He continued in that role until 2003, resigning after being chosen as minister of culture, education and sport in the Valencian regional parliament.

In early 2014, the PP chose González Pons to be party’s number 2 for the European elections, following Miguel Arias Cañete.

González Pons is also a member of the parliament’s delegations for relations with Israel and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean.

[6] When Arias Cañete was nominated as European Commissioner in late 2014, González Pons took over as leader of the Spanish delegation in the EPP Group.

[13] In a joint letter with 15 other MEPs from various political groups, González Pons urged the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in early 2021 to replace Alberto Navarro, the European Union's ambassador to Cuba,[14] for allegedly siding with the country's Communist leadership.