Generalitat of Catalonia

Born in Cambrils de Mar (Baix Camp) on 17 May 1952.

He is currently the president of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya.

He was first minister of the Generalitat of Catalonia (December 2003 - January 2004) and has been a deputy for ERC in the Parliament of Catalonia since 1988.

He holds a degree in Catalan philology from the UB. He was a professor at the University School of Tarragona (1976-1982). He worked as head technician of linguistic planning for the Generalitat (1981-1988). He was professor and vice-president (1986-1995) of the Catalan Summer University. He headed the Cultural Territorial Services of the Generalitat in Tarragona from 1982 to 1984, along with the minister Max Cahner.

He has been involved in Òmnium Cultural, was a member of its Board of Directors (1986-1995) and president of its Tarragonès division. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Llull-Federació d'Entitats dels Països Catalans (1991-1995). Member of the Colla Jove Xiquets de Tarragona human tower group, of the Catalan Language Writers Association, the Pen Club and the Onomastics Society.

He is the author of 'Marcel·lí Domingo, de l'escola a la República' (1989), 'Rovira i Virgili i la qüestió nacional' (1994), 'Tornar amb la gent' (1997), 'Jubilar la Transició' (1998) 'El futur a les mans' (2003), 'La Nova Catalunya' (2003), 'Noms que perduren' (2005) and 'Un país, un futur' (2005). He has contributed as a writer to the 'Diccionari dels catalans d'Amèrica', to the book 'Les Amèriques i Catalunya', and to numerous encyclopaedias and specialised journals. He has won several historic essay and journalism awards, including 'El Temps'.

He was actively involved in the fight against the Franco government and was jailed following the arrest of the 113 members of the Permanent Commission of the Assembly of Catalonia (1973). Before joining ERC in 1987 he was a member of the Socialist National Liberation Party (PSAN, 1970-1977), and of the Left Nationalists (NE, 1980-1986).