Artur Mas

Artur Mas i Gavarró (born 31 January 1956) is a Catalan politician. He served as the 129th President of the Generalitat of Catalonia from 2010 to 2016.

Mas is a member of the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT), formerly known as Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC). He held various positions within the Catalan government prior to becoming President, including Minister of Economy and Finance and Minister of Territory and Sustainability.

His presidency was marked by a strong push for Catalan independence. He organized non-binding referendums on independence in 2014 and 2017, both of which were declared illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court. His actions regarding the independence movement led to legal challenges and disqualification from holding public office.

Following his tenure as President, Mas stepped down to allow Carles Puigdemont to be elected as his successor in 2016. He remained a prominent figure in Catalan politics even after leaving office.