Francesca Violant Cervera i Gòdia (born 12 June 1969) is a Spanish politician from Catalonia, former member of the Parliament of Catalonia and the current Minister of Social Rights of Catalonia.

Early life

Cervera was born on 12 June 1969 in

Lleida Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...

, Catalonia. She has a degree in Hispanic philology from the

University of Lleida The University of Lleida (officially in Catalan: ''Universitat de Lleida'') is a university based in Lleida, Catalonia, Spain. It was the first university founded in Catalonia and in the ancient Crown of Aragon. It was founded in 1300, using the ...

(1994). She joined the Nationalist Youth of Catalonia (JNC) in 1989 and the

Democratic Convergence of Catalonia The Democratic Convergence of Catalonia ( ca, Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya; , CDC), frequently shortened as Convergence ( ca, Convergència; ) was a Catalan nationalist, liberal political party in Catalonia (Spain), currently still exist ...

(CDC) in 1990.

Career

Cervera was a JNC national councillor and head of its Lleida branch (1997–99). She was a CDC national councillor (1996-00, 2004–08 and 2008–11) and has been a member of its Lleida branch committee since 2004. She has been head of the Casa Gran del Catalanisme's Lleida branch since 2008. In October 2016 Cervera ran for the leadership of the Catalan European Democratic Party's Lleida branch but was defeated by Joan Reñé i Huguet, receiving 26 votes to Reñé's 30 votes. Cervera was Director General of Civic and Community Action at the Generalitat de Catalunya's Department of Social Welfare and Family from 2011 to 2012. She has been the Government of Catalonia's delegate in Lleida since 2018. Cervera contested the 1991 local elections as a JNC candidate in Lleida. At the 2009 European elections she was placed 26th on the Coalition for Europe electoral alliance's list of candidates but the alliance only managed to win three seats and as a result she failed to get elected. Cervera contested the 2012 regional election as a Convergence and Union (CiU) electoral alliance candidate in the

Province of Lleida The Province of Lleida (; Aranese Occitan: Lhèida ; es, Lérida ) is one of the four provinces of Catalonia. It lies in north-eastern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Catalonia, and is bordered by the Provinces of ...

and was elected to the Parliament of Catalonia. She was re-elected at the 2015 regional election. At the 2021 regional election Cervera was placed 14th on the Together for Catalonia electoral alliance's list of candidates in the Province of Lleida but the alliance only managed to win five seats in the province and as a result she failed to get elected. On 26 May 2021 she was sworn in as Minister of Social Rights in the new government of President Pere Aragonès. Cervera is a member of

Òmnium Cultural Òmnium Cultural () is a Catalan association based in Barcelona, Catalonia. It was originally created in the 1960s to promote the Catalan language and spread Catalan culture. Over the years it has increased its involvement in broader political is ...

and president of the Friends of the Casa Gran del Catalanisme Association of Lleida (Associació Amics de la Casa Gran del Catalanisme de Lleida). She is a member of the ''Revista 16 del Pla d’Urgells editorial team.

Electoral history

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cervera, Violant 1969 births Aragonès Government Catalan European Democratic Party politicians Convergence and Union politicians Democratic Convergence of Catalonia politicians Living people Members of the 10th Parliament of Catalonia Members of the 11th Parliament of Catalonia People from Lleida Social affairs ministers of Catalonia Together for Catalonia (2020) politicians University of Lleida alumni Women members of the Parliament of Catalonia