Government of Andorra
(updated: elections 17 May 2023)
Prime Minister
Xavier Espot Zamora was born in Escaldes-Engordany (Andorra) on October 30, 1979, son of the social democratic minister Xavier Espot Miró and businesswoman Melania Zamora, and grandson of Júlia Bonet Fité, president and founder of Perfumeria Júlia.
He completed his higher studies in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain), and received his law degree at the ESADE faculty, Ramon Llull University. He also completed a master’s degree in law at the same faculty while, at the same time, starting a degree in humanities, also at Ramon Llull University. More …
Minister of the Presidency, Economy, Labor and Housing
Conxita Marsol Riart has a distinguished political career. Born in 1960 in Artesa de Segre, she received a degree in law from the Faculty of Lleida of the University of Barcelona and a postgraduate degree in Andorran law. She began her experience in the political field as president of the liberal parliamentary group between 2005 and 2007, after more than 20 years as general secretary of the Commune of Andorra la Vella, an institution to which she would return, years later, as consul major.
In 2007, after her time as president of the parliamentary group, she was appointed, under the mandate of Albert Pintat, Minister of the Presidency, Trade and Societies and spokesperson.
In 2015, she was Councilor General for a very short period, resigning her seat to lead the candidacy of Democrats for Andorra in the communal elections of Andorra la Vella.
Conxita Marsol Riart was Consul Major of Andorra la Vella during the 2015-2019 mandate, a position she revalidated in 2019. In February 2023, she left the Commune of Andorra la Vella to head the democrats’ candidacy for the capitol.
Minister of Institutional Relations, Education and Universities
Ladislau Baró Solà holds a degree in contemporary history and human geography from the UB, political science and administration from the UAB and law from the UOC, as well as a master’s degree in political analysis from the same university . Born in 1961 in San Julia de Loria, he has been a lawyer, tutoring professor of sociology and political science at the UNED and collaborating professor of Andorran law postgraduate studies at the University of Andorra. He has also authored several publications in the field of political science.
His extensive political experience began in the pre-constitutional period, when he was Minister of Education and Culture between 1990 and 1991, and has developed primarily in his activity as a parliamentarian. In April 1992, he was elected Councilor General and was part of the special commission in charge of drafting the Constitution in the 1992-1993 legislature.
He was a parliamentarian in the General Council for three consecutive terms, between 1992 and 2001, and was also elected General Councilor in the 2009-2011, 2011-2015 and 2015-2019 terms. From 1993 to 1997, he was the president of the Parliamentary Group of the National Democratic Group, and, from 2009 to 2011, he was the deputy president of the Reformist Parliamentary Group. From 2011 to 2019, he was the president of the Democratic Parliamentary Group.
He has been president of the Legislative Commission for Education and Culture (1992-93), of the Legislative Commission for Foreign Policy (2009-2011) and of the special commission for financial stability (2015-2019).
Minister of Tourism and Commerce
Jordi Torres Falcon, holder of the tourism and commerce portfolio, was born in 1975 in Encamp. He has a degree in economics from the University of Toulouse (France) and has a PDD from the IESE. Jordi Torres Falcó has developed his political career in several institutions. Between the years 2003 and 2007, he was senior councilor in the Commune of Encamp, where he took over the finance area, and he held the presidency of the boards of directors of the companies Gasopas, between 2000 and 2004, and Saetde, between 2009 and 2013.
In the political field, he was Andorra’s ambassador to the Council of Europe from 2010 – 2011. He was appointed Minister of Territorial Planning in 2015, and repeated in the same portfolio under the mandate of Xavier Espot, from May 2019 – May 2021, when he went on to occupy the tourism and telecommunications portfolio.
Jordi Torres Falcó headed the territorial candidacy of Encamp de Democrates for Andorra in the general elections of April 2023.
Minister of Finance
Ramon Lladós Bernaus, Minister of Finance, is a senior engineer in telecommunications from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and the École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications in Paris. He holds a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Notre Dame (Indiana, United States) and an MBA from the IESE of Barcelona.
Born in La Seu d’Urgell in 1969 and a neighbor of Encamp, his professional career has developed in several fields. He started his career as an engineer at Andorra Telecom, at that time the Andorran Telecommunications Service. In the field of education and research at the University of Notre Dame, he studied video compression algorithms. In the business field, he worked at the strategic consultancy, McKinsey. Over the past 21 years, he has held various management positions in the financial sector: technology and operations, human resources, risk control and regulatory compliance. Since 2018, he held the position of Director of Internal Audit of Crèdit Andorrà.
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Born in Sant Julià de Lòria in 1966, Imma Tor Faus is professor of French language and literature (agrégée de lettres modernes) at the universities of Toulouse and Paris – La Sorbonne. She began her professional life in teaching and graduated in international relations at the Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies (CEDS) in Paris.
