Rafael Catalá facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Most Excellent
Rafael Catalá
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| Minister of Justice First Notary of the Kingdom |
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| In office 29 September 2014 – 1 June 2018 |
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| Prime Minister | Mariano Rajoy |
| Preceded by | Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón |
| Succeeded by | Dolores Delgado |
| Minister of Public Works Interim |
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| In office 19 July 2016 – 4 November 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Ana Pastor Julián |
| Succeeded by | Íñigo de la Serna |
| Member of the Congress of Deputies | |
| Assumed office 13 January 2016 |
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| Constituency | Cuenca |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rafael Catalá Polo
21 June 1961 Madrid, Spain |
| Political party | PP |
Rafael Catalá Polo was born on June 21, 1961. He is a Spanish politician and a member of the People's Party. He served as the Minister of Justice for Spain from September 2014 to June 2018. During part of this time, he was also the temporary Minister of Public Works.
Before becoming a minister, he held important roles in the government. From 2002 to 2004, he was a Secretary of State for Justice. Later, from 2011 to 2014, he was a Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Transport, and Housing.
In May 2017, the Spanish Parliament (Congress of Deputies) voted to express their disapproval of Mr. Catalá as Minister of Justice. This was because of concerns about how certain legal cases were being handled. He was the first minister in Spain's modern democracy to face such a vote from the entire Parliament. Other important officials, like the Attorney General, were also criticized at that time.
Contents
About Rafael Catalá
Early Life and Education
Rafael Catalá studied Law at the Complutense University of Madrid. After finishing his studies, he passed a special exam in 1985. This allowed him to join a group of highly skilled civil servants who work for the government.
Career Before Politics
Before working directly in politics, Mr. Catalá held several important jobs. From 1988 to 1992, he worked in the Ministry of Health. He helped manage how the government organized its staff and human resources.
In 1992, he joined AENA, which manages airports and air navigation in Spain. There, he was in charge of planning for employees, managing relationships with workers, and overseeing administration for air services. He also worked as a general secretary for a company called Codere until 2011.
Political Journey
Starting in Government
When the People's Party won the elections in 1996, Rafael Catalá began his political career. He was appointed as the Director General of the Civil Service. This role meant he was in charge of how government workers were managed. At that time, Mariano Rajoy was the head of the Ministry of Public Administration.
In 1999, he became the Director General of Personnel and Services at the Ministry of Education and Culture. From 2000 to 2002, he served as an Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Finance. Then, from 2002 to 2004, he was the Secretary of State for Justice.
Roles After 2004
After the general elections in 2004, Mr. Catalá took on a different role. He managed the Ramón y Cajal Hospital in Madrid. He also started teaching. Since 2005, he has been a director for a master's degree program in Public Administration at Esade. He was also a member of the Social Council at UNED, another university.
Return to High Office
On December 23, 2011, he was appointed Secretary of State for Planning and Infrastructure. This was part of the Ministry of Public Works. His boss at the time was Ana Pastor Julián.
In September 2014, the Minister of Justice, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, resigned. Rafael Catalá was chosen to take his place. He officially became the Minister of Justice on September 29, 2014.
On July 19, 2016, he temporarily took over the duties of the Ministry of Public Works. This happened because the previous minister, Ana Pastor, became the president of the Congress of Deputies.
In November 2016, his role as Minister of Justice was confirmed for the second government led by Mariano Rajoy. He continued in this position.
End of Ministerial Role
As mentioned earlier, on May 16, 2017, the Congress of Deputies voted to express their disapproval of him as Minister of Justice. This was due to concerns about how the Public Prosecutor's Office was handling certain legal cases. This made him the first minister in Spain's democratic history to be rejected by the full Parliament.
On June 1, 2018, he became the acting Minister of Justice. This was a temporary role after a vote of no confidence against Mariano Rajoy's government. Pedro Sánchez then became the new President of the Spanish Government.
See also
In Spanish: Rafael Catalá Polo para niños
