Miren Karmele Azkarate Villar (San Sebastián, 27 November 1955) is a politician, professor of Basque philology, university lecturer and full member of the Royal Academy of the Basque Language.

Miren Azkarate was born in San Sebastian on 27 November 1955.

[1] Between 1978 and 1988 she taught Morphosyntax and Lexicography in the Faculty of Basque Philology at the University of Deusto.

[3] In 1983 she was appointed urgazle (corresponding member) and in 1992 she was appointed euskaltzain oso (full academic) by the Royal Academy of the Basque Language, being the first woman to be appointed full academic by the Academy (23rd chair), under the mandate of the euskaltzainburu Jean Haritschelhar; and together with Laura Mintegi and Blanca Urgell, one of the few women in the Academy.

[4][5] Miren Azkarate was Minister of Culture of the Basque Government in the 7th and 8th legislatures, from 2001 to 2009, and spokesperson of the Government from 2004 to 2009, during the mandate of Juan José Ibarretxe.