Salvador Illa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Salvador Illa
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Official portrait, 2024
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| President of the Government of Catalonia | |
| Assumed office 10 August 2024 |
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| Monarch | Felipe VI |
| Preceded by | Pere Aragonès |
| Minister of Health of Spain | |
| In office 13 January 2020 – 27 January 2021 |
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| 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 |
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| President | Pere Aragonès |
| Preceded by | Carlos Carrizosa |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| First Secretary of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia | |
| Assumed office 19 December 2021 |
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| 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 |
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| Preceded by | Josep Estapé Vilà |
| Succeeded by | Rafael Ros Panedo |
| In office 23 September 1995 – 5 February 1999 |
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| 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 |
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| Constituency | Barcelona |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Salvador Illa Roca
5 May 1966 La Roca del Vallès (Barcelona), Catalonia, 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 became the President of the Government of Catalonia in 2024. Before that, he was the Minister of Health of Spain from 2020 to 2021. He has also been a leader in the Socialists' Party of Catalonia since 2016. From 1995 to 2005, Illa served as the Mayor of La Roca del Vallès, a town in Spain.
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Early Life and Education
Salvador Illa was born in La Roca del Vallès, Spain, on 5 May 1966. His father, Josep Illa, worked in a textile factory, and his mother, María Roca, had a small textile workshop. He has two younger brothers, Ramón and José María.
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 at IESE Business School, which is part of the University of Navarra.
Start of His Political Journey
Illa began his political career in 1987 when 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). He then 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 attracts millions of visitors each year.
He was briefly removed from his Mayor position in 1999 but quickly returned after his party won many votes in the local elections that year. In 2005, he started working for the Regional Government of Catalonia, managing infrastructure projects. Later, he worked for the City Council of Barcelona from 2010 to 2016.
Leading the Socialists' Party of Catalonia
In November 2016, Miquel Iceta, the leader of the PSC, chose Illa to be the Secretary for Organization. This is a very important role within the party. Illa was a key figure from the PSC who attended a large demonstration in Barcelona on 8 October 2017. This protest was against the idea of Catalonia becoming independent.
He also played a part in important political talks. He was on the team that helped the PSOE party reach an agreement with the ERC party. This agreement allowed Pedro Sánchez to become Prime Minister in January 2020.
Serving as Minister of Health
On 10 January 2020, Salvador Illa was chosen to be the new Minister of Health for Spain. He officially took his oath on January 13. He took over from María Luisa Carcedo. Illa was seen as a "manager" and someone who could help communicate with Catalan political groups.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic
One of the biggest challenges Illa faced as Minister was the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. He had to lead Spain's response to this global health crisis.
- In January 2020, his ministry helped bring back about twenty Spanish citizens from China. They were kept in quarantine for 14 days in a military hospital in Madrid.
- The first case of coronavirus in Spain was found on 31 January 2020.
- In March 2020, the Health Ministry took strong actions. They stopped flights to Italy and banned large gatherings in areas with high risk, like Madrid and the Basque Country.
- Regional governments also took steps, such as closing schools and canceling large festivals.
Throughout the pandemic, Illa regularly reported to the Parliament's Health Committee. In June 2020, he announced a plan to prepare for and respond to any future outbreaks.
In August 2020, he made changes to the Ministry of Health to improve how the pandemic was managed. He wanted to create a more efficient and modern health system. He also announced plans to create a National Agency for Public Health.
By September 2020, Illa believed a vaccine could be ready by the end of the year. In November, his department presented Spain's national vaccination plan. On 21 December 2020, the European Medicines Agency approved the first vaccine. The first doses arrived in Spain on 26 December, and mass vaccination began the next day.
Illa left his role as Minister of Health in January 2021 to focus on the upcoming election in Catalonia.
Return to Catalan Politics
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On 30 December 2020, Miquel Iceta, the PSC leader, announced that Salvador Illa would be the party's main candidate for the 2021 Catalan regional election on 14 February 2021. Illa won the most votes in that election, but he was not able to form a government. He then became the leader of the opposition in the Catalan Parliament.
In March 2024, Illa was again chosen as the PSC candidate for the 2024 Catalan regional election. Under his leadership, the Socialist Party won the most seats. He then formed an agreement with the ERC and Comuns Sumar parties. This allowed him to create a government made up of members from his own party and independent politicians. Salvador Illa officially became the President of the Government of Catalonia on 10 August 2024.
