Raül Romeva

The Honourable
Raül Romeva i Rueda
Counselor for External and Institutional Relations, and Transparency of Catalonia
In office
14 January 2016 – 27 October 2017
Preceded by Position established
Succeeded by Ernest Maragall
(Direct rule until 2 June 2018)
Member of the Parliament of Catalonia
for the Province of Barcelona
In office
26 October 2015 – suspended on 10 July 2018
Member of the European Parliament
for Spain
In office
20 July 2004 – 30 June 2014
Personal details
Born (1971-03-12) 12 March 1971
Madrid, Spain
Nationality Spanish
Political party Together for the Yes (2015–present)
Iniciativa per Catalunya (2004–14)
Spouse(s) Diana
Children 2
Residence Sant Cugat del Vallès, Catalonia
Alma mater Autonomous University of Barcelona
Occupation Politician
Profession Economist

Raül Romeva i Rueda (born in Madrid, 12 March 1971) is a Spanish politician from Catalonia and a former Member of the European Parliament with the Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds, part of the European Greens. He sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs and its Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. In the Catalan parliamentary election of 2015 he led the Pro-Independence electoral list, Together for Yes. He was named secretary for External and Institutional Relations, and Transparency in the Catalan Regional Government under President Carles Puigdemont on January 14, 2016 before his role was revoked by the Spanish Government on the 27th of October 2017, as part of the constitutional application of article 155. Mr. Romeva i Rueda has been under investigation by the Office of the High Court of Justice of Catalonia for the alleged crimes of malfeasance, disobeying Spain's Constitutional Tribunal and the embezzlement of public funds, after he signed a Decree issued by the Catalonian parliament which called for the celebration of a self-determination referendum, alongside other members of Catalonia's regional government. Although according to Spanish criminal law (reform of 1995) it is legal for a regional parliament to organize a referendum on any topic, the Audiencia Nacional court claimed the referendum as illegal under a sentence by Judge Mrs. Carmen Lamela.

He was jailed on 2 November 2017, and again on 23 March 2018, charged with rebellion and sedition crimes.

Childhood and education

Born in Madrid, he was raised in Catalonia. In 1989 he received a degree in economics from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)[1] thirteen years later, on 2002, he earned his PhD in international relations at the same university.[2]

Career

From October 1995 to August 1996, Romeva was the principal aide of the UNESCO representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where he was responsible for the Educational programme and for promoting the UNESCO School of Peace Culture. He was also an observer for OSCE during the elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1996 and 1997.[3]

Romeva has been an assistant professor of International Relations at the UAB (1994–1995 and 1996–2002), researcher on peace and disarmament at the UNESCO Center of Catalunya (1994–1998) and campaign coordinator for disarmament and armed conflict prevention for Intermón-Oxfam (1998–1999). He contributes frequently to press and radio.

He began his association with Iniciativa Catalunya Verds (ICV) in Caldes de Montbui in 1989. In 1994 and again in 1999 he was a candidate to the European Parliament for ICV, and in 2004 was elected as a Member of the European Parliament, where he held his seat until 2014.[4] During this period, he was considered one of the most active politician of the European Parliament Chamber.[5]

Romeva is currently a research analyst on armed conflict and postwar rehabilitation at the School of Peace Culture at the UAB. He is also the representative for Òmnium Cultural who are responsible for the Ara és l'hora (Now is the Time) campaign, organized by Òmnium and the Catalan National Assembly.

On 15 July 2015, it was announced that Romeva would head Together for the Yes, the pro-independence list for Barcelona in the Catalan elections on 27 September 2015.[6]

Publications

Romeva has written several books and articles, including:

  • —— (1997). Pau i seguretat a Europa: prevenció de conflictes armats a l'Europa de la postguerra freda. Centre UNESCO.
  • —— (1999). Bòsnia-Hercegovina: lliçons d'una guerra. Centre UNESCO. ISBN 978-84-89622-60-9.
  • —— (2000). Desarme y desarrollo: claves para armar conciencias[Disarmament and Development]. Intermón Oxfam. ISBN 978-84-89970-72-4.
  • —— (2003). Bosnia en paz: lecciones, retos y oportunidades de una posguerra contemporánea. Catarata. ISBN 84-8319-158-X.
  • —— (2003). Guerra, posguerra y paz: pautas para el análisis y la intervención en contextos posbélicos o postacuerdo [War, PostWar and Peace]. Icaria. ISBN 978-84-7426-652-8.
  • —— (2012). Sayonara Sushi. Novel/ Plaza & Janés / Rosa dels Vents. ISBN 978-84-01-38800-2.

References

  1. ↑ Picazo, Sergi. "Algú pensa que Londres o Berlín ens ajudaran?". El Punt Avui. El Punt Avui. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  2. ↑ Bella, Emili. "El candidat europeista". El Punt Avui. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Raül Romeva i Rueda". Enciclopèdia.cat. Grup Enciclpèdia Catalana.
  4. ↑ "Raül Romeva, un home fet a Europa i amb una trajectòria dedicada a la pau". Diari ARA.
  5. ↑ "Raül Romeva, former Eco-Socialist MEP, will top the unitary pro-independence electoral list". Catalan News Agency. July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Raül Romeva encapçalarà la llista del 27-S". VilaWeb. VilaWeb.
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