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Ateneo Tribute to José Enrique Serrano Briefly Bridges Spain's Political Divide

Speakers cast him as a guardian of institutions focused on the rule of law.

Overview

  • The Fundación Felipe González hosted a public homage at the Ateneo de Madrid on October 21 that brought together figures from different eras of PSOE and the PP.
  • Felipe González, former Constitutional Court president María Emilia Casas, and PP veteran Carlos Aragonés praised Serrano’s public‑service ethos, with Justice Minister Félix Bolaños and Congress president Francina Armengol in attendance.
  • José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero did not attend but sent a message read by Elena Valenciano highlighting Serrano’s authority in coordinating government and his command of legal frameworks.
  • Serrano, who died on June 10 at 75, served as chief of staff to González and Zapatero, was lauded as a “patriota constitucional,” and was known for scrutinizing the BOE and stressing the quality of laws.
  • The event produced a short‑lived easing of partisan frictions and renewed attention to his unfinished push to organize former presidents’ archives, with no policy changes announced.