Salvador Illa is President of the Government of Catalonia and First Secretary of the Socialists’ Party of Catalunya (PSC), which he joined in 1995. He holds a degree in Philosophy from the University of Barcelona and an MBA from IESE Business School. He began his political career in 1995 as mayor of La Roca del Vallès (Barcelona), his hometown. He subsequently held various positions in the Government of Catalonia and Barcelona City Council, where he served as coordinator of the Socialist Municipal Group from 2011 to 2016 and as General Manager for Business, Culture and Innovation.

In January 2020, he was appointed Minister of Health in the Spanish Government, a role in which he managed the COVID-19 health crisis and spearheaded the vaccination campaign. After winning the February 2021 Catalan elections, he became president of the Parliamentary Group of Socialists and United to Advance and served as Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Catalonia. In the regional elections held on 12 May 2024, he again led the PSC’s electoral list, with the party winning the election with 42 seats. Since December 2021, he has served as First Secretary of the party.