Mr. Celestino Corbacho Chaves

 Minister of Labour and Immigration,

Spain

Mr. Celestino Corbacho Chaves, a trade professional, entered the Party of the Socialists of Catalonia (PSC) in 1976. This was the start point of an intense political life, that took him to several slates, until he was elected councillor of the Municipality of L’Hospitalet, in 1983.

From 1983 on he carried out several activities in the municipal government and on 13 May 1994 he was appointed mayor of the city. During this period he performed his municipal duties and was at the same time member of the Provincial Council of Barcelona.

In May 1995 he headed the socialist list of candidates for the post of mayor of L’Hospitalet and was elected by absolute majority, as it happened again in the elections of June 1999, May 2003 and 2007.

Between the years 1992 and 1999, Celestino Corbacho made municipal policy compatible with a seat in the Parliament of Catalonia.

Committed to municipal policy and its challenges, he plaid a relevant role in the direction of the Federation of Municipalities of Catalonia (1995-2004), a body of which he was vice-president (1999-2001). Between 1999 and 2003 Corbacho chaired the Metropolitan Transport Entity and was second vice-president of the Metropolitan Transport Authority. This activity in the municipal field was complemented with the presidency of the Commission for Public Safety and Civil Protection of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) and with his appointment as member of the executive commission in January 2004. From May 2006 he is permanent member of the Institutional Commission of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and speaker of the Socialist Group in the FEMP.

On 1 July 2003 he joined again the Provincial Council of Barcelona as first vice-president and deputy in charge of International Relations and Public Participation. On 22 April 2004 he took up the post of president of this institution.

Presently he is first secretary of the Federation of the Party of the Socialists of Catalonia in L’Hospitalet (Congress of May 2005). His political career took him to hold several posts within the PSC: first secretary of the L’Hospitalet’s  Federation and speaker of the Socialist Group in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (1995-1999); member of the national Executive of the PSC and, since June 2000, secretary for municipal policy. During 2000 he also belonged to the political commission of the PSOE until the 35th Federal Congress of the party was held in July and he was elected member of the Federal Committee.

On 14th April 2008 he took up his office of Minister of Labour and Immigration.