catalan way

Josep Lluís Cleries: from managing scouts and volunteers to Social Welfare and Family policies

December 30, 2010 11:24 PM | CNA

The new Catalan Minister for Social Welfare and Family was the CiU’s representative in the Catalan Parliament for this portfolio for the seven years in which the CiU was in the opposition. He comes from the scout and volunteering world, in which he has been very active over the last 40 years. He also worked with the Catalan Government in secondary positions in Jordi Pujol’s times.

Irene Rigau: a veteran politician and teacher in charge of Education

December 30, 2010 11:00 PM | CNA

The new Catalan Minister for Education was the CiU’s manager of this portfolio for seven years, while the party was not in power. She has experience, both as a primary school and university teacher. Over the last 30 years, she has held several positions in politics, mainly working on education issues, with the exception of the period in which she was the Catalan Minister for Social Welfare and Family (1999-2003).

Ferran Mascarell: Socialist returns to the Ministry he headed 4 years ago

December 30, 2010 10:51 PM | CNA / Júlia Pérez

Artur Mas hired one of his former political adversaries for the top position at the Ministry of Culture. Ferran Mascarell also held this position in 2006, in the left-wing government coalition. Now, he comes back with a centre-right executive. Mascarell has extensive experience in cultural management, in the public and private sectors. He had a successful career in the Barcelona City Council and he was recently on the board of the RBA Editorial House, in charge of audiovisual products.

Josep Maria Pelegrí: the Secretary General of the Christian Democrats now in charge of Agriculture, Fishing and Biodiversity

December 30, 2010 10:38 PM | CNA

Pelegrí has already been a Minister of the Catalan Government, but for Public Administration (2002-2003). Now, Pelegrí becomes the new Catalan Minister for Agriculture, Stockbreeding, Fishing and Environment. In his early years in politics, in the 1990s, he worked on environmental issues. He is discrete and loyal to the Christian Democrat leader, Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida.

Francesc Xavier Mena: ESADE professor now driving Catalan Businesses & Employment

December 29, 2010 11:23 PM | CNA / Pere Francesch

The new Minister for Business and Employment is an independent, expert in Managerial Economics and austerity measures. He was the Director of ESADE Business School’s Economics Department (1992-2000), where he was teaching until now. He has a PhD in Economics and a Bachelors degree in Law. Mena has experience in the private sector consultancy and banking, especially in the area of Tourism and Analysis, as well in international markets, particularly in emerging economies.

Lluís Recoder, CiU’s top mayor, now in charge of Infrastructure, Transport and Housing

December 29, 2010 11:18 PM | CNA

The new Catalan Minister for Territory and Sustainability was the former Mayor of Sant Cugat del Vallès, a middle-to-upper class residential city next to Barcelona. Recoder represents the most social-democratic and least identity-centred sensibility in the Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC), the Liberal wing of the two-party Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU). Recoder’s Ministry changes its name and increases its mandate.

The new Catalan Government takes office

December 29, 2010 10:09 PM | CNA / Patricia Mateos / Xavier Alsinet / Gaspar Pericay Coll

The Vice President and the Ministers of the new Catalan Government were sworn into office at noon. The first Government meeting took place just afterwards to appoint most of the Deputy Ministers. In the afternoon, the former Vice President and Ministers switched portfolios with the new appointees. The Left-Wing Government coalition is, from today, officially over. The new President, Artur Mas, promises an efficient and austere Government, with experienced members.

Andreu Mas-Colell, an internationally recognised economist leading Catalan economy’s recovery

December 28, 2010 11:43 PM | CNA

Mas-Colell was a professor at Berkeley and Harvard universities. Most recently, he chaired the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics and was a professor at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. He is a specialist in microeconomics and some of his publications are world-renowned references on the subject. Mas-Colell had already been Minister of the Catalan Government between 1999 and 2003, in charge of universities. Now he will be Minister for the Economy, Budget and Universities, stressing the importance of innovation and research.

The new Catalan Government will finally have a Vice President

December 28, 2010 10:42 PM | CNA / Patricia Mateos

Mas will appoint the Christian Democrat Joana Ortega as the Catalan Vice President. She will be in charge of the public administration as well as institutional relations, such as Catalon Government's relations with the Spanish State. She will share the latter responsibilities with her party leader, Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida, the current Spokesperson of the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU) in the Spanish Parliament.

Artur Mas sworn into office

December 27, 2010 11:32 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

Catalonia has a new President. Artur Mas, the leader of the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition, Convergència i Unió (CiU), becomes the 129th President of the Catalan Government. The swearing-in ceremony takes place this morning at the Generalitat Palace, the seat of the Government. Mas is sworn into office in an institutional ceremony, followed by a reception. The new Catalan Ministers were announced this afternoon and will take office on Wednesday, when the new Government will meet for the first time.