Francisco de la Torre Prados

Francisco de la Torre Prados (born 21 December 1942) is a Spanish People's Party (PP) politician who has been the mayor of Málaga since 2000. He has also been president of the Provincial Deputation of Málaga (1971–1975), a member of the Congress of Deputies (1977–1982) and Senate (2011–2014). He began his political career in 1971 as president of the Provincial Deputation of Málaga, being dismissed in 1975 by the Francoist government for his liberal views. He served in the Congress of Deputies as a member of the Union of the Democratic Centre, and was elected to Málaga City Council in 1995. He was part of the local government of Celia Villalobos and succeeded her as mayor in 2000. De la Torre has won six local elections, though in 2015 and 2019 his party needed support from Citizens to form a majority in the city hall. He has been awarded the Legion of Honour by France, the Medal of Pushkin by Russia, and is an honorary member of the Order of the British Empire. Early life and career Born in Málaga, De la Torre graduated in Sociology from the Pontifical University of Salamanca, earned a doctorate in Agronomic Engineering from the University of Madrid, and graduated in Regional Development from the University of Rennes in France. In 1971, aged 28, he was appointed president of the Provincial Deputation of Málaga under the Francoist dictatorship, and was dismissed in 1975 due to his liberal views.