Unión del Pueblo Navarro
Divorced, Cervera began his political career in 1988 when he was elected to Pamplona council for the Navarrese People's Union (Spanish: "Unión del Pueblo Navarro"). This party, abbreviated to UPN, is a right wing regional party which formed an electoral alliance with the larger PP in 1991. At the time of his election, Cervera was still studying medicine in the University of Pamplona. He remained a councillor until 1996. In 1993 he entered national politics when he was elected to the Spanish Senate representing Navarre. He served one term in the Senate and at the 1996 General Election he was placed third on the UPN list for the Spanish Congress of Deputies, missing out on the final seat by just 170 votes. In 1996 he was appointed Health Minister in the regional administration of Navarra, serving until 2003.