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Antonio Miguel Carmona

From Alfawiki
Reviewed by Alfawiki editorsUpdated 4 June 202551 sources


Antonio Miguel Carmona Sancipriano (Madrid, January 24, 1963)[1] is a Spanish economist, politician, university professor, corporate executive, and entrepreneur. He has served as a regional deputy, city councilor, and mayoral candidate in Madrid. He also appeared as a political analyst on various radio and television programs.[2][3]

From October 2021 until October 26, 2022, he was Vice President of the multinational electric company Iberdrola,[4][5] the world’s second-largest private electric utility,[6] until he left that position on October 26, 2022,[7] to head the company’s international investment prospecting and analysis service from London.[8] According to Forbes, he was ranked among Spain’s 25 most influential people.[9]

Biography

Antonio Miguel Carmona was born in the Malasaña neighborhood of Madrid on January 24, 1963, in the same house where his grandfather, Miguel Carmona, hosted gatherings with members of the Generation of ’98.[10][11]

Professor of Economics

Carmona holds a PhD in Economics,[12] specializing in economic growth and new technologies. At age 21 he published his first article on industrial robotics. Before completing his degree, he collaborated in the Department of Economic Structure on research about technology and growth. A disciple of Spanish structuralists like Ramón Tamames, Rafael Martínez Cortiña, and José Luis Sampedro (for whom Carmona wrote an obituary in El Mundo), he won the award for best doctoral thesis.[13][14]

He began teaching at the Complutense University of Madrid and has provided extension courses at the University of California, Berkeley and at Universidade São Tomé e Príncipe in Mozambique, both through agreements with the Spanish university. He is a professor at the CEU San Pablo University.[15]

He wrote Economics and Innovation (Iberoamerican Press and Editions, USA, 1992) in the United States, and in Spain authored Economics for Journalists (FUSP, Madrid, 1996) and World Economy (FUSP, Madrid, 1996).[16] He was part of the Spanish translation team for Ben Bernanke’s work on the Federal Reserve.

He served as President of the Spanish Singularity Association, viewing exponential technological expansion and the emergence of the technological singularity as sources of abundance and sustainability against poverty and in favor of environmental sustainability.[17]

At age 20 he published an article titled “Alfonso de Valdés: an Erasmian at Emperor Charles’s Court,” which earned him the International Emperor Charles V Prize.[18] He is a licensed pilot and a lieutenant in the Spanish Air Force (reserve), serving several weeks each year on active duty.[19]

He is currently an elected member of the Advisory Council of the Distance University of Madrid.[20]

Political Leader

At age 14, he founded the magazine 31 Días.[21] He joined the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in 1986 and, since 1990, has held leadership roles in the Madrid Socialist Party (PSM-PSOE) and the Socialist Parliamentary Group, also serving on the PSOE’s Federal Executive Committee.

A member of Madrid PSOE’s leadership in the 1990s and of the PSOE Federal Committee, he worked closely with Joaquín Leguina. He was friends with Txiki Bengoechea, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and many other Socialist leaders.[22]

He collaborated with the United States Democratic Party, participating in Bill Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.[23] In interviews, he described himself as a social democrat, a Bernsteinian heir, and a republican. He ran for the Assembly of Madrid in 1999 and 2011 on the PSM-PSOE list. He served as Secretary of Economic Policy and Employment of the Madrid Socialist Party and was a regional deputy in the Assembly of Madrid from 1999 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015. He is President of the Social Democratic Foundation (Foundation for Social Democratic Analysis and Initiatives).[24]

His legislative work focused on fighting corruption. As the most active speaker during his last term in the Assembly, he repeatedly denounced the irregular activities of Ignacio González and Francisco Granados. He was taken to court for alleged defamation by the People’s Party, but he insisted on revealing wrongdoing both in court and within parliament. He was the first politician to expose the situation at Caja Madrid and Bankia.[25]

In a 2000 parliamentary group meeting, he opposed granting the maximum pension privilege to deputies and proposed eradicating all kinds of privileges for public representatives.[26]

He was the PSOE candidate for Mayor of Madrid and was highly rated in polls. His candidacy received 249,152 votes, earning nine council seats—six fewer than in 2011—placing third after the People’s Party (563,292 votes) and Ahora Madrid (519,210 votes).[27]

In the 2015 municipal elections, the PSOE suffered its worst national result ever, but in Madrid Carmona’s list obtained the best result among the four major capitals.[28] The campaign was marked by internal divisions following Tomás Gómez’s removal as Madrid PSOE Secretary. Carmona could include only two councilors from his own team on the list. During the candidate debate, he called Esperanza Aguirre “the mother of corruption.”[29]

