1. Pasqual Maragall had previously been Mayor of Barcelona, from 1982 to 1997, and helped run the city's successful Olympic bid.
15 Facts About Pasqual Maragall
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Pasqual Maragall was born in Barcelona in 1941 as the third of eight siblings.
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Pasqual Maragall was an active member of the Workers' Front of Catalonia and joined the left-wing anti-Franco movement Popular Liberation Front.
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Pasqual Maragall studied law and economics at the University of Barcelona between 1957 and 1964.
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Pasqual Maragall cooperated with the Studies Service of the Banco Urquijo, run by Ramon Trias Fargas.
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Pasqual Maragall joined the PSC electoral list in the first democratic municipal election for Barcelona City Council in 1979 and this party won the most votes at the ballot box.
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Pasqual Maragall was Vice-President of the International Union of Local Authorities and President of the Committee of the Regions of the European Union from 1996 to 1998.
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In 1997, Pasqual Maragall resigned as Barcelona's mayor and returned to university lecturing in Rome and New York City.
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On 16 December 2003, Pasqual Maragall was elected President of the Generalitat by the Catalan Parliament after cliff-hanger negotiations with the ERC and ICV parties.
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In October 2005 Pasqual Maragall met with objections regarding his plans for reshuffling the cabinet without consulting either his coalition partners or his party.
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The President's brother, Ernest Pasqual Maragall, was tipped for a ministerial post in the reshuffle.
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On 21 June 2006, Pasqual Maragall announced that he would not be standing for reelection.
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Pasqual Maragall offered his support to new President Jose Montilla amongst controversy over Montilla's non-Catalan heritage, stating that it did not make Catalonia "less Catalan", and later commented that "our new homeland is Europe".
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Pasqual Maragall later stated "our new path is the Mediterranean".
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In 2007 he founded the Catalunya Europa Foundation, which develops work inspired by the thought and political work of Pasqual Maragall, including the active involvement of Catalan society in a more united Europe, the global role of cities as spaces for social transformation, and lasting dialogue between Catalonia, Spain and Europe.