Carme Forcadell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Carme Forcadell
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Forcadell in 2013
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| 14th President of the Parliament of Catalonia | |
| In office 26 October 2015 – 17 January 2018 |
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| Vice President | Lluís Corominas (2015-2017) Lluís Guinó (2017) |
| Preceded by | Núria de Gispert |
| Succeeded by | Roger Torrent |
| President of the Catalan National Assembly | |
| In office 22 April 2012 – 6 May 2015 |
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| Succeeded by | Jordi Sànchez |
| Member of the Parliament of Catalonia for the Province of Barcelona |
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| In office 26 October 2015 – 22 March 2018 |
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| City Councilor of Sabadell | |
| In office 2003–2007 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 May 1955 Xerta, Catalonia, Spain |
| Political party | Independent Junts pel Sí (2015–2017) Republican Left of Catalonia (2003–2007) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Sabadell |
| Education | Philosophy |
| Alma mater | Autonomous University of Barcelona |
| Occupation | Teacher, writer, politician |
| Profession | Language teacher |
| Signature |  |
Maria Carme Forcadell i Lluís (born on May 29, 1955) is a Spanish politician from Catalonia. She is well-known for her work as a high school teacher. She also actively supported the idea of Catalan independence.
Carme Forcadell helped start an organization called Plataforma per la Llengua. She was also a leader in the Catalan National Assembly (ANC). She served as its president from when it began until May 2015.
In 2015, she became a member of the Parliament of Catalonia. She was part of a group called Junts pel Sí. Later, in October 2015, she was chosen to be the President of the Parliament of Catalonia. She held this important role until January 2018. She faced legal challenges related to her political actions. She was released in June 2021 after receiving a government pardon.
Early Life and Education
Carme Forcadell was born in Xerta, Spain. Her family was humble; her father worked as a farmer and a truck driver. When she was 18, she moved to Sabadell, where she lives today.
Forcadell studied philosophy and communication studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She also earned a master's degree in Catalan philology from the same university. She worked at a television station, TVE Catalunya, from 1979 to 1982. She also worked with other media groups.
Since 1985, Forcadell has been a public servant in the Catalan Department of Education. She helped coordinate language programs. From 2004, she advised on topics like different cultures, language, and how people get along in Vallès Occidental. She has written school books and books about language and literature. She also wrote a dictionary.
She has contributed articles to various media outlets. Her writings often focused on language planning and identity. She was also part of groups like the Comissió de la Dignitat. This group worked to get historical documents returned. She was also involved with the Plataforma pel Dret de Decidir, which supported the right for people to make decisions about their future.
Political Journey
Carme Forcadell was a member of the political party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya. She served as a city councilperson in Sabadell from 2003 to 2007.
On April 22, 2012, the leaders of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) chose Forcadell as their president. She worked with Carles Castellanos and Jordi Martínez. During the summer of 2012, the ANC organized many marches across Catalonia to support independence.
As president of the ANC, Forcadell was a key organizer of big events. These included the "Catalonia, Next State in Europe" rallies in 2012. She also helped organize the Catalan Way in 2013. On May 17, 2014, she was re-elected as president of the ANC with a very high number of votes. The city of Perpignan gave her the 2014 Joan Blanca Prize. This award recognized her dedication to protecting Catalan culture and identity.
On May 16, 2015, Jordi Sànchez i Picanyol took over as President of the ANC. In July of that year, it was announced that Forcadell would run in the Catalan parliamentary elections. These elections were held on September 27. She was second on the list for the pro-independence group Together for Yes in Barcelona.
On October 26, 2015, Carme Forcadell was elected as the president of the Catalan parliament.
Legal Challenges
After the Catalan declaration of independence on October 27, 2017, Forcadell faced investigations. These were related to her role as the Speaker of the Catalan Parliament. She had allowed a bill for an independence referendum to be processed. This was done using an emergency procedure.
She first appeared in the Supreme Court on November 2, 2017. The judge delayed her official statement until November 9. On November 9, 2017, Forcadell was held overnight in Madrid's Alcalá Meco jail. This was because of her actions as Speaker. She was released the same day after paying a bail of 150,000 euros.
In December 2017, she was again elected to the Parliament. This time, she ran for the Esquerra Republicana party. She continued as a parliamentarian until January 17, 2018. She then chose not to be re-elected as president of the chamber. Roger Torrent succeeded her in that role.
On March 24, 2018, she resigned as a deputy. This happened after a vote for Jordi Turull as president of Catalonia did not succeed. The next day, on March 23, 2018, Carme Forcadell and others were sent to pre-trial prison.
On February 1, 2019, she was moved back to the Alcalá-Meco prison in Madrid. This was to prepare for her trial. The trial began on February 12, 2019, and finished on June 12, 2019.
On October 14, 2019, she was given a prison sentence of 11 years and six months. This decision was made by seven judges at Spain's supreme court. The trial lasted four months and involved many witnesses.
She was released in June 2021. This happened after the government issued a pardon. Eight other politicians who were imprisoned in connection with the Catalan independence referendum were also pardoned.
