Panellist

Parallel Session 3.4: For Strengthening the Community

Elena Pérez is the current Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security of the Government of the Basque Country in Spain. She has a degree in Law and Business, specializing in Economic and Public Sector. She later obtained her master’s degree in Gender and Equality Policies.

During her career in the public sector, she has held the following positions, among others: Director of Public Function, Deputy Minister of Public Administration, Director of Labor and Social Security, and Deputy Minister of Employment and Youth.

How have cooperatives impacted your community?

The Basque Country is one of the most cooperativized regions in the world. Standing as an international example in general but specially in the worker-owner field. The Basque Country is home to over 2000 cooperatives in multiple sectors, to a well assembled public-private cooperative fostering infrastructure and the world famous MONDRAGON corporation example.