Meritxell Borràs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Meritxell Borràs
Counselor of Governance and Institutional Relations
In office 22 June 2015 – 27 October 2017
President	Artur Mas Carles Puigdemont
Preceded by	Joana Ortega
Succeeded by	Jordi Puigneró (Direct rule until 2 June 2018)
Member of the Catalan Parliament for the Province of Barcelona
In office 5 December 1995 – 24 August 1999
In office 1 February 2000 – 23 September 2003
In office 4 May 2005 – 4 August 2015
Member of the City Council of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
In office 1995–2015
Personal details
Born	Meritxell Borràs i Solé (1964-04-12) 12 April 1964 (age 61) L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
Political party	Junts (2020–present)
Other political affiliations	Nationalist Youth of Catalonia (formerly) CDC (1981–2016) PDeCAT (2016–2020)
Spouse	Antoni Asensio Ollé ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Barcelona

Meritxell Borràs i Solé (born 12 April 1964) is a Spanish politician and pharmacist. She was born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain. From June 2015 to October 2017, Borràs served as Catalonia's Minister of Governance and Institutional Relations. She was removed from this role after the Catalan declaration of independence.

Meritxell Borràs graduated from the University of Barcelona. She worked in the pharmaceutical industry before becoming a politician. She has always supported the idea of Catalan independence.

About Meritxell Borràs

Early Life and Education

Meritxell Borràs was born on 12 April 1964. Her hometown is L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, which is in the Province of Barcelona, Catalonia. Her father, Jacint Borràs, helped start the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) political party.

After finishing school, Borràs studied at the University of Barcelona. She earned a degree in pharmacy in 1988. In 1990, she also completed a Master of Business Administration.

Joining Politics

Meritxell Borràs became involved in politics at a young age. In 1981, she started the local branch of the Nationalist Youth of Catalonia (JNC) in her hometown. She also led this group. She joined the CDC party in 1982. She has been an important member of its national and executive committees.

Political Career

After university, Borràs worked in laboratories for several years. She then began her career in public service.

Local and Regional Elections

In 1995, Borràs ran in the local elections for L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. She was elected as a city council member. She was re-elected several times, serving until 2015.

In the same year, 1995, she was also elected to the Parliament of Catalonia. This is the main law-making body for the region of Catalonia. She served in the Catalan Parliament for many years. She was re-elected in 2006, 2010, and 2012.

Becoming a Minister

In June 2015, Meritxell Borràs was appointed as the Minister of Governance and Institutional Relations for Catalonia. This was a very important role in the regional government. In January 2016, her responsibilities were expanded to include housing.

Catalonia's Political Events

The 2017 Referendum

In June 2017, the President of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, announced a referendum on Catalan independence. This vote was planned for 1 October 2017. The Catalan Parliament passed a law to allow this referendum. However, the Constitutional Court of Spain suspended this law, meaning the vote was not allowed by Spanish law.

Despite this, the referendum went ahead. Many people who did not support independence chose not to vote. About 43% of voters participated, and 92% of them voted for independence. There were some incidents where Spanish police tried to stop people from voting.

Declaration of Independence and Consequences

On 27 October 2017, the Catalan Parliament declared independence. Soon after, the Spanish government took control of Catalonia. They removed President Puigdemont and the Catalan government, including Meritxell Borràs. The Catalan Parliament was also dissolved, and new elections were called.

After these events, legal actions were taken against Borràs and other members of the Catalan government. They faced legal proceedings related to their actions during the independence declaration. Meritxell Borràs briefly went to Belgium but later returned to Spain.

On 2 November 2017, Borràs and several other Catalan ministers were held in custody. They were later released on bail on 4 December 2017. In March 2018, a judge ordered that Borràs be tried for actions related to the referendum. The trial began in February 2019.

On 14 October 2019, Borràs received a sentence that prevented her from holding public office for a year and eight months. She also had to pay a fine.

Personal Life

Meritxell Borràs married Antoni Asensio Ollé in March 2018. They have two sons named Bernat and Eudald.

Electoral History

See also

In Spanish: Meritxell Borràs para niños