María José Catalá facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
María José Catalá
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José Catalá in 2023
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| Mayor of Valencia | |
| Assumed office 17 June 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Joan Ribó |
| Minister of Education, Culture and Sports of the Valencian Government | |
| In office 7 December 2012 – 30 June 2015 |
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| President | Alberto Fabra |
| Preceded by | herself as Minister of Education, Training and Employment |
| Succeeded by | Vicent Marzà |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 31 March 2008 – 6 October 2008 |
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| Constituency | Valencia |
| Member of the Corts Valencianes | |
| Assumed office 10 June 2011 |
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| Constituency | Valencia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 March 1981 Valencia, Valencian Community, Spain |
| Political party | PPCV |
| Alma mater | CEU Cardinal Herrera University |
María José Catalá Verdet (born March 3, 1981) is a Spanish politician. She is a member of the People's Party (PP).
She has held many important roles. She was the mayor of Torrent from 2007 to 2012. She was the first woman and first person from her party to be mayor there. She also worked as a Minister of Education for the Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian Government) from 2012 to 2015. Since June 2023, she has been the Mayor of Valencia.
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Early Life and Education
María José Catalá was born in Valencia, Spain. She studied law at the CEU Cardinal Herrera University. She also earned a master's degree in Business Administration.
In 2017, she completed her doctorate degree. Her research focused on how voters and their elected representatives interact. This was during a time when many political challenges were happening.
Start in Politics
Catalá began her political career in 2003. She was elected as a councillor for the town of Torrent. Torrent is a town located southwest of the city of Valencia.
In 2007, she became the candidate for mayor of Torrent. She won the election in May. This made her the first female mayor of the city. She was also the first mayor from the People's Party in Torrent. This ended 28 years of control by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). At 26 years old, she was one of the youngest mayors at that time.
Serving in Government
In 2008, Catalá was elected to the Congress of Deputies. This is a part of Spain's national parliament. She represented the Valencia area.
However, she only served for about six months. She resigned in October 2008. Another politician, Teresa García Sena, took her place.
Catalá left her role as mayor of Torrent in 2012. She was then appointed as the Minister of Education in the Generalitat Valenciana. This is the regional government of Valencia. She worked under President Alberto Fabra. She also served as the government's spokesperson for a year.
In 2015, she was elected to the Corts Valencianes. This is the regional parliament of the Valencian Community.
Mayor of Valencia
In January 2019, María José Catalá was chosen as the People's Party candidate for mayor of Valencia. The election took place in May. Her party came in second place. The current mayor, Joan Ribó, was re-elected with support from another party.
In June 2023, she ran for mayor of Valencia again. This time, she won the local elections. She became the Mayor of Valencia.
See also
In Spanish: María José Catalá para niños
