{{Short description|Spanish politician}} {{infobox officeholder | name = Alejandro Nolasco | image = Alejandro_Nolasco_2023_(cropped).jpg | caption = Nolasco in 2023 | office = First Vice President of the Government of Aragon | term_start = 12 August 2023 | term_end = 12 July 2024 | predecessor = Arturo Aliaga | successor = ''Office abolished'' | birth_name = Alejandro Nolasco Asensio | birth_date = 1991 | birth_place = Pamplona, Navarre, Spain | party = Vox | alma_mater = Complutense University of Madrid<br>National University of Distance Education<br>Universidad CEU San Pablo }} '''Alejandro Nolasco Asensio''' (born 1991)<ref name=onda>{{cite news |title=¿Quién es Alejandro Nolasco, candidato de VOX a la presidencia del Gobierno de Aragón?|trans-title=Who is Alejandro Nolasco, VOX candidate for the presidency of the Government of Aragon? |url=https://www.ondacero.es/emisoras/aragon/noticias/quien-alejandro-nolasco-candidato-vox-presidencia-gobierno-aragon_20230521646998366cbd630001b18eb6.html |access-date=5 June 2023 |publisher=Onda Cero |date=21 May 2023 |language=Spanish}}</ref> is a Spanish writer, lawyer and politician of the party Vox. He was first voted onto the city council of Teruel in 2019 and led his party to third place in the 2023 Aragonese regional election.
After the election, Vox formed a government with the People's Party (PP) and Nolasco became vice president under the presidency of the PP's Jorge Azcón. Nolasco resigned in July 2024 in a dispute over immigration. In a snap election in February 2026, Nolasco led Vox to another third place with twice as many seats as before.
==Early life and writings== Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Nolasco completed his secondary education at St Mary's Springs High School in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Díaz |first1=Domingo |title=Nolasco, especialista en la División Azul y activista contra la ley de Memoria, será número 2 en Aragón|trans-title=Nolasco, specialist in the Blue Division and activist against the Historical Memory Law, will be number 2 in Aragon |url=https://www.elespanol.com/reportajes/20230805/nolasco-especialista-division-azul-activista-ley-memoria-numero-aragon/784171875_0.html |access-date=31 December 2025 |work=El Español |date=5 August 2023 |language=Spanish|archive-date=31 December 2025|archive-url=https://archive.today/20251231222142/https://www.elespanol.com/reportajes/20230805/nolasco-especialista-division-azul-activista-ley-memoria-numero-aragon/784171875_0.html}}</ref> He graduated in law from the Complutense University of Madrid and in philosophy from the National University of Distance Education, as well as earning a doctorate in history from the Universidad CEU San Pablo.<ref name=onda/> In 2022, he published a book of the memories of the last fifty members of the Blue Division, the Spanish volunteers in the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union.<ref>{{cite news |title=Alejandro Nolasco recoge en 'Los últimos 50 de la División Azul' "las últimas manifestaciones de soldados de otra época"|trans-title=Alejandro Nolasco gathers in 'The Last 50 of the Blue Division' "the last declarations of soldiers of another era"|url=https://www.europapress.es/aragon/noticia-alejandro-nolasco-recoge-ultimos-50-division-azul-ultimas-manifestaciones-soldados-otra-epoca-20220312112954.html |access-date=5 June 2023 |publisher=Europa Press |date=12 March 2022 |language=Spanish}}</ref>
==Political career== In 2017, Nolasco moved to Teruel in Aragon, where he set up a law firm. He was Vox's candidate for mayor of his adopted city in the 2019 Spanish local elections, being the only member of the party voted onto the city council; he was also an unsuccessful candidate for the Congress of Deputies in the April and November 2019 general elections, running in the Teruel constituency.<ref name=onda/>
Nolasco became president of Vox in the Province of Teruel in 2020. He ran simultaneously for mayor of Teruel and President of the Government of Aragon in May 2023.<ref name=onda/> In the local election, his party increased to two councillors,<ref>{{cite news |title=Así queda el Ayuntamiento de Teruel tras el 28M: estos son todos los concejales|trans-title=This is how Teruel City Council looks after the 28 May elections: these are all the councillors |url=https://www.elperiodicodearagon.com/elecciones/municipales/2023/05/28/queda-ayuntamiento-teruel-28m-88012572.html |access-date=5 June 2023 |work=El Periódico de Aragón |date=28 May 2023 |language=Spanish}}</ref> while in the regional election his list came third, increasing its seats in the Cortes of Aragon from three to seven.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Quílez |first1=Silvia |title=El PP gana las elecciones en Aragón y podrá arrebatar el gobierno al PSOE con el apoyo de Vox |trans-title=PP win the election in Aragon and could snatch the government from the PSOE with the support of Vox|url=https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20230529/resultados-elecciones-aragon-28m-ganador-pactos/2447690.shtml |access-date=5 June 2023 |publisher=RTVE |date=29 May 2023 |language=Spanish}}</ref>
