Goretti Sanmartín Rei

Goretti Sanmartín Rei is a BNG politician and Mayor of Santiago of Compostela since 2023.

Political career

Goretti Sanmartín Rei is a Galician politician associated with the Bloque Nacionalista Galego (BNG), the main left-wing Galician nationalist party. She has built her political profile within the BNG through local and institutional politics, with a particular focus on municipal government, Galician identity and public policy in Santiago of Compostela.

Public information about her early life and academic background is limited in standard political summaries, but her trajectory has been rooted in Galician nationalism and local institutional work. Before becoming mayor, she held prominent roles linked to the city’s politics and the BNG’s municipal organisation, gradually establishing herself as one of the party’s most visible figures in Santiago.

Her key office is Mayor of Santiago of Compostela (2023–present), following the 2023 local elections. Her election was significant because Santiago is the capital of Galicia and one of the most symbolically important cities in the region, making the mayoralty a high-profile post within Galician politics. Her rise to the mayoralty also reflected the BNG’s improved electoral strength in urban centres and its ability to lead local government in a major city.

Relationship with the public

Sanmartín is generally associated with a close, activist style of politics, which fits the BNG’s tradition of emphasising grassroots engagement, civic participation and defence of the Galician language and culture. In Santiago, her public image has been shaped by her role as a municipal leader in a city with a strong civil society, a large student population, tourism pressures and a politically attentive media environment.

She is often seen as a politician who speaks the language of institutional stability and local identity rather than confrontation. Among BNG supporters, she tends to be perceived as an experienced and credible figure who represents the party’s effort to govern responsibly in a city with complex administrative and symbolic importance. Outside her party, reactions vary depending on views about Galician nationalism: supporters regard her as pragmatic and municipal-minded, while critics may see her as ideologically defined by nationalist priorities.

Her relationship with the media is shaped by the fact that Santiago is one of the most scrutinised municipalities in Galicia. As mayor, her decisions and public appearances are followed not only for local implications but also for their broader relevance to Galician politics.

Positions and political profile

Sanmartín’s political profile is closely aligned with the BNG’s core positions: defence of Galician self-government, promotion of the Galician language, social policy, and public-sector-oriented municipal management. As mayor, she has been associated with policies and messages aimed at reinforcing Santiago’s civic identity while managing everyday city issues such as mobility, urban services, heritage, tourism and public space.

She is perceived as part of a more institutionally mature BNG, representing a generation of nationalist politicians focused on administration and governing capacity rather than protest politics alone. This has helped the party present itself as a viable governing force in urban government. Her leadership in Santiago is therefore politically significant: the city is not only the Galician capital but also a showcase for the BNG’s ability to run complex institutions.

Key elements that define her include:

• her position as the first female mayor of Santiago in the modern period,
• her role in giving the BNG control of a major Galician city,
• her emphasis on Galician identity and municipal governance,
• and her visibility as a nationalist leader in a city of regional and national importance.

No final court convictions for offences connected with public office are known from the available public record.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Goretti Sanmartín Rei? She is a Galician politician from the Bloque Nacionalista Galego (BNG) and has been the Mayor of Santiago of Compostela since 2023.

What party does Goretti Sanmartín Rei belong to? She belongs to the BNG, a left-wing Galician nationalist party.

When did Goretti Sanmartín Rei become mayor of Santiago of Compostela? She became mayor in 2023, after the municipal elections.

What is Goretti Sanmartín Rei known for politically? She is known for her commitment to Galician nationalism, local government, and public policies in Santiago, especially those linked to identity, services and urban management.

What is her public image? She is generally seen as a serious, institutional and party-loyal political figure, with strong support among BNG voters and a profile shaped by Santiago’s symbolic importance.

Has Goretti Sanmartín Rei held other important political roles? Yes. Her main publicly identified role is as Mayor of Santiago of Compostela (2023–present), and she has also been an influential figure within the BNG’s municipal and political structures.