The Aljafería Palace hosted this Monday the tribute event that the Cortes de Aragón, together with political representatives and jurists from different autonomous communities and several Latin American countries, dedicated to the former senior lawyer of the Aragonese Chamber, José Tudela, who died of a heart attack on February 7. The president of the Cortes, María Navarro, stressed that, from his position as general secretary, he turned the Giménez Abad Foundation into "a reference".
In her speech, Navarro highlighted that "Pepe had a rare virtue, he knew how to open doors without making noise and bring different people together around a common idea." She also remarked that "Debate, pluralism and rigor are also ways of defending freedom."
The president of the autonomous Chamber recalled the figure of Tudela, whom she described as someone who "left a deep, lasting and decisive mark on the institution."
She recalled that "He promoted the approval of the new regulations of the Cortes, a transcendental text, which decisively contributed to the professionalization of parliamentary work, clearly established rights, obligations and strengthened the functioning of this institution," while pointing out that "he believed in parliamentarism as an instrument to develop our democratic model."
Navarro highlighted Tudela's "conviction about the idea that the construction of our democracy could only be carried out from legality." She also stressed that "he was able to unite with Ibero-American countries, where he wove an enormous network of principles" and that "he also collaborated in the restoration of this palace, Pepe forged instructions and bridges, dialogue and tolerance."
Likewise, the president assured that the autonomous Chamber "will continue the commitment that Pepe Tudela left" and that it will continue "to defend the values that he defended so much during his career, to continue strengthening our institutions."
At the end of his speech, Navarro pointed out that "today all the people who accompany us is the best proof of who Pepe was" and that "the true dimension of a person is not measured by the positions held and the merits accumulated, but by the mark they leave on those of us who share the path with him". He concluded by stating that "Important people never disappear, they remain in the works they promoted, in this institution and in the memory of those of us who were lucky enough to know him".
Family members of Pepe Tudela, members of the Table of the Courts, the president of the regional Government, Jorge Azcón, Justice, Concepción Gimeno, the president of the Superior Court of Justice of Aragon, Juan José Carbonero, as well as political representatives from Mexico and Uruguay and deputies from across the parliamentary spectrum attended the event.
During the tribute, the president of the Government of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, took the floor, humorously alluding to Pepe Tudela's passionate support for Real Madrid, emphasizing "the affection and friendship" that everyone felt for him, and describing him as a person endowed "with benchmark talent".
Azcón recalled that Tudela joined as a lawyer for the Courts of Aragon in 1986, when the senior lawyer was Manuel Giménez Abad, murdered by the terrorist group ETA in 2001, during his time as president of the PP Aragon. He stressed that Tudela was a much-loved "public servant", "a cultured, upright, cosmopolitan person, firm against injustice, open to the opinions of others, a relevant teacher for students, creative".
A Key Legacy in Aragonese Parliamentarism
Azcón emphasized that Tudela's work was not limited to the Giménez Abad Foundation, but that he was an promoter of numerous initiatives as a jurist, a graduate in Law and Political Science. He insisted that Parliaments must involve society in their decisions, something that is also achieved by explaining "what this institutional framework is for", and recalled that Tudela was responsible for "the staging of these Courts".
The Aragonese president indicated that, when the Courts reopened after their renovation in the 1980s, they were able to carry out their work thanks to Pepe Tudela's management, always attentive to "what was to come long before others".
He pointed out that "decisive initiatives and actions" for the Aragonese Parliament originated from Pepe" and explained that his career underwent "a radical turning point" after the assassination of his friend Manuel Giménez Abad, in 2001. From that moment on, the Cortes launched the Foundation that bears his name, at the proposal of Tudela and under the presidency of José María Mur, "with a vision beyond any partisan spirit" and focused on studies on parliamentarism, with the support of all political groups.
According to Azcón, his "brilliant career" has left a legacy linked to words and dialogue. He recalled how Tudela introduced innovations in the functioning of municipal Plenary sessions when he was a young councilor in the Zaragoza City Council, in 2004, highlighting his "affection and admiration" for the honoree.
The lawyer Manuel Giménez Larraz, a member of the Giménez Abad Foundation and a personal friend of Tudela, explained that he heard about him since he was a child and that they maintained a close relationship for many years, highlighting his approachable nature and his sometimes "clumsy" walk.
He recounted that it was Tudela who, after his father's assassination, proposed the creation of the Foundation with other parliamentarism specialists, managing to get the Cortes of Aragón to adopt the initiative. Over time, the entity "grew gradually" until it extended its activity to Latin America, especially in Mexico and Uruguay.
Giménez Larraz stressed that "The intense debate of ideas and values" is one of the hallmarks of the Foundation, an area in which Tudela made an essential contribution. He made it clear that he was "a friend" with whom he shared fears, concerns, and long conversations.
He defined Pepe Tudela as "Eclectic, curious, an avid reader and writer," highlighting his intellectual and professional stature. He recalled that they met at the Faculty of Law in Zaragoza, he as a student and Tudela as a professor of Constitutional Law.
International Projection and Recognition in Uruguay
The Uruguayan deputy Sebastián Baldomir, who met Tudela through the Foundation's activities, praised the work of this parliamentary institution in Latin America and recalled that, in Uruguay, he promoted the creation of a school of good governance, "one of the most cherished projects" in that Parliament.
Baldomir has stated that "I had an enormous number of friends in my country", highlighting his "enormous political experience" and his role in strengthening Uruguayan democracy, especially thanks to his contributions in conferences and courses held in this country. He has specified that for years he traveled a couple of times a year to Uruguay.
The senior lawyer of the Assembly of Murcia, Encarna Fernández de Simón Bermejo, has dedicated a few words to her "magnificent colleague, great academic and jurist, an excellent friend" with whom she shared numerous work meetings since the creation of the Spanish Association of Lawyers of Autonomous Parliaments, to which Tudela "contributed with enthusiasm and success".
She has added that "When a project was set, he spared no time or effort" and has emphasized that "Pepe never did things by halves". She recalled that both were appointed senior lawyers of their respective Parliaments in 1995, which strengthened their relationship and allowed her to know well his passion for Real Madrid.
Fernández de Simón Bermejo has indicated that "He was an inveterate traveler" and that he participated in numerous trips to meet colleagues from other Parliaments, an experience that he later used to reinforce the international projection of the Foundation. She concluded by pointing out that his reflection was "always measured and opportune", in line with his solid legal training.