Pasqual Maragall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pasqual Maragall
Olympic Order
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Official portrait, 2003
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| 127th President of the Government of Catalonia | |
| In office 20 December 2003 – 28 November 2006 |
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| Monarch | Juan Carlos I |
| First Minister | Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira (2003–2004) Josep Bargalló (2004–2006) |
| Preceded by | Jordi Pujol |
| Succeeded by | José Montilla |
| 114th Mayor of Barcelona | |
| In office 1 December 1982 – 26 September 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Narcís Serra |
| Succeeded by | Joan Clos |
| Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Catalonia | |
| In office 16 November 1999 – 17 December 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Joaquim Nadal |
| Succeeded by | Artur Mas (Office suspended between 17 December 2003 and 27 May 2004) |
| President of the Barcelona'92 Olympic Organising Committee | |
| In office 2 October 1988 – 9 August 1992 |
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| IOC President | Juan Antonio Samaranch |
| Preceded by | Park Seh-jik |
| Succeeded by | Billy Payne |
| Chair of the Barcelona'92 Olympic Organising Committee | |
| In office 12 March 1987 – 15 September 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Committee established |
| Succeeded by | Position dissolved |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 January 1941 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Nationality |  Spain |
| Political party | Socialists' Party of Catalonia |
| Spouse | Diana Garrigosa (1965-2020; her death) |
| Children | Two daughters and a son |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Signature |  |
Pasqual Maragall Mira (born 13 January 1941) is a Spanish politician who is now retired. He was the President of the Government of Catalonia. Before that, he was the Mayor of Barcelona from 1982 to 1997. He played a big part in helping Barcelona host the successful Olympic Games.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Pasqual Maragall was born in Barcelona in 1941. He was the third of eight children in his family. His grandfather was a famous Catalan poet named Joan Maragall. In 1965, he married Diana Garrigosa. They had two daughters and one son.
He was active in groups that worked against the Franco dictatorship in Spain. He studied law and economics at the University of Barcelona from 1957 to 1964.
After finishing his studies in 1965, he started working as an economist for the Barcelona City Council. At the same time, he taught economic theory at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
From 1971 to 1973, he lived in New York City. There, he earned a master's degree in economics from New School University.
Starting a Political Career
In 1973, Pasqual Maragall returned to Barcelona. He went back to working for the Barcelona City Council and teaching at the UAB. He taught about city economics and international economics.
He joined a political group called Convergència Socialista de Catalunya. This group later helped create the PSC, a socialist party. In 1978, he finished his important doctoral thesis about land prices in Barcelona. He also spent time as a researcher at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, which later gave him an honorary doctorate.
Becoming Mayor of Barcelona
In 1979, Pasqual Maragall ran in the first democratic local election for the Barcelona City Council. His party, the PSC, won the most votes. His friend Narcís Serra became Mayor, and Maragall became a Deputy Mayor.
On 1 December 1982, he became the Mayor of Barcelona. This happened because Narcís Serra was chosen to be a minister in the Spanish government.
A very important event during his time as Mayor was when Barcelona was chosen to host the 1992 Summer Olympics in 1986. As Mayor, Pasqual Maragall led the committee that organized the Games (COOB'92). The Olympics brought many new buildings and improvements to the city. Many people agree that the 1992 Games helped Barcelona become known as one of Europe's great cities.
From 1991 to 1997, he was the President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions. He also held important roles in other international groups for cities and regions.
Leading the Catalan Government
In 1997, Pasqual Maragall stepped down as Barcelona's Mayor. He went back to teaching at universities in Rome and New York City. Two years later, he returned to active politics. He ran for the presidency of the Catalan Government in the 1999 election.
On 16 December 2003, Maragall was elected President of the Generalitat by the Catalan Parliament. He officially took office on 20 December. While he was very popular as Mayor of Barcelona, his time as President of the Catalan government faced some challenges.
On 21 June 2006, Maragall announced that he would not run for reelection. He supported the new President, José Montilla. On 19 October 2007, he announced that he would no longer be a member of his political party, ending many years of involvement.
The next day, he shared that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. He then created the Pasqual Maragall Foundation. This foundation works to fight against Alzheimer's and support research.
In 2007, he also started the Catalunya Europa Foundation. This foundation continues his work of encouraging Catalonia to be an active part of a more united Europe. It also focuses on the role of cities and good communication between Catalonia, Spain, and Europe.
In 2020, a documentary film called Maragall i la Lluna was released. It tells the story of a girl named Lluna who met Maragall when he was Mayor. He moved into her neighborhood for a short time to understand the lives of people there. The film shows her journey to learn more about him years later.
See also
In Spanish: Pasqual Maragall para niños
