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| Raül Romeva | |
|---|---|
| Name | Raül Romeva |
| Birth date | 1971-03-12 |
| Birth place | Vilassar de Mar, Catalonia, Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Politician, diplomat, academic, activist |
Raül Romeva is a Catalan politician, diplomat, academic and activist known for his roles in European diplomacy, environmental policy and the Catalan independence movement. He served as a Member of the European Parliament, as Catalonia's Minister for External and Institutional Affairs, and was a leading figure during the 2017 Catalan referendum on independence. Romeva's career spans work with international institutions, non-governmental organizations and Catalan political parties.
Romeva was born in Vilassar de Mar in the province of Barcelona and studied in institutions linked to Catalonia and Spain. He pursued higher education at the Autonomous University of Barcelona where he engaged with topics connected to European Union affairs and transnational relations. He later completed postgraduate studies and research that connected him with academic centers in Belgium, France, Germany and Italy, and he participated in programs associated with United Nations agencies and the Council of Europe.
Romeva's academic career included research and teaching posts at universities and think tanks across Europe, including affiliations with the Open University of Catalonia, the Pompeu Fabra University, and institutes in Brussels tied to European Parliament networks. He worked as a consultant and analyst on projects funded by organizations such as the United Nations Development Programme, the European Commission, and foundations linked to Greenpeace initiatives and World Wildlife Fund collaborations. His diplomatic and policy work brought him into contact with institutions like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Europarl policy groups, and regional bodies including the Basque Country policy forums and the Scotland civic networks. Romeva contributed to publications and conferences involving the Club of Rome, the European Council on Foreign Relations, and environmental consortia linked to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Romeva entered formal politics when elected to the European Parliament as a member of an electoral coalition that united parties including Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, Initiative for Catalonia Greens, and other leftist and green formations. In the European legislature he served on committees related to Foreign Affairs Committee (European Parliament), engaging with delegations to Latin America, Africa, and Asia. He collaborated with members from parties such as Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya, Convergència i Unió, Podemos, The Greens–European Free Alliance, and worked on cross-party initiatives with representatives from France Insoumise, Sinn Féin, and Scottish National Party. Later he was appointed as the Minister for Foreign Action and European Union of the Catalan Government within the cabinet led by Carles Puigdemont, coordinating with regional administrations including Andorra and liaising with diplomatic missions from Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom, and Italy.
In 2017 Romeva played a central role in organizing and promoting the Catalan independence referendum, 2017 alongside leaders such as Carles Puigdemont, Oriol Junqueras, and members of Junts pel Sí. He engaged with civil society groups like the Assemblée nationale catalane and Omnium Cultural and interfaced with European political figures from European Free Alliance and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe to garner support or attention. The referendum, contested by the Spanish government under Mariano Rajoy and reviewed by the Spanish Constitutional Court, led to international reactions from institutions including the European Commission, Council of Europe, and foreign ministries of countries such as France, Germany, United Kingdom, and United States. Romeva and his colleagues argued for recognition from bodies like the United Nations General Assembly and submitted appeals to the European Court of Human Rights.
Following the unilateral declaration of independence by the Parliament of Catalonia in October 2017, Romeva, together with former ministers and parliamentary leaders including Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Sànchez, and Jordi Cuixart, was subject to legal action by Audiencia Nacional (Spain) and prosecuted under charges brought by the Public Prosecutor (Spain). He was remanded in custody and later tried by the Supreme Court of Spain on counts related to rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds as framed in articles of the Spanish Criminal Code. International reactions came from human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and political institutions including delegations from European Parliament groups and national parliaments in Belgium, Ireland, and Scotland. The trial drew attention from legal scholars at institutes like Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and European law faculties in Utrecht, Bologna, and Lisbon.
After serving part of his sentence, Romeva was released under conditions influenced by decisions from the Spanish government and negotiations involving political parties such as Partit Demòcrata Europeu Català, Candidatura d'Unitat Popular, En Comú Podem and pressure from European figures including members of European Parliament delegations. Post-release, he resumed participation in civic initiatives linked to Òmnium Cultural, academic networks across Europe, and advocacy projects connected to the Council of Europe and the United Nations forums on political prisoners and democratic processes. Romeva continued collaborations with NGOs like International Federation for Human Rights, think tanks such as the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, and academic centres at the London School of Economics, Sciences Po, and the European University Institute.
Category:Catalan politicians Category:Members of the European Parliament for Spain Category:1971 births Category:Living people