Oriol Junqueras

Oriol Junqueras, born on April 11, 1969, in Barcelona, is a prominent Catalan politician and historian. He grew up in Sant Vicenç dels Horts, where he later served as mayor. A graduate of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Junqueras has also made significant contributions as a university teacher and writer.

In 2010, he joined the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), advocating for Catalan independence. His political career took off when he was elected to the Municipality Council of Sant Vicenç dels Horts, becoming mayor in 2011. Junqueras was elected to the European Parliament in 2009, serving until January 2012, and later became a member of the Parliament of Catalonia in 2012.

Junqueras was appointed Vice President of Catalonia in January 2016, following a coalition agreement. His tenure was marked by the controversial independence referendum held on October 1, 2017, which was deemed illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court. Despite a significant majority supporting independence, the turnout was low due to police suppression and calls for a boycott from opposition parties.

Following the Catalan Parliament's declaration of independence on October 27, 2017, Junqueras faced serious legal repercussions. He was charged with rebellion, sedition, and misuse of public funds, leading to his imprisonment in November 2017. Despite being re-elected in December 2017, he was suspended from his parliamentary duties in July 2018. In October 2019, he was sentenced to thirteen years in prison. However, the European Court of Justice later ruled that he had parliamentary immunity, and he was released in June 2021 after serving three and a half years.