Josep Tarradellas

Josep Tarradellas i Joan, 1st Marquess of Tarradellas (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈzɛp tərəˈðeʎəs]; 19 February 1899 – 10 June 1988) was a Catalan politician from Spain known for his role as the first president of the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya), after its re-establishment in 1977 under the new Spanish Constitution and the end of the Francoist Dictatorship. He was appointed the role of 125th President of Catalonia in 1954 but spent 23 years in exile until 1977 when he was officially recognised as the President of Catalonia by the Spanish Government.

Biography

In 1931, Tarradellas became general secretary of the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC). He also was deputy at the Cortes that year, Governance and Health councillor when Francesc Macià was President of the Generalitat of Catalonia as well as Public Services, Economy and Culture councillor during the Spanish Civil War.

Exiled to France since 1939, he became President of the Generalitat of Catalonia when Josep Irla resigned, in 1954.

On 23 October 1977, two years after Francisco Franco's death, the President of the Spanish Government Adolfo Suárez met him to negotiate the reestablishment of the Government of Catalonia, an event which occurred. The sentence pronounced at his arrival has become famous as a symbol: "Ciutadans de Catalunya, ja sóc aquí!" (Catalan for "Citizens of Catalonia, I am here at last!").

He was welcomed solemnly in Barcelona and set up a unity government. He finished his work with the elections for the Catalan Parliament (March 1980), and Jordi Pujol was elected in April.