Grandson of the famous Catalan poet Joan Maragall, Pasqual Maragall was born in Barcelona in 1941. The 127th President went into politics as civil servant in Barcelona's City Council and ascended his way up the ranks until, in 1982, he was elected mayor of Barcelona and thanks to the city hosting the 1992 Olympic Games he was able to lead an internationally recognized model of urban development.

In 1997 Maragall ended his term as mayor and in 1999 was presented himself for the regional elections as a leading candidate for PSC-Citizens for Change party coalition. Four years later, on December 16th, 2003, he was elected as President of the Generalitat.

His mandate brought about a new Statute of Autonomy for Catalonia, approved by a referendum on 18 June 2006.