Artur Mas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Artur Mas
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Official portrait, 2011
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| 129th President of the Government of Catalonia | |
| In office 24 December 2010 – 11 January 2016 |
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| Monarch | Juan Carlos I Felipe VI |
| Vice President | Joana Ortega Neus Munté |
| Preceded by | José Montilla |
| Succeeded by | Carles Puigdemont |
| First Minister of Catalonia | |
| In office 19 January 2001 – 20 December 2003 |
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| President | Jordi Pujol |
| Preceded by | Josep Tarradellas (1937) |
| Succeeded by | Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira |
| Leader of the Opposition of Catalonia | |
| In office 27 May 2004 – 23 December 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Pasqual Maragall (2003) |
| Succeeded by | Joaquim Nadal |
| Minister of Economy and Finance of Catalonia | |
| In office 30 July 1997 – 17 January 2001 |
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| President | Jordi Pujol |
| Preceded by | Macià Alavedra |
| Succeeded by | Francesc Homs Ferret |
| Minister of Town and Country Town and Public Works of Catalonia | |
| In office 15 June 1995 – 30 July 1997 |
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| President | Jordi Pujol |
| Preceded by | Jaume Roma |
| Succeeded by | Pere Macias |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Artur Mas i Gavarró
31 January 1956 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Citizenship | Spanish |
| Political party | Independent (since 2023) |
| Other political affiliations |
Catalan European Democratic Party (2016–2023) Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (1991–2016) |
| Spouse | Helena Rakosnik |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of Barcelona (BSS) |
| Signature |  |
Artur Mas i Gavarró (born 31 January 1956) is a politician from Catalonia, a region in Spain. He was the president of the Government of Catalonia from 2010 to 2015. He also served as acting president for a short time after that.
Mas was a long-time member of a political party called Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC). This party was part of a bigger group called Convergència i Unió (CiU). CiU was a strong political force in Catalonia for many years. In 2016, CDC changed its name to the PDeCAT, and Mas was its president for a while.
Artur Mas ran for the Catalan presidency five times between 2003 and 2015. He won the presidency twice, in 2010 and 2012. However, he did not win a full absolute majority of votes either time. This often led to political challenges and early elections.
Mas studied economics at the University of Barcelona. He can speak English, French, Catalan, and Spanish. He is known for his liberal economic ideas and his support for Catalan independence.
In 2010, Mas first said he would vote "Yes" in a vote about Catalonia becoming independent from Spain. Since then, the idea of Catalonia becoming a separate country has been a big part of his political goals. He played a key role in his party's shift towards supporting independence.
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Early Life and Education
Artur Mas was born in Barcelona, Spain. He grew up in a wealthy family with three siblings. His parents were from different parts of Catalonia. He went to the Aula escola europea where he learned several languages. Later, he studied Economics at the University of Barcelona. He is married to Helena Rakòsnik.
Early Political Career
Before becoming a major political leader in Catalonia, Mas worked in both private and public jobs. Many of these jobs involved helping Catalan businesses work with other countries. From 1987 to 1995, he was a member of the Barcelona City Council.
He started to hold important positions in the Catalan government when Jordi Pujol was the President. Mas served as a minister in different roles:
- Minister of Public Works (1995–1997)
- Minister of Economy and Finance (1997–2001)
- Deputy Prime Minister (2001–2003)
He was also the government's official spokesperson from 2000 to 2003.
Road to Presidency
Artur Mas ran for president of Catalonia in the 2003 elections. His party, CiU, won the most seats in the parliament. However, another party, the PSC, got slightly more total votes. Because of how the election rules worked, the PSC formed a government with two other parties, and Pasqual Maragall became president.
Mas ran again in the 2006 elections. This time, his party CiU won the most votes and seats. But they still did not get enough seats to have a full absolute majority. So, the PSC formed another government with the same partners, and José Montilla became president.
Since 2007, Mas focused on an idea called the Refoundation of Catalanism. This idea aimed to strengthen the feeling of Catalan identity and self-rule. It also included the possibility for Catalonia to decide its own future, even if that meant voting on independence from Spain. This idea became more popular after a Spanish court changed parts of a law about Catalonia's self-government in 2010.
On 9 January 2018, Mas stepped down as president of the PDeCAT party. He said this did not mean he was leaving politics completely, but that he would take a less active role.
Presidency of Catalonia
Becoming President in 2010
The Catalan elections on 28 November 2010 were very important for Artur Mas. He was running for president for the third time. He promised to create a government with the best people, even if they were not from his own party. He also wanted Catalonia to have more control over its own taxes.
His party, CiU, won 62 out of 135 seats in the Parliament of Catalonia. This was not a full absolute majority. On 23 December 2010, he became president with the help of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC). In his speech, Mas talked about a new way for Catalonia to manage its money and its journey towards more self-rule.
The agreement with the PSC did not last long. Mas then worked with the Popular Party (PP) to pass the government's budget in 2012.
Focus on Independence (2012–2015)
In September 2012, less than two years into his first term, Mas announced that Catalonia should have the right to decide its own future. This happened after a very large protest for Catalan independence. On 25 September 2012, Mas called for early elections for the Catalan Parliament. He said that the strong feelings shown in the streets should be reflected in the election results.
Mas hoped to win a full absolute majority in these elections. However, his party lost 12 seats. Still, the parties that supported Catalonia's independence (CiU and ERC) gained more votes overall. Together, they controlled more than half of the seats in the Catalan Parliament.
After the election, Mas worked with Oriol Junqueras from ERC. ERC did not join Mas's government, but they agreed to support his government's goals. This agreement was called the "Agreement for Freedom." Artur Mas became President of Catalonia for the second time on 21 December 2012.
On 12 December 2013, Artur Mas announced a date for a vote on Catalonia's future. It was set for 9 November 2014. The question had two parts: "Do you want Catalonia to become a State?" and "If yes, do you want this State to be independent?" In April 2014, the idea was presented to the Spanish Parliament, but it was rejected. The Spanish government said that votes on independence must be held for the whole country, not just one region.
Mas decided to go ahead with the vote, even though a Spanish court had ordered it to stop. He tried to make it a non-binding, symbolic vote using volunteers. However, the Spanish government still saw it as against the law. Because he organized the vote despite the court order, Mas faced legal action. In March 2017, a court in Barcelona ruled that he could not hold public office for two years. He also had to pay a fine.
Political Views
Artur Mas believes that Catalonia has a strong connection to European culture, especially from the past. He has said that "the cultural DNA of Catalans is connected to our long belonging to the Franco-Germanic world."
He also believes that "Spain can only become a full nation if Catalonia ceases to be a part of it." This shows his strong support for Catalonia becoming an independent country.
2015 Election and Stepping Down
The disagreements over the independence vote led to another early election in Catalonia. Because of internal disagreements, Mas's party CDC and its partner Unió decided not to work together anymore. This ended their 37-year partnership.
Instead, CDC joined with ERC to form a new group called Junts pel Sí. Artur Mas was chosen as their candidate for president. However, he was placed fourth on the election list. The new group won 62 seats, but again, not a full absolute majority.
The only other party willing to talk with Junts pel Sí was a far-left independence party called Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP). After long talks, the CUP did not agree to support Mas as president. In January 2016, after three months of difficult negotiations, Mas decided to step down from his candidacy. This allowed a new government to be formed and avoided another early election. He also resigned from his seat in parliament. He said he would focus on rebuilding his party, CDC.
Later, when CDC became the PDeCAT, Mas remained in a leadership role. On January 9, 2018, he left his presidential role in the PDeCAT party.
See Also
In Spanish: Artur Mas para niños
