Josep Piqué i Camps
Encyclopedia
Josep Piqué is a Spanish
Catalan
politician of the right-wing Spanish People's Party
(PP) who represented Barcelona
. Pique was initially a member of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
(PSUC) but left the grouping and subsequently joined the Union of the Democratic Centre. Between 1986 and 1988 he served as Director General of Industry under the Convergence and Union government of Catalonia.
After the People's Party election in 1996, Piqué was appointed as Spanish Minister for Industry as an independent member. He served as Spain's foreign minister
from 2000 to 2002 and he was the president of the Partit Popular de Catalunya from October 2002. He resigned from this position in July 2007 after disagreement over the political direction that the central PP (Partido Popular, People's Party) wanted to impose over the Catalan
branch of the party. After serving in the Spanish Congress from 2000 he resigned in 2003 after being elected to the Parliament of Catalonia
.
Since November 2007 he is the chief executive officer
of the low-fare airline
Vueling Airlines
.
In November 2008 Josep Piqué was co-chair of the Global China Business Meeting 2008 in Madrid
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
Catalan
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
politician of the right-wing Spanish People's Party
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
(PP) who represented Barcelona
Barcelona (Spanish Congress Electoral District)
Barcelona is one of the 52 electoral districts used for the Spanish Congress of Deputies - the lower chamber of the Spanish Parliament, the Cortes Generales. When first contested in modern times in the 1977 General Election, Barcelona was the largest electoral district in Congress in terms of...
. Pique was initially a member of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
The Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia , was formed on July 23, 1936 through the unification of four left-wing groups; the Catalan Federation of Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , the Partit Comunista de Catalunya , the Unió Socialista de Catalunya and the...
(PSUC) but left the grouping and subsequently joined the Union of the Democratic Centre. Between 1986 and 1988 he served as Director General of Industry under the Convergence and Union government of Catalonia.
After the People's Party election in 1996, Piqué was appointed as Spanish Minister for Industry as an independent member. He served as Spain's foreign minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
from 2000 to 2002 and he was the president of the Partit Popular de Catalunya from October 2002. He resigned from this position in July 2007 after disagreement over the political direction that the central PP (Partido Popular, People's Party) wanted to impose over the Catalan
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
branch of the party. After serving in the Spanish Congress from 2000 he resigned in 2003 after being elected to the Parliament of Catalonia
Parliament of Catalonia
The Parliament of Catalonia is the unicameral legislature of Catalonia. It is formed by 135 members , who are elected every four years in ordinary period, or extraordinarily upon dissolution and call of elections by the President of Catalonia, by universal suffrage in proportional lists with four...
.
Since November 2007 he is the chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the low-fare airline
Low-cost carrier
A low-cost carrier or low-cost airline is an airline that generally has lower fares and fewer comforts...
Vueling Airlines
Vueling Airlines
Vueling Airlines SA , commonly shortened to Vueling, is an airline based in El Prat de Llobregat, near Barcelona , where it maintains its main operating base...
.
In November 2008 Josep Piqué was co-chair of the Global China Business Meeting 2008 in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.