Concepció Ferrer

{{Short description|Spanish philologist, teacher and politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Concepció Ferrer

| image = Concepcio-ferrer.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = Concepció Ferrer Casals

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1938|01|27|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Ripoll, Spain

| death_date =

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| residence = Figueres, Spain

| other_names =

| occupation = Academic, politician

| years_active =

| known_for =

| notable_works =

| spouse =

| children =

| awards = Creu de Sant Jordi (2011)

| alma_mater = University of Barcelona

| party = {{Plainlist|

}}

| office1 = Second Deputy Defender of the People of Spain

| term1 = 2012

| office2 = Member of the European Parliament for Spain

| term_start2 = 1986

| term_end2 = 2004

| office3 = Deputy of the Parliament of Catalonia

| term_start3 = 1980

| term_end3 = 1987

| constituency3 = Girona

| office4 = Second Vice-President of the Parliament of Catalonia

| term4 = 1980

| office5 = First Vice-President of the Parliament of Catalonia

| term_start5 = 1980

| term_end5 = 1984

| successor5 = {{ill|Arcadi Calzada i Salavedra|ca}}

| office6 = Councilor of Figueres

| term6 = 1979

}}

Concepció Ferrer Casals (born 27 January 1938) is a Spanish philologist, teacher and politician, the Second Deputy Defender of the People of Spain since 2012.{{Cite web |url=http://www.defensordelpueblo.es/es/Prensa/Institucional/Actos/contenido_1343308135682.html |title=Los Adjuntos de la Defensora del Pueblo toman posesión de su cargo |trans-title=Deputy Defenders of the People Take Office |publisher=Defender of the People of Spain |language=Spanish |date=26 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406102751/http://www.defensordelpueblo.es/es/Prensa/Institucional/Actos/contenido_1343308135682.html |archive-date=6 April 2015 |url-status=dead |access-date=18 August 2018}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.defensordelpueblo.es/el-defensor/quien-es-el-defensor/ |title=¿Quién es el Defensor? |trans-title=Who is the Defender? |publisher=Defender of the People of Spain |language=Spanish |access-date=18 August 2018}}

Biography

With a licentiate in Romance Philology from the University of Barcelona, since the 1970s Concepció Ferrer has lived in Figueres, where she has been a professor of contemporary literature. In 1977 she joined the Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC).{{Cite news |url=https://www.naciodigital.cat/elripolles/noticia/14571/creus/sant/jordi/vedrunes/concepcio/ferrer |title=Creus de Sant Jordi per les Vedrunes i Concepció Ferrer |work=Nació Digital |language=Catalan |date=28 April 2011 |access-date=18 August 2018}} In the municipal elections of 1979, she was elected councilor of the municipality of Figueres. Later, she obtained the Catalonian Parliament seat for the constituency of Girona when the first elections were held after the approval of the Statute of Catalan Autonomy, renewing her mandate in 1984,{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NnmgAAAAMAAJ&q=%22parlament+de+catalunya+%281980-1987%22 |title=Catalunya dins la Unió Europea: política, economia i societat |trans-title=Catalonia Within the European Union: Politics, Economy, and Society |first1=Francesc |last1=Granell |first2=Víctor |last2=Pou i Serradell |first3=Miquel-Àngel |last3=Sánchez Férriz |publisher=Ediciones 62 |isbn=9788429750935 |page=61 |language=Catalan |year=2002 |access-date=18 August 2018 |via=Google Books}} both times within the candidacy of Convergence and Union (CiU).{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H0p-AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA136 |title=Catalan Nationalism: Francoism, Transition and Democracy |first=Montserrat |last=Guibernau |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781134353262 |page=136 |date=31 July 2004 |access-date=18 August 2018 |via=Google Books}} From 1980 to 1984 she served as First Vice-President of the Catalan Parliament.{{Cite web |url=https://www.parlament.cat/web/composicio/legislatures-anteriors/I-legislatura/index.html |title=I legislatura |publisher=Parliament of Catalonia |language=Catalan |access-date=18 August 2018}}

In the European elections of 1987 she was elected deputy of the European Parliament, a seat that she renewed in the successive electoral calls until 2004.{{Cite web |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/1304/CONCEPCIO_FERRER_home.html |title=Concepció Ferrer |publisher=European Parliament |access-date=18 August 2018}} At the European level, she was vice-president of the European People's Party and president of the Unión Femenina Democristiana Europea. She has been a member of the Academic and Social Council of the {{ill|International University of Catalonia|ca|Universidad Internacional de Cataluña}}, and in 2012 she was elected Second Deputy of the Defender of the People, a responsibility she currently holds. In 2011, she was awarded the Creu de Sant Jordi.