Josep Borrell

Josep Borrell is Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute, and president of CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs). From 2019 to 2024 he served as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.

Prior to this, he was Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the European Union, and Cooperation (2018 to 2019). From 2004 to 2007 Mr. Borrell was President of the European Parliament, where from 2007 to 2009 was Chair of the Committee on Development. In Spain, he was a Member of Parliament from 1986 to 2003 and held the position of Minister of Public Works, Transport, Telecommunications and the Environment (1991-1996). Additionally, he was State Secretary for Treasury (1984-1991) and Secretary-General for Budget and Public Expenditure (1982-1984).

In academia, Mr. Borrell held the Jean Monnet Chair of European Economic Integration at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) from 2013 to 2017 and served as President of the European University Institute in Florence (2010-2012).

A graduate in Aeronautical Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and in Economics from the UCM, Mr. Borrell was a Mathematics Professor at the Higher Technical School of Aeronautical Engineering and at the UCM from 1972 to 1982.