Carles Puigdemont, the separatist president of Catalonia, has pursued his political career based on a childhood dream: seeing the region split away from Spain.
On Tuesday, he said in a highly-anticipated address to Catalan lawmakers that he had the mandate from the people to declare independence, but proposed suspending the process to allow for dialogue.
To the outside world, the 54-year-old former journalist with a thick mop of brown hair has become the face of the Catalan independence movement.
But the task has presented difficulties.
There is talk of a "Puigdemont effect" on companies -- some of which have moved their headquarters from the northeastern region -- since October 1, when he raised the stakes by holding an independence referendum, despite it being banned by Madrid and Spanish courts.
"Puigdemont to jail," shout defenders of Spanish unity. His retort has been to say that he is not scared of arrest.
So where does the determination of this married father of two girls come from?
- Independence 'in his blood' -
In a biography published in 2016, Carles Porta, a journalist and friend of Puigdemont, describes him as an "honest and resilient" man, a dyed-in-the-wool partisan of independence.
"He has this quality (or this flaw): he's stubborn," Porta writes.
But a high-ranking critic who knows him but refused to be identified in order to speak freely, said he "does not have much preparation... to take on this big challenge", even though he has the independence of Catalonia "in his blood, as a unique driving force".
Puigdemont's destiny changed in January 2016 when he was selected to lead a coalition of separatist parties which had won a majority of seats in the regional parliament three months earlier, tasked with leading 7.5 million Catalans to independence.
Mayor of the city of Girona since 2001 and a lawmaker in the regional parliament, Puigdemont replaced Artur Mas as the Catalan president.
Mas, who had led Catalonia since 2010, was deeply unpopular with far-left separatists for austerity measures he implemented during Spain's severe economic crisis.
They wanted him out, and so it was that Puigdemont took over, becoming the Spanish government's public enemy number one.
He does though share one thing in common with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy: Both suffered serious car accidents when they were younger.
Rajoy has his scars hidden under his beard, Puigdemont on his forehead, under his fringe.
- 'Flair for showmanship' -
Puigdemont was born in Amer, a small mountain village of 2,200 people, on December 29, 1962, the second of eight siblings.
The son and grandson of bakers, he was just nine when he was sent to boarding school and "learnt to be a fighter", Porta says.
He was 13 when Spain's dictator Francisco Franco died in 1975.
Hugely attached to the Catalan language and passionate about history, the teenager would forever remember Franco's severe repression of the region.
In 1980, he joined Convergencia Democratica de Catalunya, the conservative and nationalist party which became the Catalan European Democratic Party in 2016.
Hired in 1982 by the nationalist newspaper El Punt Avui, he rose up the ranks and became editor, combining journalism with activism.
At the time, pro-independence Catalans were still a minority.
In the summer of 1991, he travelled to the Republic of Slovenia, which had just declared independence from Yugoslavia after a banned referendum, followed by a brief armed conflict.
In the following years, he sought to widen support for independence, always by peaceful means, inspired by India's icon Mahatma Gandhi.
At ease with social media, he also speaks French, English and Romanian -- his wife Marcela Topor comes from Romania.
He founded a Catalan news agency and an English-language newspaper on the region, and headed up the Association of Municipalities for Independence, which brings together local entities to promote the right to self-determination.
"He has a great flair for showmanship and knows how to use the media," political analyst Anton Losada said.
Since 2012, Catalonia has been the scene of mass rallies asking for an independence referendum.
Some Catalans are thankful he organised such a vote, even though it was banned by Madrid, repressed by police and not held according to official electoral standards.
More than 90 percent voted in favour of independence out of a turnout of just 43 percent.
Other Catalans, though, criticise a "democratic fraud" aimed at legitimising a declaration of independence, and accuse him of turning his back on those who reject breaking away from Spain.
For political analyst Joan Botella, "Puigdemont believes he has been called by destiny to take Catalans to the promised land, and his entourage is very unpredictable."
But "he doesn't at all appear to be a demented zealot as described by Madrid".
