| Govern de Catalunya | |
 | |
| Government overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1931 (by the Second Spanish Republic) 1977 (from exile) |
| Dissolved | 1939 (by Francoist Spain) |
| Jurisdiction |  Catalonia |
| Headquarters | Sala Tarradellas, Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona |
| Government executive | |
| Website | catalangovernment.eu |
|
|---|
The Executive Council of Catalonia (Catalan: Consell Executiu) or the Executive Government of Catalonia (Catalan: Govern de Catalunya) is the executive branch of the Generalitat of Catalonia and its main collective decision-making body. It is responsible for the political action, regulation, and administration of the government of the autonomous region.[1]
The President of the Generalitat is the head of government. The president may also appoint a First Minister (Catalan: Conseller(a) primer(a)) to serve as their deputy, although since 2006 the office has been replaced by that of the Vice-President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, who must be approved by the Parliament of Catalonia. The various ministers (Catalan: consellers) are also appointed by the President of the Generalitat. Ministers, who chair their respective departments, need not be deputies in the parliament, as they have an automatic right to intervene in parliamentary debates.
The Executive Council is made up by the President, the First Minister or Vice president, and the Ministers. Sessions of the council are called by the President, who chairs it, or, if absent, by the First Minister or Vice president. The mandatory quorum is half the Ministers and the chair. Decisions and resolutions are adopted by simple majority, and in case of tie, the vote cast by the President is tie-breaking. All decisions must be recorded in minutes drawn up by the Secretary of the Government. Members are required to keep secret the deliberations taken and members' individual opinions and votes. Members may not release documents known by the Council until their official publication.[2]
Serving members of the government may not be arrested for any acts committed in Catalonia, except in flagrante delicto, and may only be judged before the High Court of Justice of Catalonia, or the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Spain outside of Catalonia.[3]
The Parliament of Catalonia unilaterally issued a declaration of independence from Spain on 27 October 2017 in favour of a Catalan Republic. In response Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dissolved the Parliament of Catalonia and called a snap regional election for 21 December 2017.[4]
- ^ Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia (2006), Art. 68.
- ^ "LLEI 13/2008, del 5 de novembre, de la presidència de la Generalitat i del Govern" (PDF). Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya (5256). 12 November 2008 – via Portal Jurídic de Catalunya.
- ^ Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia (2006), Art. 70.
- ^ Ponce de León, Rodrigo (27 October 2017). "Rajoy cesa a Puigdemont y su Govern y convoca elecciones para el 21 de diciembre". eldiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 October 2017.