Jordi Pujol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jordi Pujol
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Official portrait, 1980
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| 126th President of the Government of Catalonia | |
| In office 29 April 1980 – 18 December 2003 |
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| First Counselor | Artur Mas (2001–2003) |
| Preceded by | Josep Tarradellas |
| Succeeded by | Pasqual Maragall |
| Minister without Portfolio | |
| In office 5 December 1977 – 24 April 1980 |
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| President | Josep Tarradellas |
| Member of the Parliament of Catalonia | |
| In office 10 April 1980 – 23 September 2003 |
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| Constituency | Barcelona |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 1 July 1977 – 12 March 1980 |
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| Constituency | Barcelona |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 June 1930 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Political party | CDC (1974–2016) |
| Spouse |
Marta Ferrusola
(m. 1956; died 2024) |
| Children | 7 |
| Signature |  |
Jordi Pujol i Soley (born 9 June 1930) is a retired politician from Catalonia, Spain. He was the leader of the political party Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC) from 1974 to 2003. He also served as the President of the Generalitat de Catalunya (the government of Catalonia) for 23 years, from 1980 to 2003.
Contents
Early Life and Activism
Jordi Pujol was born in Barcelona, a big city in Catalonia. He went to the German School of Barcelona and later studied medicine at the University of Barcelona. He became a doctor.
During his time at college, Jordi Pujol joined groups that wanted to bring back the spirit of Catalonia. This was after the Spanish Civil War and during the time when Francisco Franco ruled Spain as a dictator. These groups worked to keep Catalan culture and identity alive.
In 1960, Jordi Pujol helped organize a protest. People sang a forbidden song called Cant de la Senyera (The Song of the Flag) at a concert. This song was important to Catalan identity. Because of his involvement in this protest, Pujol was arrested and held by the authorities.
Invention of Neobacitrin Ointment
As a doctor, Jordi Pujol invented an antibiotic cream called Neobacitrin. He created this cream while working in his family's laboratory. Neobacitrin became very popular and is still used today.
Political Career and Presidency
In 1974, Jordi Pujol started a political party called Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya (CDC). This name means Democratic Convergence of Catalonia in English. He was the first leader of this new party.
The party could not become official until 1977. This was after Franco's death in 1975, when Spain began its move towards democracy. This period is known as the Spanish transition to democracy.
From 1977 to 1980, Pujol worked in the temporary government of Catalonia. He helped create the rules for Catalonia to govern itself. In 1977, he was elected to the Spanish Parliament, representing Barcelona. He was re-elected in 1979 but left Parliament in 1980.
On March 20, 1980, the first elections for the Parliament of Catalonia were held after Franco's rule. Jordi Pujol's party, Convergència i Unió, won these elections. On April 24, 1980, he became the President of the Generalitat de Catalunya. He was re-elected five more times, serving until 2003.
Working with Europe
Jordi Pujol believed in countries in Europe working together. In 1985, he started working with Edgar Faure to create the Council of the Regions of Europe. This group later became the Assembly of European Regions (AER). Pujol was the President of the AER from 1992 to 1996.
In 1996, he received an award from Quebec, Canada, called the National Order of Quebec. This was for helping to make the relationship between Quebec and Catalonia stronger.
Jordi Pujol retired from politics in 2003. He passed on the leadership of his party (CDC) to Artur Mas. When he retired, he gave over 16,000 documents from his time as president to the Biblioteca de Catalunya (Library of Catalonia).
Pujol and Catalan Identity
During his time as President, Jordi Pujol focused on Catalan nationalism. This idea is about recognizing Catalonia as a unique region with its own culture and language. He wanted Spain to see Catalonia "as a country, as a collective with its own personality."
He believed that Catalonia's identity should be respected within Spain. However, he sometimes felt that the Spanish government did not fully support Catalonia. He has said that Catalans can "no longer hope for anything from the Spanish state."
Even though he supported Catalonia staying part of Spain for a long time, he has recently seen more people wanting Catalonia to be fully independent. He has stated that these people "have the right to want it."
Personal Life
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Jordi Pujol married Marta Ferrusola in 1956. They had seven children together.
In January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, Jordi Pujol and his wife Marta tested positive for COVID-19. They stayed at home in Barcelona and did not have serious symptoms. Marta Ferrusola passed away on July 8, 2024, at the age of 89.
Images for kids
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Jordi Pujol's signature
See also
In Spanish: Jordi Pujol para niños
