish banker and former politician of the People's Party (PP). He was a member of Bilbao City Council from 1995 to 2008, a member of the Basque Parliament from 2009 to 2013, and president of the People's Party of the Basque Country from 2008 to 2013. He then left politics and moved to Mexico to resume his banking career.

Early life Basagoiti was born in Madrid. His father was president of the bank Banesto, and his great-great-grandfather was a Basque who founded the Banco Hispano Americano.

President of the People's Party of the Basque Country In July 2008, the president of the PP in the Basque Country, María San Gil, resigned due to disputes with the national leadership, and was succeeded by Basagoiti. In October, he was unanimously chosen as their candidate for Lehendakari – head of the regional government – with the official selection taking place a day before his 39th birthday. With the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) taking 25 seats and Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) entering the Basque Parliament with one seat, parties not espousing Basque nationalism held the majority for the first time.

In the 2012 Basque regional election, the PP lost three seats and declined to the fourth party in the region. Despite being asked by the national leadership to remain in charge until the 2015 local elections, he resigned the regional party leadership and his parliamentary seat in May 2013 to relocate to Mexico with his wife and three daughters, to return to banking with Santander México.