Meritxell Batet facts for kids
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Meritxell Batet
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_Consejo_de_Ministros_en_Barcelona_06_(cropped).jpg) |
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| President of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 21 May 2019 – 16 August 2023 |
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| Monarch | Felipe VI |
| Preceded by | Ana Pastor Julián |
| Succeeded by | Francina Armengol |
| Minister for Territorial Policy and Civil Service of Spain | |
| In office 7 June 2018 – 20 May 2019 |
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| Monarch | Felipe VI |
| Prime Minister | Pedro Sánchez |
| Preceded by | Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría (Territorial Policy) Cristóbal Montoro (Civil Service) |
| Succeeded by | Luis Planas |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| In office 21 May 2019 – 6 September 2023 |
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| Constituency | Barcelona |
| In office 13 July 2016 – 15 June 2018 |
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| Constituency | Barcelona |
| In office 13 January 2016 – 19 July 2016 |
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| Constituency | Madrid |
| In office 2 April 2004 – 13 January 2016 |
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| Constituency | Barcelona |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 March 1973 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Political party | PSC-PSOE (2008–present) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Pompeu Fabra University |
| Occupation | Jurist, academic and politician |
Meritxell Batet Lamaña (born 19 March 1973) is a Spanish lawyer and politician. She was the President of the Congress of Deputies from 2019 to 2023. Before that, she served as the Minister for Territorial Policy and Civil Service from 2018 to 2019.
Meritxell Batet was also a professor of Constitutional Law at Pompeu Fabra University. She has been a member of the Spanish Parliament, called the Congress of Deputies, for many years.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Meritxell Batet grew up in Barcelona, Spain. She went to Gravi School and later studied Law at Pompeu Fabra University. She was able to attend university with the help of scholarships.
After graduating in 1995, she continued her studies. She also taught Administrative Law and later Constitutional Law at Pompeu Fabra University. In 2007, she received a special scholarship to visit different places in the United States. This helped her learn about social centers, universities, and democratic institutions.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
Meritxell Batet's journey into politics started when she was a student. She helped coordinate the office of Narcís Serra, a leader of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC). This was her first experience working in politics.
In 2004, she ran for election as an independent candidate in Barcelona. She was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Congress of Deputies. The Congress of Deputies is like the main law-making body in Spain. In 2008, she officially joined the PSC party.
She was re-elected as an MP in the 2008 and 2011 general elections. In 2013, she voted differently from her party on an important issue. She supported allowing a vote in Catalonia about its future with Spain. This was a big decision at the time.
In 2014, she took on a leadership role within the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). She helped create the party's plans for future elections. In 2015, she was a key person in developing ideas for changing the Spanish Constitution. She also helped negotiate with other political parties to try and form a new government.
Role as a Government Minister
In June 2018, there was a special vote called a "motion of censure." This vote was to remove the government led by Mariano Rajoy. When the motion passed, Pedro Sánchez became the new Prime Minister of Spain.
Prime Minister Sánchez chose Meritxell Batet to be a minister in his new government. She became the Minister for Territorial Policy and Civil Service. This meant she was in charge of how the government works with different regions of Spain and how public services are managed. To focus completely on her new job, she resigned from her position as a Member of Parliament. She served as a minister until May 2019.
Leading the Congress of Deputies
In April 2019, Meritxell Batet was elected as a Member of Parliament again. Her party, the PSOE, then nominated her to become the President of the Congress of Deputies. The President of the Congress is like the speaker or leader of the parliament. They make sure meetings run smoothly and everyone follows the rules.
On 21 May 2019, Meritxell Batet was elected President of the Congress. She received support from her own party and other parties. The parliament was later dissolved in September 2019 because a new government could not be formed. However, she was re-elected as an MP in November 2019 and became President of the Congress again in December 2019. She held this important role until August 2023.
Personal Life
Meritxell Batet was married to José María Lassalle, who was also a politician from a different party. They got married in 2005 and had two twin daughters. They divorced in 2016.
In December 2021, Meritxell Batet tested positive for COVID-19.
See also
In Spanish: Meritxell Batet para niños
