José Manuel Soria

José Manuel Soria López (born 5 January 1958) is a Spanish politician and businessman. He was involved in the regional politics of the Canary Islands before being elected to the national congress and serving as Spain's minister of industry, energy and tourism from 2011 to 2016. He was forced to resign in April 2016 after being linked with offshore companies in the Panama Papers.

Early life and education Soria was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1958. He holds a graduate degree in economics and business studies. He was elected president of the Popular Party of the Canary Islands in October 1999. Then he served as the president of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria from June 2003 to July 2007.

In April 2016, following the publication of the Panama Papers, it was learned that Soria, along with other members of his family, operated a network of companies including ones based in the Bahamas and Jersey. After initially denying having links to tax havens, he resigned on 15 April 2016 as industry minister. He also resigned from the leadership of his party in the Canary Islands and from his post as congressional deputy.

In September 2016, the Spanish government selected him as a candidate for the executive director of the World Bank. Some Spanish politicians expressed their concerns about this candidacy. Due to the pressure of politicians and public opinion, he withdrew his application for that job.