After the election, Esperanza Aguirre offered her votes to Carmona to become mayor, but he declined, respecting the PSOE leadership’s decision to support Manuela Carmena (aligned with Podemos). This disagreement and other internal conflicts led to his removal as spokesperson of the Socialist Municipal Group; he was offered a Senate seat, which he refused. He also resigned from consideration for Secretary General of Madrid PSOE, endorsing his friend José Manuel Franco.[30][31]

In 2018, a La Sexta TV poll ranked Antonio Miguel Carmona as the best-rated political leader in Madrid.[32] In 2019 he won the PSOE membership vote for the Senate primary, but the federal leadership did not accept the result and offered him a deputy position, which he declined.[33]

In 2019, he famously chased down an abuser on the streets of Madrid and subdued him.[34]

Travel and Journalism

At 17, he visited Ulster and met with IRA leaders.[35] In September 1986, following the U.S. bombing of Libya, at age 23 he infiltrated the country and interviewed Colonel Gaddafi, publishing the report in Diario Ya.[36]

In 1987, he traveled to Algiers to interview future Islamist radical cell members, and visited the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic to speak with Frente Polisario leaders on the front lines. He witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall firsthand.[37] He retraced Ruy González de Clavijo’s route by plane to Samarkand, following the 14th-century explorer’s path.[38] In 2016 he visited Lesbos and denounced the conditions of Syrian and Afghan refugees.[39] His trip to Haiti led to fundraising for rebuilding schools destroyed by Hurricane Matthew.[40]

He began as a political debate contributor on Cadena SER. From 2011 to 2021, he founded and directed the digital outlet Diario Progresista[41] and regularly contributed to El Plural and Diariocritico.com. In 2011, he received the Nicolás Salmerón Award for Communication Professionals for his work with Diario Progresista.[42]

He has appeared on numerous Spanish political debate programs: Al Rojo Vivo and La Sexta Noche on La Sexta, Espejo Público on Antena 3, El programa de Ana Rosa on Telecinco,[43] Aquí opinamos todos on Canal 33, and El gato al agua on Intereconomía. He took part in heated debates on RTVE’s 59 Segundos, La Noria, and Telemadrid’s Madrid Opina. He directed and hosted several radio programs on Radio Tentación.[44] He was challenged by television hosts Ana Rosa Quintana and María Teresa Campos to sing live on their shows, which he did.[45]

In 2012, he appeared in the film Ni pies ni cabeza directed by Antonio del Real.[46] In summer 2019, he addressed Pakistani Muslims in Urdu, urging peace; the speech was broadcast to millions.[47] Since September 3, 2019, Carmona has hosted the late-night radio show Solos en la noche on Radio Inter.[48] In 2021, he became a regular guest on Cuatro’s Horizonte, hosted by Iker Jiménez. During a debate on freedom of expression, he caused controversy by reading aloud critical Twitter comments and calling one user an “idiot.”[49][50]

Business Activity

He held executive roles in various multinational companies; at age 25 he became a director at one of the Grupo 16 companies.[51] His entrepreneurial efforts have focused on new technologies. He founded and edited Diario Progresista from 2011 to 2021. He also served on the General Assembly of Atlético Madrid.

