Josep Bargalló i Valls (born in Torredembarra , on 3 October 1958) is a catalan politician, belonging to the ERC party. Currently Conseller en Cap (Prime Minister) in the Catalan Government.

Life overview

He graduated in Catalan Philology at the UB in Tarragona. He is a member of the Societat Catalana de Llengua i Literatura (Catalan Language and Literature Society), which forms part of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans (Institute of Catalan Studies). He has worked in public-sector teaching, being professor of secondary education since 1981. He also was head teacher of Pons d’Icart Secondary School in Tarragona for two years (1985 to 1987), and has taught a number of postgraduate courses. He also has worked in publishing, roling as literary director for several collections and publishing houses.

Along with this activities, he also has published numerous essays and studies on literary criticism, history and theory, and various studies on history and folk culture, with particular attention to festivities and the world of castells, or human towers. He wrote Handbook of Catalan Metrics and Versification in 1991, he has written commentaries on literary texts, and has worked as a critic for newspapers and specialist journals. He has also been involved in script-writing for cinema and video, and has produced drama.

Civic background

Member of the Nois de la Torre group of castellers , Torredembarra Devil Dance Group, and the Virgília dragon porters group in Torredembarra. He has belonged to the Unió Sindical de Treballadors de l'Ensenyament de Catalunya (USTEC-STES, Union of Education Workers of Catalonia) since 1980.

Political background

Founder member of the Assemblea de Catalunya (Assembly of Catalonia) in Torredembarra , he represented the town at the Assembly’s national plenary sessions. He was a militant of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC), the Socialist National Liberation Party (PSAN ) and Left Nationalists (NE ). He has been a member of Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) since 1995.

Institutional background

Member of the Catalan Parliament for ERC from 1992 to 2003. In the last legislature he was assistant spokesperson for the ERC parliamentary group.

Councillor in Torredembarra Town Council for ERC (1995-2003). From 1999 to 2003 he was Deputy Mayor .

For the second half of 2003, he was Vice-President of Tarragonès County Council .

Minister of Education in the Catalan Government from December 2003 to February 2004, when he was appointed First Minister and Minister for the Presidency .

|- style="text-align: center;" | width="30%" |Preceded by:
Carme Laura Gil i Miró | width="40%" style="text-align: center;" |Minister of Education
2003–2004 | width="30%" |Succeeded by:
Marta Cid i Pañella