Edu365.cat

This past November 16th was Election Day in the Parliament of Catalonia. Election outcomes will determine who will be the next president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, the one hundred and sixteenth president in the history of an institution originating from an already-distant past, in the Middle Ages.

It is often said that the most imminent elections are those which are most important to history. These recent elections have been no exception. We can't yet say if this last vote has been the most important in the Principality's history. However, it certainly can be said that this election has held particular interest, as it was the first time since 1980 that Jordi Pujol has not appeared on the ballot. And that means that there will be a new president, regardless of what the winning candidates political affiliation may be.

And yet, this year's situation aside, we should point out that the elections for the Parliament of Catalonia, held every four years, are never without a high degree of interest. In fact, we could even say they are of significant importance. The Generalitat of Catalonia is the Principality's supreme institution of self-government, and is defined by the ability of the Catalan people to govern over themselves. The Generalitat is made up of three main bodies which are renewed after each election period: the Presidency of the Generalitat, the Parliament, and the Executive Council, or Government.

In addition, we should also add that the Generalitat is a very deeply-rooted institution in the Principality. This will become more apparent in the lines below, where we take a look at the country’s history through a number of some of its most prominent presidents.