References

  1. ↑ Carmona Sancipriano, Antonio Miguel (accessed February 22, 2014)
  2. ↑ Carmona launches mayoral campaign without acknowledging candidacy (El País; accessed August 25, 2014)
  3. ↑ PSOE primaries for Madrid mayoralty, first challenge for Pedro Sánchez (El País; accessed August 14, 2014)
  4. ↑ Antonio Miguel Carmona will be new Vice President of Iberdrola Spain (Cinco Días; accessed October 27, 2022)
  5. ↑ Antonio Miguel Carmona: the economist, professor, manager and 'top gun' joining Iberdrola (El Economista; accessed October 27, 2022)
  6. ↑ Iberdrola becomes the world’s second-largest electric utility by market capitalization (El Economista; accessed October 27, 2022)
  7. ↑ Antonio Miguel Carmona leaves his position at Iberdrola (Cadena SER; accessed October 27, 2022)
  8. ↑ Antonio Miguel Carmona on his new challenge at Iberdrola: “I am very happy” (Estrella Digital; accessed May 8, 2023)
  9. ↑ Forbes includes Isabel Díaz Ayuso among Spain’s 25 most influential people in 2021 (OK Diario; accessed December 28, 2021)
  10. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona is ready” (El Mundo; accessed May 5, 2014)
  11. ↑ The restless hand of Gómez (El País; accessed January 8, 2012)
  12. ↑ “We need a powerful alternative” (El País; accessed March 15, 2013)
  13. ↑ “I already taste the salt” (El Mundo; accessed July 6, 2018)
  14. ↑ NI Pies Ni Cabeza (2012) (Kinefilia; accessed July 6, 2018)
  15. ↑ “Structure” (UDIMA; accessed January 29, 2023)
  16. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona receives the Nicolás Salmerón award in the name of Diario Progresista” (ABC; accessed December 10, 2011)
  17. ↑ Antonio Miguel Carmona participates as President of the Spanish Singularity Association board meeting (PSOE Madrid; accessed July 6, 2018)
  18. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona, everything for Madrid” (Nicolás Ferrando Sandoval; accessed 2017)
  19. ↑ “The economist who wanted to be an eagle” (El Mundo; accessed July 6, 2018)
  20. ↑ “Structure” (UDIMA; accessed January 29, 2023)
  21. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona, everything for Madrid” (Nicolás Ferrando Sandoval; accessed 2017)
  22. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona, everything for Madrid” (Nicolás Ferrando Sandoval; accessed 2017)
  23. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona, everything for Madrid” (Nicolás Ferrando Sandoval; accessed 2017)
  24. ↑ Social Democratic Foundation (accessed July 6, 2018)
  25. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona, everything for Madrid” (Nicolás Ferrando Sandoval; accessed 2017)
  26. ↑ Two PSOE deputies ask their group for debate on parliamentary privileges (El País; accessed March 8, 2002)
  27. ↑ Madrid municipal election results 2015 (El País; accessed 2015)
  28. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona, everything for Madrid” (Nicolás Ferrando Sandoval; accessed 2017)
  29. ↑ Debate: Esperanza Aguirre (PP) vs. Antonio Miguel Carmona (PSOE) (Telemadrid; accessed 2015)
  30. ↑ Antonio Miguel Carmona removed: “I have no price, I will not bend my back” (La Información; accessed 2018)
  31. ↑ Opinion: Hurry to arrive late (El País; accessed September 5, 2017)
  32. ↑ La Sexta barometer: Ahora Madrid and Ciudadanos tied in Madrid municipal elections (laSexta; accessed May 3, 2018)
  33. ↑ Carmona renounces PSOE lists after being excluded from Senate candidacy (Público; accessed 2019)
  34. ↑ Heroic action by former PSOE councilor Antonio Carmona against an abuser (El Digital Castilla-La Mancha; accessed 2019)
  35. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona, everything for Madrid” (Nicolás Ferrando Sandoval; accessed 2017)
  36. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona, everything for Madrid” (Nicolás Ferrando Sandoval; accessed 2017)
  37. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona, everything for Madrid” (Nicolás Ferrando Sandoval; accessed 2017)
  38. ↑ Journey to Samarkand along Clavijo’s route (El País; accessed July 22, 2005)
  39. ↑ Antonio M. Carmona: “They were imprisoned in barracks and urinated while handcuffed” (El Español; accessed March 28, 2016)
  40. ↑ Carmona reports from Haiti that 20% of children lack schooling (OK Diario; accessed October 30, 2016)
  41. ↑ Carmona launches mayoral campaign without acknowledging candidacy (El País; accessed August 25, 2014)
  42. ↑ Journalists Antonio Miguel Carmona and Manuel Arias receive the Nicolás Salmerón Human Rights Award (Europa Press; accessed November 15, 2011)
  43. ↑ Carmona jumps to radio with a late-night Madrid current affairs show (El Confidencial Digital; accessed July 6, 2018)
  44. ↑ Carmona jumps to radio with a late-night Madrid current affairs show (El Confidencial Digital; accessed July 6, 2018)
  45. ↑ Antonio Miguel Carmona sings as a crooner on ¡Qué tiempo tan feliz! (Telecinco; accessed July 6, 2018)
  46. ↑ NI Pies Ni Cabeza (2012) (Kinefilia; accessed July 6, 2018)
  47. ↑ Antonio Miguel Carmona and his debated Urdu speech in London (laSexta; accessed August 5, 2019)
  48. ↑ Antonio Miguel Carmona to present “Solos en la noche” on Radio Inter (Europa Press; accessed September 2, 2019)
  49. ↑ “There’s a majority of idiots”: Carmona disturbs Iker Jiménez’s audience (El Confidencial; accessed February 11, 2021)
  50. ↑ Iker Jiménez ridicules the offended: “May I say this person is an idiot?” (Ecoteuve; accessed February 11, 2021)
  51. ↑ “Antonio Miguel Carmona, everything for Madrid” (Nicolás Ferrando Sandoval; accessed 2017)

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