Artur Mas

Artur Mas was a prominent Catalan politician who served as the President of Catalonia from 2010 to 2016. He was a key figure in the Convergence and Union (CiU) party, which advocated for greater autonomy for Catalonia within Spain. Mas's presidency was largely defined by his push for a referendum on Catalan independence.

In 2014, despite legal challenges from the Spanish government, Mas organized a nonbinding referendum on independence. While the Spanish Constitutional Court blocked the official vote, an informal poll saw a strong majority in favor of independence. Mas continued to advocate for self-determination, leading to snap regional elections in 2015 that were seen as a plebiscite on independence. Although his party secured a majority with allies, Mas eventually stepped aside for a new leader to continue the independence movement. In 2017, Mas was found guilty of contempt for his role in the 2014 referendum and barred from public office for two years.12