Junqueras

Oriol Junqueras i Vies (born 11 April 1969) is a Catalan historian, economist and politician, and a leading member of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC). He has been a prominent figure in the Catalan independence movement and a longtime advocate for greater autonomy for Catalonia within Spain.

From 2015 to 2017, Junqueras served as Vice President of the Generalitat of Catalonia and as Minister of Economy and Finance in the government led by President Carles Puigdemont. His tenure occurred during the push to hold a referendum on Catalan independence and the broader strategy to achieve a greater degree of self-government.

Following the 2017 Catalan independence referendum and the subsequent declaration of independence, Spanish authorities dismissed the regional government. Junqueras was charged with rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds. In 2019 the Supreme Court convicted him and sentenced him to 13 years in prison, along with disqualification from holding public office. He remained imprisoned for several years, becoming a central figure in the ongoing political crisis surrounding Catalonia’s status.

As a longstanding ERC leader, Junqueras has continued to influence party policy and strategy and has remained a focal point in debates over Catalan self-government and regional autonomy. He has contributed to academic writings on Catalan history and nationalism, reflecting his background as a scholar alongside his political career.