Bernat Solé
{{short description|Spanish politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{family name hatnote|Solé|Serra|lang=Catalan}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Bernat Solé
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Bernat Solé i Barril.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Solé in March 2020
| order1 =
| office1 = Minister for External and Institutional Relations and Transparency of Catalonia
| term_start1 = 21 March 2020
| term_end1 = 26 May 2021
| president1 = Quim Torra
| predecessor1 = Alfred Bosch
| successor1 = Victòria Alsina
| office2 = Member of the Parliament of Catalonia
| constituency2 = Lleida
| term_start2 = 26 October 2015
| term_end2 =
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| office3 = Mayor of Agramunt
| term_start3 = 2011
| term_end3 = 2020
| predecessor3 = Amadeu Padullés i Serra
| successor3 =
| office4 = Member of Agramunt Municipal Council
| term_start4 = 2007
| term_end4 = 2020
| predecessor4 =
| successor4 =
| birth_name = Bernat Solé i Barril
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|01|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = Agramunt, Catalonia, Spain
| death_date =
| death_place =
| citizenship = Spanish
| nationality =
| party = Republican Left of Catalonia
| otherparty = Republican Left of Catalonia–Catalonia Yes
| spouse =
| children =
| residence =
| alma_mater = Polytechnic University of Catalonia
| occupation = Industrial engineer
| signature =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Bernat Solé i Barril (born 30 January 1975) is a Spanish industrial engineer and politician from Catalonia, member of the Parliament of Catalonia and Minister of Foreign Action, Institutional Relations and Transparency of Catalonia between 2020 and 2021. He was previously mayor of Agramunt. He is currently awaiting trial on charges of disobedience for his role in the Catalan declaration of independence.
Early life
Solé was born on 30 January 1975 in Agramunt, Catalonia.{{cite web |title=Bernat Solé |url=https://anterior.esquerra.cat/partit/organigrama/244 |publisher=Republican Left of Catalonia |accessdate=23 March 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan |archive-date=28 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328205612/https://anterior.esquerra.cat/partit/organigrama/244 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Solé, un alcalde de ERC para Exteriores a la espera de ser juzgado por el 1-O |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20200321/48964718/sole-un-alcalde-de-erc-para-exteriores-a-la-espera-de-ser-juzgado-por-el-1-o.html |accessdate=24 March 2020 |work=La Vanguardia |agency=EFE |date=21 March 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Spanish}} He has a degree in industrial engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia.{{cite news |title=Bernat Solé toma posesión por vía telemática como 'conseller' de Exteriors |url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/politica/20200321/bernat-sole-toma-posesion-telematicamente-conseller-exteriors-7899402 |accessdate=23 March 2020 |work=El Periódico de Catalunya |agency=Europa Press |date=21 March 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Spanish}}{{cite news |title=Bernat Solé assumeix la conselleria d'Exteriors per videoconferència |url=https://www.naciodigital.cat/noticia/198851/bernat/sole/assumeix/conselleria/exteriors/videoconferencia |accessdate=24 March 2020 |work=Nació Digital |date=21 March 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan}}
Career
