Esteban González Pons


Esteban González Pons is a Spanish politician who belongs to the People's Party. He has been a Member of the European Parliament for the People’s Party since 2014 and was re-elected in 2019.

Early life and career

Married, and with three children, González Pons gained a doctorate in law and constitutional rights and practised as a lawyer.

Political career

Career in national politics

González Pons entered politics in 1993 serving as senator for Valencia province, in the process becoming the youngest member of the senate. He continued in that role until 2003, resigning after being chosen as minister of culture, education and sport in the Valencian regional parliament. He served as the PP spokesman from 2007 until 2008 when he was elected to the Spanish Congress of Deputies representing Valencia region. He headed the PP list for that election, virtually guaranteeing his election in a district where the PP and predecessors had won at least one seat at every election in the modern Spanish democratic era.

Member of the European Parliament, 2014–present

In early 2014, the PP chose González Pons to be party’s number 2 for the European elections, following Miguel Arias Cañete. As Member of the European Parliament, he has since been serving on the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
González Pons is also a member of the parliament’s delegations for relations with Israel and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean. In addition to his committee assignments, he is a member of the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights; the European Parliament Intergroup on Children’s Rights; the European Parliament Intergroup on SMEs; and the European Parliament Intergroup on Sports.
When Arias Cañete was nominated as European Commissioner in late 2014, González Pons took over as leader of the Spanish delegation in the EPP Group. In addition, he co-chairs the EPP Justice and Home Affairs Ministers Meeting, alongside German interior minister Thomas de Maizière and Kai Mykkänen. He also chairs the EPP’s working group on Brexit. Within the EPP group, he is one of the deputies of chairman Manfred Weber.

Political positions

Following Brexit, González Pons joined Manfred Weber, David McAllister and Sandra Kalniete in co-signing a letter to President of the European Parliament David Sassoli to establish an EU-UK Joint Parliamentary Assembly.