Ernest Benach

Ernest Benach i Pasqual was the President of the Catalan Parliament from 2003 to 2010. He is a member of the Catalan independentist party Republican Left of Catalonia.

Education and professional background

Benach worked for the Catalan Generalitat as a sweeper after he left university. He has also co-written República catalana and Educar en política.

Civic background

Head of the La Mulassa, a Boy Scout association of Reus and president and cap de colla of the Colla castellera Xiquets de Reus, he is also a member of the Pedagogy section of the Reading [Center of Reus].

Political background

He was member of Left Nationalists from 1979 to 1986. In 1987 he joined the ERC, where he served as general vice-secretary of institutional politics.

Institutional background

He has been a deputy in the Catalan Parliament since 1992, where he served as second secretary of the Board of [Catalan Parliament - VI Term of office|board] and president. He was also president of the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies from October 2004 to October 2005.
He was also a member of the city council of Reus, the city where he was born, from 1987 to 2001, where he held several positions.