Solé is an industrial engineer by profession.{{cite news |last1=Baquero |first1=Camilo S. |title=Torra nombra a Bernat Solé, investigado por el 1-O, como nuevo consejero catalán de Acción Exterior |url=https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2020-03-20/torra-nombra-a-bernat-sole-investigado-por-el-1-o-como-nuevo-consejero-catalan-de-accion-exterior.html |accessdate=23 March 2020 |work=El País |date=20 March 2020 |location=Madrid, Spain |language=Spanish}} He has worked as an engineer in the private sector and has taught technology in schools.{{cite news |title=MP Bernat Solé appointed new foreign minister |url=https://www.catalannews.com/politics/item/mp-bernat-sole-appointed-new-foreign-minister |accessdate=24 March 2020 |work=Catalan News Agency |date=20 March 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain}}
Solé has been a member of Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) since 2006. He was communication secretary for ERC's Urgell county branch from 2006 to 2008.{{cite web |title=Bernat Solé |url=https://www.esquerra.cat/ca/bernat-sole |publisher=Republican Left of Catalonia |accessdate=24 March 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan}} He has been a member of ERC's national executive since 2015. At the 2006 regional election he was placed 12th on ERC's list of candidates in the Province of Lleida but the party only won three seats in the province and as a result he failed to get elected.{{cite magazine |title=Administració de Justícia: Juntes Electorals |journal=Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya |date=30 September 2006 |issue=4730 |page=40778 |url=https://portaldogc.gencat.cat/utilsEADOP/AppJava/PdfProviderServlet?documentId=460624&type=01&language=ca_ES |accessdate=23 March 2020 |publisher=Generalitat de Catalunya |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan}}{{cite web |title=Eleccions al Parlament de Catalunya 2006: Candidats electes |url=http://dadeselectorals.gencat.cat/electes/A20061.pdf |publisher=Departament de Governació, Administracions Públiques i Habitatge, Generalitat de Catalunya |accessdate=6 June 2018 |page=3 |language=Catalan}}
Solé contested the 2007 local elections as a Republican Left of Catalonia-Acord Municipal (ERC-AM) electoral alliance candidate in Agramunt and was elected.{{cite magazine |title=Eleccions Consell General d'Aran i Eleccions Locals 2007: Relació de Candidatures Proclamades - Junta Electoral de Zona de Balaguer |magazine=Butlletí Oficial de la Província de Lleida |date=1 May 2007 |issue=64 |page=129 |url=https://pandora4.diputaciolleida.cat/pandora/4/high.raw?id=0000011690&name=00000001.original.pdf&attachment=Butllet%C3%AD+Oficial+de+la+Prov%C3%ADncia+de+Lleida.+1%2F5%2F2007%2C+n%C3%BAm.+64..pdf |accessdate=23 March 2020 |publisher=Diputació de Lleida |location=Lleida, Spain |language=Catalan}}{{cite web |title=Consulta de Resultados Electorales: Municipales / Mayo 2007 - Mun. Agramunt |url=http://www.infoelectoral.mir.es/infoelectoral/min/busquedaAvanzadaAction.html |publisher=Ministry of the Interior |accessdate=23 March 2020 |location=Madrid, Spain |language=Spanish |archive-date=26 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326143159/http://www.infoelectoral.mir.es/infoelectoral/min/busquedaAvanzadaAction.html |url-status=dead }} He was re-elected at the 2011 local elections and became mayor of Agramunt.{{cite magazine |title=Eleccions Locals 2011: Relació de Candidatures Proclamades - Junta Electoral de Zona de Balaguer |magazine=Butlletí Oficial de la Província de Lleida |date=26 April 2011 |issue=61 |page=5 |url=https://pandora4.diputaciolleida.cat/pandora/4/high.raw?id=0000011149&name=00000001.original.pdf&attachment=Butllet%C3%AD+Oficial+de+la+Prov%C3%ADncia+de+Lleida.+26%2F4%2F2011%2C+n%C3%BAm.+61%2C+I..pdf |accessdate=21 December 2018 |publisher=Diputació de Lleida |location=Lleida, Spain |language=Catalan}}{{cite web |title=Consulta de Resultados Electorales: Municipales / Mayo 2011 - Mun. Agramunt |url=http://www.infoelectoral.mir.es/infoelectoral/min/busquedaAvanzadaAction.html |publisher=Ministry of the Interior |accessdate=24 March 2020 |location=Madrid, Spain |language=Spanish |archive-date=26 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326143159/http://www.infoelectoral.mir.es/infoelectoral/min/busquedaAvanzadaAction.html |url-status=dead }} He was re-elected at the 2015 and 2019 local elections.