Ernest Benach i Pasqual (; born

Reus Reus () is the capital of Baix Camp, in Camp de Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The area has long been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental significance during the time of the Phylloxera plague. Currently it is known f ...

Baix Camp Baix Camp () is a Comarques of Catalonia, comarca located in the region of Camp de Tarragona, in Catalonia.The capital is the city of Reus. Baix Camp is located on the coast, between Tarragonès to the northeast and Baix Ebre to the south. It als ...

, 12 November 1959) was the President of the Catalan Parliament from 2003 to 2010. He is a member of the Catalan independentist party

Republican Left of Catalonia The Republican Left of Catalonia (, ERC; ; generically branded as ) is a pro-Catalan independence, social democratic political party in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia, with a presence also in Valencia, the Balearic Islands and t ...

(ERC).

Education and professional background

Benach worked for the Catalan Generalitat as a sweeper after he left university. He has also co-written ''República catalana'' (''Catalan Republic'') and ''Educar en política'' (''Teaching in politics'').

Civic background

Head of the La Mulassa, a

Boy Scout A Scout, Boy Scout, Girl Scout or, in some countries, a Pathfinder is a participant in the Scout Movement, usually aged 10–18 years, who engage in learning scoutcraft and outdoor and other special interest activities. Some Scout organizatio ...

association of

(1981–1986) and president (1991–1994) and ''cap de colla'' (head of group) of the ''Colla castellera Xiquets de Reus'' (an association of castellers), he is also a member of the

Pedagogy Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

section of the Reading Center of Reus.

Political background

He was member of Left Nationalists ( NE) 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 Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ...

(1999–2003) 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

, the city where he was born, from 1987 to 2001, where he held several positions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benach I Pasqual, Ernest 1959 births Spanish municipal councillors Living people Members of the Parliament of Catalonia Presidents of the Parliament of Catalonia Republican Left of Catalonia politicians Second Secretaries of the Parliament of Catalonia