Narcís Serra Explained

Narcís Serra
Office:Deputy Prime Minister of Spain
Term Start:13 March 1991[1]
Term End:3 July 1995[2]
Predecessor:Alfonso Guerra
Successor:Francisco Álvarez Cascos
Office1:Minister of Defence
Term Start1:3 December 1982[3]
Term End1:13 March 1991[4]
Primeminister1:Felipe González
Predecessor1:Alberto Oliart Saussol
Successor1:Julián García Vargas
Office2:113th Mayor of Barcelona
Term Start2:19 April 1979
Term End2:2 December 1982
Predecessor2:Manuel Font i Altaba
Successor2:Pasqual Maragall
Office3:Regional Minister of Town and Country Town and Public Works
Term Start3:5 December 1977
Term End3:22 March 1979
Predecessor3:Office created
Successor3:Lluís Armet i Coma
Office4:Member of the Congress of Deputies
Term Start4:22 June 1986
Term End4:15 January 2004
Constituency4:Barcelona
Birth Date:30 May 1943
Birth Place:Barcelona, Catalonia
Party:PSC (PSOE)
Primeminister:Felipe González
Primeminister3:Felipe González
President4:Josep Tarradellas

Narcís Serra i Serra (born 30 May 1943) is a Spanish economist and politician, serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Spain from 1991 to 1995. Born in Barcelona in 1943, he was one of the leading figures of Catalan socialism during the Spanish transition to democracy, and he was one of the founders of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia, the Catalan branch of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE).

Early life and career

Narcís Serra hailed from a Catholic family of Catalan origin.[5] Prior to his political involvement, and before obtaining his PhD in economics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, he worked as a research fellow at the London School of Economics from 1970 to 1972. He later became professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (where he taught Economic Theory).[6] He is a Honorary Fellow at the London School of Economics.[7]

Political career

Serra served as the first democratically elected Mayor of Barcelona after Franco's dictatorship (from 1979 to 1982).

In the wake of the socialist victory in the 1982 Spanish general election, Serra was appointed Minister of Defense by Prime Minister Felipe González, and he succeeded Alfonso Guerra as Deputy Prime Minister in 1991. During his tenure as Minister of Defense, he promoted the legislative changes that resulted in the democratization of the Spanish armed forces, their effective integration in NATO structure, and the participation in international missions for the first time. He resigned as Deputy Prime Minister in 1995, but remained a Member of the Spanish Congress of Deputies representing the Constituency of Barcelona until 2004. He first gained his seat in Parliament in the 1986 Spanish general election.[8]

Life after politics

In 2005, Serra was appointed president of Caixa Catalunya, a public savings bank. Following his resignation in 2011, he was tried for criminal mismanagement and abusive payments while he was chairman of the ailed savings bank. He was absolved of all charges in February 2019.

Serra has been the chairman of the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI) since its foundation in 2004. He currently teaches courses on Strategy, Military Reform and Peace Building as part of the Master studies offered by the institute.[9]

Other activities

Corporate boards

Non-profit organizations

Notes and References

  1. https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1991/03/13/pdfs/A08398-08398.pdf Real Decreto 299/1991, de 12 de marzo. BOE 13 March 1991
  2. https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1995/07/03/pdfs/A20232-20232.pdf Real Decreto 1100/1995, de 2 de julio. BOE 3 July 1995
  3. https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1982/12/03/pdfs/A33339-33339.pdf Real Decreto 3295/1982, de 2 de diciembre. BOE 3 December 1982
  4. https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1991/03/13/pdfs/A08398-08398.pdf Real Decreto 300/1991, de 12 de marzo. BOE 13 January 1991
  5. Richard Wigg. Socialism in Spain: A Pragmatic Start. The World Today. February 1983. 39. 2. 63. 40395475.
  6. Web site: Narcís Serra . ibei.org . Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals . 22 November 2019.
  7. Web site: Narcís Serra CV . Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals.
  8. Web site: Narcís Serra i Serra. Biografía de Narcís Serra i Serra . Spanish . publispain.com . 9 August 2010.
  9. Web site: Narcís Serra . ibei.org . nstitut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals . 22 November 2019.
  10. Carlos Segovia (30 April 2017), Telefónica renueva a Narcís Serra en su filial de Chile hasta 2020 El Mundo.
  11. http://www.ecfr.eu/council/members Members
  12. Web site: Senior Network. 2020-09-21. www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org. en-GB.