{{cite magazine |title=Administració Electoral: Junta Electoral de Zona de Balaguer - Candidatures proclamades en aquesta Junta Electoral per a les eleccions locals 2015 |magazine=Butlletí Oficial de la Província de Lleida |date=28 April 2015 |issue=80 |page=8 |url=https://pandora4.diputaciolleida.cat/pandora/4/high.raw?id=0000014591&name=00000001.original.pdf&attachment=Butllet%C3%AD+Oficial+de+la+Prov%C3%ADncia+de+Lleida.+28%2F4%2F2015%2C+n%C3%BAm.+80..pdf |accessdate=21 December 2018 |publisher=Diputació de Lleida |location=Lleida, Spain |language=Catalan |archive-date=21 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221230901/https://pandora4.diputaciolleida.cat/pandora/4/high.raw?id=0000014591&name=00000001.original.pdf&attachment=Butllet%C3%AD+Oficial+de+la+Prov%C3%ADncia+de+Lleida.+28/4/2015,+n%C3%BAm.+80..pdf |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=Consulta de Resultados Electorales: Municipales / Mayo 2015 - Mun. Lleida |url=http://www.infoelectoral.mir.es/infoelectoral/min/busquedaAvanzadaAction.html |publisher=Ministry of the Interior |accessdate=24 March 2020 |location=Madrid, Spain |language=Spanish |archive-date=26 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326143159/http://www.infoelectoral.mir.es/infoelectoral/min/busquedaAvanzadaAction.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite magazine |title=Administració Electoral: Junta Electoral de Zona de Balaguer - Candidatures proclamades en aquesta Junta Electoral per a les Eleccions Locals 2019 |magazine=Butlletí Oficial de la Província de Lleida |date=30 April 2019 |issue=83 |page=2 |url=https://bop.diputaciolleida.cat/bop/bops//2019_4_30_1_.pdf |accessdate=18 August 2019 |publisher=Diputació de Lleida |location=Lleida, Spain |language=Catalan}}
Solé contested the 2015 regional election as a Junts pel Sí (JxSí) electoral alliance candidate in the Province of Lleida and was elected to the Parliament of Catalonia.{{cite magazine |title=Anuncis Diversos: Administració Electoral - Juntes Electorals Provincials |journal=Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya |date=1 September 2015 |issue=6947 |page=3 |url=https://portaldogc.gencat.cat/utilsEADOP/AppJava/PdfProviderServlet?documentId=701479&type=01&language=ca_ES |accessdate=23 March 2020 |publisher=Generalitat de Catalunya |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan}}{{cite web |title=Eleccions al Parlament de Catalunya 2015: Candidats electes |url=http://dadeselectorals.gencat.cat/electes/A20151.pdf |publisher=Departament de Governació, Administracions Públiques i Habitatge, Generalitat de Catalunya |accessdate=17 January 2018 |page=3 |language=Catalan}} He was re-elected at the 2017 regional election.{{cite magazine |title=Otras Disposiciones: Juntas Electorales Provinciales - Junta Electoral de Barcelona |magazine=Boletín Oficial del Estado |date=19 November 2017 |issue=281 |page=111446 |url=http://boe.es/boe/dias/2017/11/19/pdfs/BOE-A-2017-13305.pdf |accessdate=10 June 2018 |publisher=Government of Spain |location=Madrid, Spain |language=Spanish}}{{cite web |title=Eleccions al Parlament de Catalunya 2017: Composició del Parlament |url=https://resultats.parlament2017.cat/09AU/DAU09000XX.htm?lang=ca |publisher=Generalitat de Catalunya |language=Catalan |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222105244/https://resultats.parlament2017.cat/09AU/DAU09000XX.htm?lang=ca |archivedate=22 December 2017 }} He became deputy spokesperson for the Republican group in Parliament in May 2019 following Gerard Gómez's election to the Congress of Deputies.{{cite news |last1=Bertomeu |first1=Quim |title=Del planter d'alcaldes d'ERC a liderar la política exterior catalana |url=https://www.ara.cat/politica/alcaldes-ERC-politica-exterior-catalana_0_2420158178.html |accessdate=24 March 2020 |work=Ara |date=20 March 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan}}{{cite web |title=Historial de la composició: Junta de Portaveus |url=https://www.parlament.cat/web/composicio/junta-portaveus/historial/index.html |publisher=Parliament of Catalonia |accessdate=24 March 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan}}
