Celebrity Interview - Angeles Muñoz - Comments

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Angeles Muñoz

Poster: Annabel Milnes-Smith 01/10/2007

FROM GENERAL PRACTITIONER TO COSTA DEL SOL CRUSADER... ANNABEL MILNES-SMITH DISCOVERS HOW ANGELES MUÑOZ, THE NEW MAYORESS OF MARBELLA, PLANS TO CATAPULT THIS GREAT TOWN BACK INTO THE LIMELIGHT

Angeles Muñoz has only been in office as alcaldesa (mayoress) since spring, but she is already creating positive waves on the Costa del Sol. This was recently seen in a double-page spread in the hallowed Sunday Times, with the headline "Costa del Comeback" focusing on Angeles' plans for the future of Marbella.
Subsequently I was thrilled to be given the opportunity of interviewing Marbella's first female mayor, who is fiercely intent on bringing Marbella back to its former glory. As Johnny Gates could vouch, I was a trembling wreck on arrival at the town hall as I felt somewhat out of my depth. I need not have worried: Angeles can only be described in one word - "delightful".

So how did a GP suddenly burst onto the scene as a leader in local politics?
"I was a doctor for many years, as well as working for the department of health. I wanted to change certain laws within the medical profession, so my doctor's office was transformed into a political one."

Of course the question on everyone's lips is, how are you are going to handle the monumental task of legalising some 19,000 properties?
"For 15 years Marbella has been governed badly, and as a consequence many people have been affected. The responsibility now for Marbella's government is to find the avenues that will bring a solution to this problem, without directly affecting the home-owners. A new general urban plan will mean the return of political and urban security."

What about the money that Jesus Gil plundered from the city - how is that going to be paid back to Marbella?
"We have presented a law in the Congress (national parliament) to modify our own penal code so that order will return to Marbella. Never before has Marbella produced a code like this which will be applied to a political organisation. Due to these exceptional circumstances we must change our penal code so that we are able to act on these past occurrences in Marbella.

There are already 400 objections to the new 2007 plan of designating two very prominent landmark areas, belonging to long-standing owners, to be used as public land. The land in question is said to be completely inappropriate for this. Why has this been agreed and how are the owners going to be compensated to the full value of their land, which has been more or less confiscated from them?
"I agree the new plan is has courted much controversy, so we will now be improving the existing one. Our intention is to decide what is best for Marbella, together with the interests of private land owners. We will be attempting to fuse the interests of the public with those of private owners. We will try to ensure that neither group is harmed and that those who have caused irregularities will pay for these rezoning services."

Taking into consideration the bad publicity Marbella has received, most of which is unjustified, how are you going to reverse the negativity, particularly in the UK and Ireland, so that property investors as well as holidaymakers will return?
"I believe that Marbella has a great future and even greater potential. The moment people in the UK and Ireland see that here in Marbella there is 100 per cent honesty and safety, and that in effect Marbella will be transparent to all who visit here, the trust of the whole market place will return to Marbella. This will be the very best way to put an end to the negative publicity."

Taking into consideration that the negative press is not only centered on Marbella but also other areas of the Costa del Sol, do you liaise with local leaders from these other areas on how to combat this ongoing problem?
"It is evident that the 'Costa del Sol' is one whole sector. We have many shared interests, and I will be bringing them all together so that, with our united forces, we can achieve the same goal."

What encouragement does the expatriate community receive to become involved in local politics?
"Firstly, if they have lived here for a long time they should make the effort to become involved in and informed about what is happening within the town. What I can say to them is that if they are involved and press a lot (for improvements) they will receive a better service and infrastructure.

One question I particularly want to ask is about the future development of San Pedro, as I am lucky enough to live there. Will we eventually have our own shopping and leisure facilities that were proposed before the restrictions were imposed?
"Yes, I do agree San Pedro requires more services and infrastructure than other zones of the municipality. I have promised to deliver these services to San Pedro. We are waiting to inaugurate this, as we have to study all the modifications so we can address the area's needs properly."

I was keen to glean an insight into Angeles on a personal level, and what better way than discovering what would be her favourite night out in Marbella...
"The problem is that when I was young I was out a lot of the time, but these days my time is more focused on the day after rather than the night out," she says with a refreshingly girlish laugh. "Marbella does have fantastic places. My favourite areas to dine are Marbella old town and Las Chapas. There are wonderful restaurants there. My best night out would be enjoying a superb dinner followed by drinks in a landmark location such as the Marbella Club, Puente Romano or Puerto Banús."

You have two sons... are they educated privately and, if so, would this be due to the lack of state schools offering the benefits of a second language?
"Yes they are. This is simply because the Junta de Andalucía still hasn't introduced bilingual education in Marbella. No bilingual school exists; therefore my sons still attend a private school, as I wanted them to have a perfect command of a second language."

What are your plans to reform the education system?
"As I have come to realise, Marbella needs many more schools and they must be quality ones. Over the next four years, we will strengthen our state education system with more schools, other institutions and the possibility of a university education."

I heard from my friends at REM radio that to your friends and family you are fondly known as "TT"...
"That was a long, long, long time ago! When I was a little girl of two years old, my younger sister aged one couldn't pronounce my name, so she used to call me "TT TT TT", and I have been called that ever since."

What is a typical day in the life of an alcaldesa?
"It starts at 8am with meetings, meetings and more meetings. However, I strive to be out of the office as much as I can visiting different people, from the young to the old, and as many places as I can fit into my schedule. I then have lunch from about 2.30 near the town hall. I then return to my office in the afternoon and go home about 9pm, but if I am lucky I sometimes get away about 7pm so I actually get to see my husband and children. It is a long, long, long day."

You are married to Lars Broberg, who has property investments. Have there been any aspersions cast over this since you won office?
"He has not been involved in any business here since the Jesus Gil scandal. He is one of the many people who left their business interests in Marbella because of this. I think it is a pity, as Marbella is a very good place for honest people to create business and I think, because of everything that happened here, they decided to leave. He is not operating here at all and now, especially because of my relationship with him, he is not going to be."

On a more cultural note, as I am involved with ACM, the Asociacion de Arte y Cultura Marbella, I discovered you have some plans for bringing culture back to Marbella as it is such a sophisticated area. I would love to know what you have in mind...
"The first thing we have to do is inaugurate an infrastructure for concerts, theatre, opera and other events so that we will be able to have performing groups here. Everyone wants to come to Marbella, including top artists from throughout the world. Now I want to build an auditorium within the Palacio de Congresos to encourage these cultural icons."

As our interview drew to a close, I could not resist asking a personal question that is close to my heart as well as my physical well-being. A few years ago I broke my leg in Puerto Banús because of a drain cover not being properly secured. I subsequently took legal action and went to court. However, the judge assigned to my case was arrested on charges of corruption. The case fell apart and has gone "down the drain". How would I, or any other reader in a similar position, re-initiate the proceedings?
"The ministry has now changed all procedures following the corruption scandal and new judges have been appointed, so there is no problem now to proceed."

On a final note, how can you define Marbella in one word?
"Wonderful. All I can say is that the climate is fantastic, and it is incomparable to any other town. This makes it fantastic all-round. It is just the most wonderful place to work in and live."

Well, all I have to say is that with Angeles Muñoz in charge of my, and many others', beloved Marbella, we have nothing else to do but look to a brighter and better future, and with any luck some compensation for my leg! Who knows?
On the Costa del Sol anything is possible.

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