In 1998, her diplomatic career began in Strasbourg, as Andorra’s permanent representative to the Council of Europe (1998-2004). Later, she worked in Paris as French Ambassador of Andorra (1999-2007), permanent delegate to UNESCO (2004-2007) and representative of the head of government in La Francophonie (2004-2008). Between 2007 and 2010, she headed the Mission of Andorra in Brussels near the European Union, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Germany.
In December 2010, she took up the position of deputy director of the French language at the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF). Between 2013 and 2016, she was appointed director of the French language and linguistic diversity. Since April 2016, she has been councilor in charge of the French language and linguistic diversity in the successive cabinets of the general secretaries of this organization, Michaëlle Jean and Louise Mushikiwabo. She is a Knight of the Legion of Honor and of Arts and Letters (France) and holder of the Senghor Medal of the Francophonie.
Minister of Justice and Interior
Lawyer by profession, Ester Molné Soldevila was born on January 21, 1977 in La Massana. She graduated in law from the University of Toulouse and has a postgraduate degree in Andorran law from the University of Andorra. She began her political career as Secretary of State for Justice and Interior between 2016 and 2019 with Xavier Espot Zamora as Minister.
During the 2019-2023 legislature, she was general counsel of the Democratic Parliamentary Group, after the victory of Democrats for Andorra in the general elections. Molné has chaired the Legislative Committee for Justice, Interior and Institutional Affairs throughout the last legislature and has been a member of the Legislative Committee for Education, Research, Culture, Youth and Sports. From 2000 – 2003, Ester Molné Soldevila was judicial secretary of the Andorran Bar; from 2003 – 2009 she was its barrister.
Minister of Territory and Urbanism
The Minister of Territory and Urbanism, Raul Ferré Bonet, was Secretary of State for Tourism from 2008 – 2009 and, for two terms (2011-2019) with Ciutadans Compromesos, he was minor consul of the parish of La Massana. After the victory obtained in the 2019 general elections in the territorial constituency of Massana, Ferré became deputy president of the Parliamentary Group of Committed Citizens; vice-president of the Legislative Commission for Territorial Policy, Urbanism and the Environment, a member of the Legislative Commission for Justice, Interior and Institutional Affairs and the Legislative Commission for the Economy.
Raul Ferré Bonet has accompanied Xavier Espot Zamora to the Democrats’ candidacy under the acronym of Committed Citizens in the general elections of April 2023. Born on October 22, 1964, son of La Massana, he has advanced degrees in tourism and business.
Minister of Social Affairs and Civil Service
Born on November 22, 1964, and daughter of Escaldes-Engordany, Trini Marín González studied administrative training. She developed her professional career as an administrator; specifically, as head of the public service area and head of the benefit services area of the CASS. Her career, in the first line of politics, began in 2004 in the Commune of Escaldes-Engordany, as councilor for social affairs, human resources and IT, and, from 2008 to 2011, as councilor-at-large. From 2012 to 2019, she was Consul Major of the parish of Escaldes-Engordany for Democrates. Trini Marín González assumed the Ministry of Public Administrations and Citizen Participation in July 2021.
In the last general elections, Trini Marín González headed the Democrats’ candidacy in the territorial constituency of Escaldes-Engordany.
Minister of Health
A graduate in psychology from the University of Barcelona, Helena Mas Santuré joined Xavier Espot’s government as Secretary of State for Health to coordinate the implementation of health policies in the different areas of the Ministry of Health.
Helena Mas, born in 1979 in Sant Julià de Lòria, is a psychologist specializing in clinical and legal psychology and forensic psychological. In her professional career, Mas has worked in the educational field, as well as in clinical psychology.
Mas was in the list of Democrats in the 2019 general election, in which she was number eight in the national candidacy. In the last general election, Mas led the democratic territorial candidacy in Sant Julià de Lòria.
Minister of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock and Government spokesperson
In June 2015, Guillem Casal Font, born in 1990 in Canillo, joined the Cabinet of the Head of Government, Antoni Martí, as deputy to the Cabinet coordinator. In May 2019, he was appointed head of Xavier Espot’s government cabinet, a position he held until April 2023, when he proceeded to head the Democrats’ Canillo candidacy in the general elections.
Guillem Casal Font has a degree in political science and public management from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a master’s degree in political marketing from the Institute of Political and Social Sciences of the UAB. Additionally, he also has a postgraduate degree in Andorran taxation from the University of Andorra and Pompeu Fabra University.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports
The head of Culture, Youth and Sports, Mònica Bonell Tuset, born in 1971 in Canillo, received her degree in tourism and began her professional career in public administration, as a technician for companies and tourist activities in the government of Andorra. Bonell has an extensive career in Andorran politics and institutions. She was minor consul of Canillo from 2003 – 2007, subsyndica general from 2011 – 2019 and councilor general from 2019 – 2023.
