José Montilla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
José Montilla
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| 128th President of the Government of Catalonia | |
| In office 28 November 2006 – 27 December 2010 |
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| Monarch | Juan Carlos I |
| Vice President | Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira |
| Preceded by | Pasqual Maragall |
| Succeeded by | Artur Mas |
| Mayor of Cornellà de Llobregat | |
| In office 1985 – 17 April 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Frederic Prieto |
| Succeeded by | Antonio Balmón i Arévalo |
| Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism | |
| In office 17 April 2004 – 8 September 2006 |
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| President | José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero |
| Preceded by | Juan Costa Climent |
| Succeeded by | Joan Clos |
| Spanish Senator for designation of the Parliament of Catalonia |
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| In office 1 December 2011 – 8 May 2019 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 January 1955 Iznájar, Andalusia, Spain |
| Political party | Socialists' Party of Catalonia |
| Spouse | Anna Hernández |
| Children | Three sons and two daughters |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Signature |  |
José Montilla Aguilera was born on January 15, 1955, in Iznájar, a town in Andalusia, Spain. He is a Spanish politician who has held many important roles. He was the 128th President of Catalonia, a region in Spain. He also served as a Mayor and a government Minister. Today, he is a member of the Spanish Senate.
Contents
Early Life and Education
When José Montilla was sixteen, he moved from his home region of Andalusia to Catalonia. He settled in a town called Sant Joan Despí.
He started his education with vocational training. Later, he studied Law for one year and Economics for two years at the University of Barcelona. He has mentioned that he stopped his university studies because he was working and studying at the same time.
Starting in Local Politics
José Montilla joined the Socialists' Party of Catalonia in 1978. Two years later, he became a member of the party's National Council. This was an important step in his political career.
At 25, he became the Deputy Mayor for Local Taxation in Sant Joan Despí. He was also the main spokesperson for the Socialist group on the town council.
Mayor of Cornellà de Llobregat
From 1985 until April 2004, José Montilla served as the Mayor of Cornellà de Llobregat. He was very popular in this role. In the elections of 1999 and 2003, he was re-elected with a strong majority of votes. This showed that many people supported his leadership.
Roles in Provincial Government
In 1988, new local councils called Consells Comarcals were created. José Montilla was chosen to be the president of the District Council of Baix Llobregat. He held this position until late 1997.
He also became a member of the Provincial Council of Barcelona in 1983. There, he worked as a Provincial Deputy for Public Works. Later, he became the second vice-president of the Diputació in 1987. In 1991, he was put in charge of Agriculture and the Environment, a role he continued in 1995.
In 1999, he was appointed First Vice-president. He then became the President of the Diputació from July 1, 2003.
Leading the Socialists' Party
In 1994, José Montilla was elected as the Secretary for Organization of his party. On June 18, 2000, he became the First Secretary of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia. This made him a very important leader within the party.
Becoming a National Minister
After the 2003 election in Catalonia, a new government was formed. It was a coalition of three parties: the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC), Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), and Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds (ICV).
In April 2004, José Montilla was appointed as the Minister for Industry, Trade, and Tourism in the national government in Madrid. This was a big step up in his career. To take on this new role, he had to resign from all his local government positions. He continued to be the First Secretary of the PSC while working as a minister.
President of Catalonia
In 2006, the then-President of Catalonia, Pasqual Maragall, decided not to run for president again. The PSC chose José Montilla as their candidate for the presidency of Catalonia.
In the elections held on November 1, 2006, no single party won enough votes to form a government alone. The PSC came in second place. However, the PSC, ERC, and Iniciativa per Catalunya agreed to form a coalition government again. This time, José Montilla became the President. He officially took office on November 28, 2006. He was the first President of Catalonia in modern times who was born outside of Catalonia.
In the election on November 28, 2010, the PSC lost. José Montilla remained President until a new leader was chosen by the parliament. After this defeat, he announced that he would not seek to be the First Secretary of the PSC again. He also decided not to lead the opposition in the new parliament and did not take up his seat.
Other Activities
José Montilla has also been an independent member of the Board of Directors for Enagás. This is a company that transports natural gas.
See also
In Spanish: José Montilla para niños