In May 2019 the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) summoned Solé to appear before the court on 4 June 2019 to be interrogated about charges of disobedience in relation to his role in the conduct of the 2017 Catalan independence referendum.{{cite news |title=TSJC cita com a imputat l'alcalde d'Agramunt i diputat d'ERC per l'1-O |url=http://www.elpuntavui.cat/politica/article/17-politica/1599666-tsjc-cita-com-a-imputat-l-alcalde-d-agramunt-i-diputat-d-erc-per-l-1-o.html |accessdate=23 March 2020 |work=El Punt |agency=EFE |date=7 May 2019 |location=Girona, Spain |language=Catalan}}{{cite news |title=L'alcalde d'Agramunt, citat a declarar per desobediència l'1-O |url=https://www.elnacional.cat/ca/politica/alcalde-agramunt-declarar-desobediencia_381850_102.html |accessdate=24 March 2020 |work=El Nacional |date=7 May 2019 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan}} At the interrogation Solé rejected the charges of disobedience, stating that as mayor he did not promote the referendum and that he was merely expressing his political opinions.{{cite news |title=L'alcalde nega l'organització de l'1-O a Agramunt |url=https://www.elpuntavui.cat/politica/article/17-politica/1615185-l-alcalde-nega-l-organitzacio-de-l-1-o-a-agramunt.html |accessdate=24 March 2020 |work=El Punt |date=5 June 2019 |location=Girona, Spain |language=Catalan}}{{cite news |title=El alcalde de Agramunt niega haber promovido el 1-O y asegura que solo expresó opiniones |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/lleida/20190604/462675736744/alcalde-agramunt-bernat-sole-erc-niega-promover-referendum-opiniones-politicas.html |accessdate=24 March 2020 |work=La Vanguardia |agency=EFE |date=4 June 2019 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Spanish}} In October 2019 TSJC judge Mercedes Armas found evidence of Solé committing disobedience, closed the investigation against him and requested that an oral trial begins.{{cite news |title=El TSJC veu indicis de delicte de desobediència de l'alcalde d'Agramunt per l'1-O |url=https://www.elpuntavui.cat/politica/article/17-politica/1687977-el-tsjc-veu-indicis-de-delicte-de-desobediencia-de-l-alcalde-d-agramunt-per-l-1-o.html |accessdate=24 March 2020 |work=El Punt |agency=Catalan News Agency |date=29 October 2019 |location=Girona, Spain |language=Catalan}}{{cite news |title=El TSJC deixa a un pas del judici un alcalde i diputat d'ERC per l'1-O |url=https://www.elnacional.cat/ca/politica/tsjc-judici-alcalde-diputat-erc-1-o_435867_102.html |accessdate=23 March 2020 |work=El Nacional |date=29 October 2019 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan}} The TSJC dismissed an appeal by Solé in January 2020 and ordered that he be tried for disobedience for facilitating the referendum in Agramunt, allowing the use of public premises and hiding ballot boxes.{{cite news |title=El TSJC avala portar a judici a l'alcalde d'Agramunt i diputat d'ERC per l'1-O |url=https://www.elnacional.cat/ca/societat/tsjc-avala-portar-judici-bernat-sole_458889_102.html |accessdate=23 March 2020 |work=El Nacional |date=10 January 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan}}{{cite news |title=El TSJC cree que el alcalde de Agramunt "tuvo alguna intervención" en la organización del 1-O |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/local/lleida/20200110/472806558579/tsjc-alcalde-agramunt-desobedecio-ayudo-organizar-1-o-referendum.html |accessdate=24 March 2020 |work=La Vanguardia |date=10 January 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Spanish}} Solé could be disqualified from holding public office for one and a half years and fined €24,000 if found guilty.
