Ignacio González González

Ignacio González González (born 1955) is a Partido Popular (PP) politician best known for serving as president of the Community of Madrid, and he is currently convicted in the Lezo case and out of active politics.

Political career

Ignacio González González built his career within the Madrid branch of the Partido Popular, becoming one of the most influential figures in the regional government during the long period of PP dominance in the Community of Madrid. Although detailed public information on his early education is less prominent than his later institutional roles, his political trajectory was shaped by his rise through the Madrid regional administration rather than by national parliamentary prominence.

His first major executive responsibilities came with his appointment as Vice-President and Regional Minister of the Presidency of the Community of Madrid in 2003, a post he held until 2012. This made him a central figure in the regional government throughout the presidencies of Esperanza Aguirre, particularly in matters involving coordination between ministries, institutional relations and the internal machinery of government.

In 2012, he succeeded Aguirre as President of the Community of Madrid, leading the regional government until 2015. His presidency continued the PP’s governing line in Madrid, focusing on administrative continuity, fiscal restraint and institutional management in one of Spain’s most powerful autonomous communities.

Alongside his governmental roles, he also served as President of Canal de Isabel II, the Madrid public water company. That position later became politically and judicially significant because of the Lezo corruption case, which centred on alleged irregularities in the management of the company and related public contracts and acquisitions.

After leaving office in 2015, González’s public life increasingly became defined not by policy-making but by judicial proceedings and the erosion of his political standing. He is now outside active politics.

Relationship with the public

González was never a politician with a particularly strong personal public profile compared with some of the most visible national leaders, but within Madrid he was a well-known party operator and senior institutional figure. His style was generally associated with the PP’s governing culture in the region: disciplined, technocratic and closely tied to the internal networks of power that sustained the party’s long run in Madrid.

His relationship with the electorate was shaped less by direct charisma than by his role in the functioning of the regional executive. Supporters viewed him as a reliable manager and continuity candidate after Esperanza Aguirre. Critics, however, often saw him as representative of a closed political system too closely connected to patronage, public-sector influence and party machinery.

His public reputation changed markedly once corruption investigations surrounding Canal de Isabel II became central to his legacy. From that point on, media coverage increasingly focused on judicial matters rather than his achievements in office, and his name became associated in the public mind with the broader crisis of corruption that affected parts of the PP in Spain.

Positions and political profile

González’s political profile was closely aligned with the mainstream conservative and governing tradition of the PP in Madrid. He was identified with:

• Institutional continuity and administrative control.
• A broadly pro-market and fiscally cautious governing approach.
• A strong defence of the Madrid regional model as a dynamic economic engine within Spain.
• A style of leadership that prioritised internal party cohesion and executive management over public ideological debate.

Inside the PP, he was long perceived as a trusted regional heavyweight and a useful manager of complex institutions. Outside the party, his image became more contested, particularly as scrutiny intensified over the use of public companies and the concentration of political power in Madrid’s regional structures.

Key moments defining his career include his elevation to the vice-presidency in 2003, his accession to the presidency in 2012, and the later collapse of his reputation amid the Lezo investigation.

In judicial terms, his record includes a final conviction in the Lezo case: offences connected with corruption in public office, with a sentence ratified at last instance. This conviction is central to understanding his current status and his removal from active political life.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Ignacio González González? Ignacio González González is a Spanish PP politician from Madrid who served as vice-president and then president of the Community of Madrid, and later became known for his role in the Lezo corruption case.

What office did he hold in Madrid? He was Vice-President and Regional Minister of the Presidency of the Community of Madrid from 2003 to 2012, and President of the Community of Madrid from 2012 to 2015.

What was Canal de Isabel II and why is it important in his career? Canal de Isabel II is Madrid’s public water company. It became important because its management and related transactions were central to the Lezo case, which damaged González’s political standing.

Is Ignacio González González still active in politics? No. He is out of active politics and his public profile is now defined mainly by his conviction and the legal consequences of the Lezo case.

How was he viewed within the Partido Popular? Within the PP he was long regarded as a strong regional organiser and a trusted figure in Madrid, although his reputation was later overshadowed by corruption scandals.

Has he been convicted? Yes. He has a final conviction in the Lezo case for offences linked to corruption in public office, with the sentence ratified at last instance.