Jorge Azcón, leader of the People's Party (PP) wished to govern alone in a minority government, but ended up forming a coalition government with Vox. Vox received two ministries, including Nolasco as vice president.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Orera |first1=Esther |title=Acuerdo entre PP y Vox para formar gobierno en Aragón: el popular Jorge Azcón será el nuevo presidente|trans-title=Agreement between the PP and Vox to form government in Aragon: the PP's Jorge Azcón will be the new president |url=https://cadenaser.com/nacional/2023/08/03/acuerdo-inminente-entre-pp-y-vox-para-formar-gobierno-en-aragon-el-popular-jorge-azcon-sera-el-nuevo-presidente-cadena-ser/ |access-date=12 July 2024 |publisher=Cadena SER |date=3 August 2023 |language=Spanish}}</ref> Nolasco was also Minister of Territorial Development, Depopulation and Justice, while {{ill|Ángel Samper Secorún|an}}, an independent nominated by Vox, was Minister of Agriculture.<ref>{{cite news |title=Alejandro Nolasco (Vox), vicepresidente primero de Desarrollo Territorial, Despoblación y Justicia|trans-title=Alejandro Nolasco (Vox), first vice president of Territorial Development, Depopulation and Justice |url=https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/2023/08/12/perfil-alejandro-nolasco-vox-vicepresidente-gobierno-aragon-1671356.html |access-date=12 July 2024 |work=Heraldo de Aragón |date=12 August 2023 |language=Spanish}}</ref>
In July 2024, Nolasco resigned from the government due to a dispute with the PP's decision to accommodate 20 unaccompanied migrant children (known in Spain by the acronym ''mena'' for {{ill|Menor extranjero no acompañado|es}}). He said "Now they are 20 but tomorrow they could be 40, 100 or 1,000. If they rape, murder or rob it won't be on my conscience".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sábada |first1=M. |title=Alejandro Nolasco dimite como vicepresidente de Aragón por "conciencia" y defiende que hará "valer" los votos de Vox|trans-title=Alejandro Nolasco resigns as vice president of Aragon by "conscience" and defends that he will make Vox's votes "matter" |url=https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/2024/07/12/nolasco-dimite-conciencia-y-defiende-que-hara-valer-los-votos-de-vox-en-las-cortes-de-aragon-1748355.html |access-date=12 July 2024 |work=Heraldo de Aragón |date=12 July 2024 |language=Spanish}}</ref>
Vox opposed Azcón's budget for Aragon in December 2025, following which the regional president dissolved the legislature and called a snap election for February.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pizarro |first1=Juan |title=Azcón adelanta las elecciones en Aragón al 8 de febrero y señala a Vox por sus "excusas peregrinas" para no aprobar los presupuestos|trans-title=Azcón brings forward elections in Aragon to 8 February and points to Vox for their "flimsy excuses" not to approve the budget |url=https://www.lasexta.com/noticias/nacional/azcon-adelanta-elecciones-aragon-8-febrero-vox-presupuestos_20251215693fee35af09df501087d794.html |access-date=29 December 2025 |publisher=laSexta |date=15 December 2025 |language=Spanish}}</ref> While the three biggest parties were again the PP, Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and Vox, the first two lost seats while Vox doubled its seats to 14.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fresneda |first1=Diana |title=Vox se dispara hasta los 14 escaños, duplica su resultado y será decisivo para un gobierno del PP|trans-title=Vox surges to 14 seats, doubles its result and will be decisive for a PP government|url=https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20260208/elecciones-aragon-2026-vox-cronica/16925910.shtml |access-date=11 February 2026 |publisher=RTVE |date=8 February 2026 |language=Spanish}}</ref> The 17.9% vote share surpassed the 2023 Murcian regional election as Vox's best percentage in a regional election.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Flores |first1=Daniel |last2=Carpio |first2=José Á. |title=Claves de las elecciones en Aragón: Vox y Chunta sacan rédito del retroceso de PP y PSOE|trans-title=Keys of the Aragon elections: Vox and Chunta profit from PP and PSOE's decline|url=https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20260209/claves-resultados-elecciones-aragon-2026/16919849.shtml |access-date=11 February 2026 |publisher=RTVE |date=9 February 2026 |language=Spanish}}</ref> Vox surpassed the PSOE in 26% of municipalities, including the third-biggest, Teruel.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ley |first1=Marta |last2=Pérez |first2=José Ramón |title=Vox supera al PSOE en el 26% de los municipios de Aragón|trans-title=Vox surpasses PSOE in 26% of municipalities of Aragon|url=https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/aragon/2026-02-08/vox-supera-al-psoe-en-el-26-de-los-municipios-de-aragon_4299699/ |access-date=11 February 2026 |work=El Confidencial |date=8 February 2026 |language=Spanish}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nolasco, Alejandro}} Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:Government ministers of Aragon Category:Politicians from Pamplona Category:People from Teruel Category:Complutense University of Madrid alumni Category:National University of Distance Education alumni Category:Vox (political party) politicians Category:Members of the 11th Cortes of Aragon Category:Members of the 12th Cortes of Aragon