In March 2020 Solé replaced Alfred Bosch as Catalonia's Minister of Foreign Action, Institutional Relations and Transparency.{{cite news |last1=Camps |first1=Carlota |title=L'alcalde d'Agramunt, Bernat Solé, nou conseller d'Exteriors |url=https://www.elnacional.cat/ca/politica/alcalde-agramunt-bernat-sole-conseller-exteriors_482787_102.html |accessdate=23 March 2020 |work=El Nacional |date=20 March 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan}} He was sworn in on 21 March 2020.{{cite news |last1=Ansola |first1=Emma |title="Ara el primer que cal és contactar amb els catalans a l'estranger" |url=https://www.elpuntavui.cat/politica/article/17-politica/1762494-ara-el-primer-que-cal-es-contactar-amb-els-catalans-a-l-estranger.html |accessdate=23 March 2020 |work=El Punt |date=22 March 2020 |location=Girona, Spain |language=Catalan}}
Solé was a member of the Cobla Jovenívola d’Agramunt (1987-2006), a youth cobla group, and the Agramunt scout group (1998-2004) where he was a group leader. He is a director of the Grup Caramellaire Aires del Sió.
Personal life
Solé is married and has three children.{{cite web |title=El candidat serà el cap de Llista de la formació Acord d'Esquerra. A continuació desglosem un breu currículum i descripció de la llista. |url=http://locals.esquerra.cat/fedlleida/article/5444/bernat-sole-es-proclamat-candidat-a-agramunt |publisher=Republican Left of Catalonia |accessdate=23 March 2020 |location=Barcelona, Spain |language=Catalan |date=22 February 2011}} He played for the basketball club in Agramunt.
Electoral history
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left;"
|+ Electoral history of Bernat Solé ! scope=col|Election ! scope=col|Constituency ! scope=col colspan="2"|Party ! scope=col colspan="2"|Alliance ! scope=col|No. ! scope=col|Result | |||||||
| 2006 regional | Province of Lleida | style="background:{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}};"| | Republican Left of Catalonia | align=right|12 | Not elected | ||
| 2007 local | Agramunt | style="background:{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}};"| | Republican Left of Catalonia | Republican Left of Catalonia-Acord Municipal | align=right|2 | Elected | |
| 2011 local | Agramunt | style="background:{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}};"| | Republican Left of Catalonia | Acord d'Esquerra-Acord Municipal | align=right|1 | Elected | |
| 2015 local | Agramunt | style="background:{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}};"| | Republican Left of Catalonia | Acord d'Esquerra-Acord Municipal | align=right|1 | Elected | |
| 2015 regional | Province of Lleida | style="background:{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}};"| | Republican Left of Catalonia | style="background:{{party color|Junts pel Sí}};"| | Junts pel Sí | align=right|4 | Elected |
| 2017 regional | Province of Lleida | style="background:{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}};"| | Republican Left of Catalonia | style="background:{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia–Catalonia Yes}};"| | Republican Left of Catalonia–Catalonia Yes | align=right|2 | Elected |
| 2019 local | Agramunt | style="background:{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}};"| | Republican Left of Catalonia | Acord d'Esquerra-Acord Municipal | align=right|1 | Elected |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Twitter | id= bernatsole | name= Bernat Solé i Barril }}
{{Catalan nationalism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Solé, Bernat}}
Category:Engineers from Catalonia
Category:Educators from Catalonia
Category:Foreign ministers of Catalonia
Category:Mayors of places in Catalonia
Category:Members of the 11th Parliament of Catalonia
Category:Members of the 12th Parliament of Catalonia
Category:Municipal councillors in the province of Lleida
Category:Polytechnic University of Catalonia alumni