--- type: politician_profile lang: en canonical: https://www.politicaelectoral.com/en/spain/politicians/marta-rovira name: Marta Rovira i Vergés partido: erc updated_at: 2026-05-04T15:46:34 data_crc: be2ea7df --- Marta Rovira i Vergés is the **Secretary General of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC)** and a leading figure in Catalan republican politics. ## Political career Marta Rovira was born in **1977** in Vic, in Catalonia, and became involved in Catalan politics through **ERC**, the pro-independence, left-republican party that has long combined national self-determination with social-democratic policies. She studied **law**, a background that later shaped her work as a parliamentary negotiator and institutional strategist. Her rise inside ERC was swift. By **2011**, she had become **Secretary General of the party**, a role she has held since then and which made her one of the most influential figures in Catalan independence politics. As secretary general, she has been central to party organisation, electoral strategy and institutional negotiation, particularly during the years when ERC expanded its role from a traditional Catalan nationalist party into one of the main governing forces in Catalonia. Rovira became a **member of the Parliament of Catalonia** in several legislatures, representing ERC in the regional chamber and contributing to debates on self-government, social policy and the independence process. Her parliamentary role increased in importance during the peak years of the **Catalan independence movement**, especially around the 2012–2017 period, when ERC became a decisive actor in the pro-independence majority. Her career took a major turn in **2018**, when she went into **exile in Switzerland** following the judicial response to the 2017 independence referendum and unilateral declaration process. From exile, she remained politically active and continued to influence ERC’s strategy and broader negotiations around the Catalan question. She returned to **Spain in 2024** after the approval of the **amnesty** connected to the events of the independence process, re-entering direct political life after several years abroad. In national Spanish politics, Rovira became especially prominent as one of the **key negotiators in Pedro Sánchez’s investiture agreements**. Her role reflected ERC’s ability to use its parliamentary leverage in Madrid to secure concessions on Catalan issues, while also showing Rovira’s reputation as a disciplined and pragmatic negotiator even within a highly polarised context. ## Relationship with the public Rovira is better known for her **institutional and negotiating role** than for charismatic mass politics. Among ERC supporters and a broad section of the pro-independence electorate, she has often been viewed as a serious, technically competent and strategically minded leader. Her low-profile style contrasts with more outspoken figures in Catalan politics, which has helped project an image of **calm, calculation and discretion**. Her years in exile gave her a powerful symbolic presence within the independence movement. For supporters, she became associated with political persecution and resistance; for critics, she represented the institutional consequences of the 2017 rupture with the Spanish state. In either case, her absence from Catalonia and Spain helped make her a recognised name beyond party circles. In media terms, Rovira tends to attract attention mainly in moments of negotiation, crisis or major institutional change. She is not usually a constant presence in the press in the way more combative politicians are, but when she speaks it is often in contexts that matter politically: investiture talks, strategy shifts within ERC, or debates on how to combine the independence agenda with day-to-day governance. ## Positions and political profile Rovira is associated with **Catalan republicanism, self-determination and negotiated sovereignty**. Within ERC, she is seen as part of the leadership that moved the party towards a more influential governing role while keeping the independence project at the centre of its identity. She has defended the idea that the Catalan question should be advanced through **institutional pressure, negotiation and political mobilisation**, rather than through purely symbolic confrontation. Her profile is shaped by three defining features. First, she has been a **high-level organiser** inside ERC, helping to professionalise the party and giving it strategic coherence. Second, she has been one of the main voices behind ERC’s bargaining power in Madrid, especially during Pedro Sánchez’s governing arrangements, where Catalan parliamentary support was tied to political concessions. Third, her **exile** made her part of the wider debate over the criminalisation of the independence process and the use of judicial tools in Spanish politics. She is generally perceived inside ERC as a **central, reliable figure**, close to the party’s strategic core. Outside the party, perceptions are more divided. Supporters of the Catalan independence movement often view her as capable and steadfast; opponents may regard her as a symbol of the institutional challenge posed by secessionism. Compared with more radical voices, Rovira is typically identified with **negotiation and organisational discipline** rather than maximalist rhetoric. Her return to Spain in 2024 after the amnesty was politically significant because it closed a major chapter in the post-2017 conflict, while also underlining how closely her personal trajectory has been tied to the institutional dispute between Catalonia and the Spanish state. The combination of senior party leadership, exile and negotiation has made her one of ERC’s most consequential figures of the last decade. ## Frequently asked questions **Who is Marta Rovira?** Marta Rovira i Vergés is a Catalan politician from **ERC** and the party’s **Secretary General** since 2011. She is one of the most influential figures in Catalan pro-independence politics. **What is Marta Rovira’s main political role?** Her main role is as **Secretary General of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya**, where she has shaped party strategy, electoral positioning and negotiations with other political forces. **Why did Marta Rovira go into exile?** She went into **exile in Switzerland in 2018** after the judicial aftermath of the 2017 independence process, leaving Spain and remaining abroad until her return in 2024 under the amnesty framework. **What is Marta Rovira known for in Spanish politics?** She is known for being a **key negotiator** in the investiture agreements that helped secure **Pedro Sánchez’s** parliamentary support, especially on issues linked to Catalonia. **What are Marta Rovira’s political positions?** She supports **Catalan self-determination**, republicanism and a negotiated approach to the national question, while also backing ERC’s broader centre-left social and institutional agenda. **Has Marta Rovira held elected office?** Yes. She has been a **member of the Parliament of Catalonia** in several legislatures and has played an important parliamentary and party role over many years.