Salvador Illa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Salvador Illa
|
|
|---|---|
.png)
Official portrait, 2024
|
|
| President of the Government of Catalonia | |
| Assumed office 10 August 2024 |
|
| Monarch | Felipe VI |
| Preceded by | Pere Aragonès |
| Minister of Health of Spain | |
| In office 13 January 2020 – 27 January 2021 |
|
| Prime Minister | Pedro Sánchez |
| Preceded by | María Luisa Carcedo |
| Succeeded by | Carolina Darias |
| Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Catalonia | |
| In office 21 May 2021 – 10 August 2024 |
|
| President | Pere Aragonès |
| Preceded by | Carlos Carrizosa |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| First Secretary of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia | |
| Assumed office 19 December 2021 |
|
| Deputy | Meritxell Batet Alícia Romero Jaume Collboni Lluïsa Moret Marta Farrés |
| Preceded by | Miquel Iceta |
| Mayor of La Roca del Vallès | |
| In office 4 June 1999 – 17 September 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Josep Estapé Vilà |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Ros Panedo |
| In office 23 September 1995 – 5 February 1999 |
|
| Preceded by | Romà Planas i Miró |
| Succeeded by | Josep Estapé Vilà |
| Member of the La Roca del Vallès City Council | |
| In office 30 June 1987 – 17 September 2005 |
|
| Constituency | Barcelona |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Salvador Illa Roca
5 May 1966 La Roca del Vallès, Spain |
| Citizenship | Spain |
| Political party | Socialists' Party of Catalonia (since 1995) |
| Other political affiliations |
Independent (until 1995) |
| Spouse | Marta Estruch Macías |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | University of Barcelona (BA) University of Navarra (MBA) |
Salvador Illa Roca (born 5 May 1966) is a Spanish politician. He is currently the President of the Government of Catalonia since 2024. Before this, he was the Minister of Health of Spain from 2020 to 2021. He has also been a key leader in the Socialists' Party of Catalonia since 2016.
Contents
Who is Salvador Illa?
Salvador Illa was born in La Roca del Vallès, Spain, on 5 May 1966. His father worked in a textile factory, and his mother had a small textile workshop. He has two younger brothers, Ramón and José María.
His Early Life and Education
Illa went to Escola Pía School in Granollers. He later studied at the University of Barcelona, where he earned a degree in Philosophy. He also completed a master's degree in Economics and Business Management. This was at the IESE Business School, part of the University of Navarra. He even served in the Spanish Army.
Starting in Politics
Illa began his political journey in 1987. He was elected as a councillor for the City Council of La Roca del Vallès. He became the Councillor for Culture. In 1995, he joined the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC). Soon after, he became the Mayor of La Roca del Vallès.
During his first time as Mayor, a large shopping center called La Roca Village was built. This center now brings in almost 4 million visitors every year. He left the Mayor's office for a short time in 1999 but was re-elected later that year.
After 2005, he worked in different roles. He was a director for infrastructure management for the Catalan government. He also worked for the City Council of Barcelona.
Leading the Socialists' Party of Catalonia
In November 2016, PSC leader Miquel Iceta chose Illa for an important role. He became the Secretary for Organization. This made him a top leader within the party.
He was also part of the team that helped Pedro Sánchez become Prime Minister in 2020. They worked with another political party, ERC.
Becoming a Health Minister
On 10 January 2020, Salvador Illa was chosen to be the new Minister of Health. He took his oath on January 13. Even though he had no past experience in health, he was seen as a good manager. His role was also to help improve communication with Catalan leaders.
Dealing with COVID-19
One of his biggest challenges was the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. He had to lead Spain's response to the virus.
- In January 2020, his ministry helped bring back Spaniards from China. They were kept safe in quarantine.
- The first case of coronavirus in Spain was found on January 31, 2020.
- By March 2020, the government took strong actions. They stopped flights to Italy and banned large gatherings. Schools were closed in some areas.
- Illa often spoke to the Spanish Parliament. He explained the situation and the government's plans.
- In June 2020, he announced a plan to prepare for future outbreaks.
- He also worked to make the health system better and more modern. He planned to create a National Agency for Public Health.
- In late 2020, he announced Spain's plan for vaccination.
- The first vaccines were approved in December 2020. Mass vaccination started soon after.
Illa left his role as Health Minister in January 2021. He wanted to focus on the election in Catalonia.
Return to Catalan Politics
In December 2020, Salvador Illa was chosen to lead his party in the 2021 Catalan regional election. He won the most votes in the election. However, he could not form a government at that time. So, he became the leader of the opposition.
In March 2024, he was again chosen to be the PSC candidate for the 2024 Catalan regional election. His party won the most seats again. This time, he was able to form a government. He became the President of the Government of Catalonia on 10 August 2024.