Carles Puigdemont, the separatist president of Catalonia, has pursued his political career based on a childhood dream: seeing the region split away from Spain.
On Tuesday, he said in a highly-anticipated address to Catalan lawmakers that he had the mandate from the people to declare independence, but proposed suspending the process to allow for dialogue.
To the outside world, the 54-year-old former journalist with a thick mop of brown hair has become the face of the Catalan independence movement.
But the task has presented difficulties.
There is talk of a “Puigdemont effect” on companies — some of which have moved their headquarters from the northeastern region — since October 1, when he raised the stakes by holding an independence referendum, despite it being banned by Madrid and Spanish courts.
“Puigdemont to jail,” shout defenders of Spanish unity. His retort has been to say that he is not scared of arrest.
So where does the determination of this married father of two girls come from?
– Independence ‘in his blood’ –
In a biography published in 2016, Carles Porta, a journalist and friend of Puigdemont, describes him as an “honest and resilient” man, a dyed-in-the-wool partisan of independence.
“He has this quality (or this flaw): he’s stubborn,” Porta writes.
But a high-ranking critic who knows him but refused to be identified in order to speak freely, said he “does not have much preparation… to take on this big challenge”, even though he has the independence of Catalonia “in his blood, as a unique driving force”.
Puigdemont’s destiny changed in January 2016 when he was selected to lead a coalition of separatist parties which had won a majority of seats in the regional parliament three months earlier, tasked with leading 7.5 million Catalans to independence.
Mayor of the city of Girona since 2001 and a lawmaker in the regional parliament, Puigdemont replaced Artur Mas as the Catalan president.
Mas, who had led Catalonia since 2010, was deeply unpopular with far-left separatists for austerity measures he implemented during Spain’s severe economic crisis.
They wanted him out, and so it was that Puigdemont took over, becoming the Spanish government’s public enemy number one.
He does though share one thing in common with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy: Both suffered serious car accidents when they were younger.
Rajoy has his scars hidden under his beard, Puigdemont on his forehead, under his fringe.
– ‘Flair for showmanship’ –
Puigdemont was born in Amer, a small mountain village of 2,200 people, on December 29, 1962, the second of eight siblings.
The son and grandson of bakers, he was just nine when he was sent to boarding school and “learnt to be a fighter”, Porta says.
He was 13 when Spain’s dictator Francisco Franco died in 1975.
Hugely attached to the Catalan language and passionate about history, the teenager would forever remember Franco’s severe repression of the region.
In 1980, he joined Convergencia Democratica de Catalunya, the conservative and nationalist party which became the Catalan European Democratic Party in 2016.
Hired in 1982 by the nationalist newspaper El Punt Avui, he rose up the ranks and became editor, combining journalism with activism.
At the time, pro-independence Catalans were still a minority.
In the summer of 1991, he travelled to the Republic of Slovenia, which had just declared independence from Yugoslavia after a banned referendum, followed by a brief armed conflict.
In the following years, he sought to widen support for independence, always by peaceful means, inspired by India’s icon Mahatma Gandhi.
At ease with social media, he also speaks French, English and Romanian — his wife Marcela Topor comes from Romania.
He founded a Catalan news agency and an English-language newspaper on the region, and headed up the Association of Municipalities for Independence, which brings together local entities to promote the right to self-determination.
“He has a great flair for showmanship and knows how to use the media,” political analyst Anton Losada said.
Since 2012, Catalonia has been the scene of mass rallies asking for an independence referendum.
Some Catalans are thankful he organised such a vote, even though it was banned by Madrid, repressed by police and not held according to official electoral standards.
More than 90 percent voted in favour of independence out of a turnout of just 43 percent.
Other Catalans, though, criticise a “democratic fraud” aimed at legitimising a declaration of independence, and accuse him of turning his back on those who reject breaking away from Spain.
For political analyst Joan Botella, “Puigdemont believes he has been called by destiny to take Catalans to the promised land, and his entourage is very unpredictable.”
But “he doesn’t at all appear to be a demented zealot as described by Madrid”.
