Josep
(Catalan version of José) was born in La Pobla de Segur (Lleida), in 1947.
He
obtained his degree in Aeronautical Engineering in Madrid's Universidad Politécnica,
and then obtained a Doctorate degree in Economics from the Complutense University
of Madrid. He completed his university studies with Masters Degree in Operative
Research at Stanford University and Economy of Energy at the French Petrology
Institute in Paris. He is a Chair Professor of the Economics Faculty in the Complutense
University of Madrid.
He began his political career in 1979 when he was
elected as a member of Madrid's regional government and given responsabilities
in the area of Fiscal policy. In 1982 Borrell was elected General Secretary of
Budget and Public Spending within Spain's Finance Ministry. Two years later he
was appointed State Secretary of Finances. In 1991 Borrell was appointed Minister
of State Construction, Transport and Environment. In 1999 he stood down as official
candidate of the Presidency of the PSOE party because of a tax fraude case involving
two of his ex-colleagues in the Finance Ministry.
In 1999 Borrell was elected
Chairman of the Mixed Commission of Congress-Senate for the European Union, and
in 2000 he was re-elected to occupy the same post. In 2002 he was elected representative
of the Spanish Parliament in the 2004 European Convention to debate the future
of the European Union.
Josep Borrell is the official candidate for the PSOE
Party in the European elections 2004.
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