During her last years as a parliamentarian in the General Council, she was vice-president of the Democratic Parliamentary Group, president of the Legislative Committee on Economy, member of the Legislative Committee on Foreign Policy, member of the Legislative Committee on Territorial Policy, Urbanism and the Environment and titular member of the Andorran delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
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Former Governments: archives
(Government of Andorra 2019-2023)
Prime Minister Xavier Espot Zamora: first assignment
Xavier Espot Zamora was born in Escaldes-Engordany (Andorra) on October 30, 1979, son of the social democratic minister Xavier Espot Miró and businesswoman Melania Zamora, and grandson of Júlia Bonet Fité, president and founder of Perfumeria Júlia.
He completed his higher studies in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain), and received his law degree at the ESADE faculty, Ramon Llull University. He also completed a master’s degree in law at the same faculty while, at the same time, starting a degree in humanities, also at Ramon Llull University. More …
Minister of Presidency, Economics and Business: Jordi Gallardo Fernàndez
The president and head of the national list of the liberals of Andorra for the general elections, Jordi Gallardo Fernandez entered the government to assume the position of Minister of Presidency, Economy and Business. He is 43 years old, holds a degree in history from the University of Lleida and a master’s degree in business management from IESE Executive MBA. In his political career, he has been linked – from a very young age – to the Liberals of Andorra, been president of the Liberal Youth of Andorra, the Secretary and current president of Liberals of Andorra. He was the director of Cultural Heritage and Linguistic Policy (2005-2007) and Secretary of State for Cultural Policy (2007-2009). In the general elections of 2015, he was elected General Councilor by the national constituency.
Minister of Finance and Spokesperson: Èric Jover Comas
During the last legislature, the minister of Education and Higher Education joined the government as Minister of Finance and Spokesperson. Previously, he had been the director of the private foundation Observatory for the Sustainability of Andorra and director of the Agency of Quality of the Higher Education of Andorra. Èric Jover Comas, 41, is a Ph.D. of Environmental Chemistry at the University of Barcelona and has carried out research work at different university centers, such as the Department of Applied Physics of the University of Barcelona, the Institute of Environmental Chemistry Research of Barcelona of the Superior Council of Scientific Research, the Department of Chemistry of the Vrije University of Amsterdam and the School of Chemistry of Nottingham. In the political sphere, he is the president of Democrats for Andorra and, previously, its general secretary.
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Maria Ubach Font
In the middle of the last parliamentary term, Ms. Font was reappointed Foreign Minister, a position she assumed in April 2017. She is 45 years old, holds a degree in economics from the Universities of Toulouse and Grenoble and a master’s degree in international relations and Action Abroad by the University of La Sorbonne. In 1998, Maria Ubach Font entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as permanent representative attached to the Andorra representation to the Council of Europe. From 2001 – 2006, she served as the first secretary of the Embassy of Andorra in Paris and a permanent delegate from the principality for UNESCO. In 2006, she was appointed Director of Multilateral Affairs and Development Cooperation, a position she held until 2011, going on to hold the posts of Ambassador in France, the OIF and UNESCO from 2011 – 2015. From 2015 – 2017, she served as ambassador of Andorra in the European Union, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and Germany.
Minister of Justice and Home Office: Josep Maria Rossell Pons
Josep Maria Rossell has been representative of the Ciutadans Compromesos party in the first Coalition Government – since its approval of the Constitution – and the deputy Prime Minister for Xavier Espot and as Minister of Justice and Home Office. He is 58 years old, has a law degree from the University of Barcelona and has served as a lawyer for more than two decades (1990-2011). Of the many things in his career that stands out, he was an official of the ecclesiastical court, served as Secretary of the Courts Tribunal and as appeals judge (from 1986 to 1989). He was also General Councillor in from 1990 – 1992 and accounts holder and Secretary of the Comú of la Massana.
Minister of Territorial Planning: Jordi Torres Falcó
Reelected at the position of minister of the Territorial Plannin, Falco graduated with a degree in Economics at the University of Toulouse and with a PDD (Program for Management Development) at IESE. Jordi Torres Falcó, 43 years old, has developed his political career in several institutions. Between the years 2003 and 2007, he was a senior councilor to the Comú of Encamp, assuming the area of finances. At the same time, he held the presidency of the boards of directors of Gasopas (2000-2004) and Saetde (2009-2013). In the political sphere, during the years 2010 and 2011, he was Ambassador of Andorra in the Council of Europe, and, when he was appointed Minister of Territorial Planning in 2015, he resigned in order to run in the elections as number four on the national DA list.
Minister of Social Affairs, Housing and Youth: Víctor Filloy Franco
He heads the Ministry of Social Affairs with competencies in housing and youth. Liked to Liberals d’Andorra, Víctor Filloy Franco is 45 years old and holds a degree in business administration. Until now, he has been the managing director of the association of contractors of Andorra, the importers and exporters of Industrial Goods and the carriers and fuels and waste management transporters (among others). Previously, he was the head of volunteering in the Games of the Small States of Andorra 2005 and Director of Relief and Volunteering of the Andorran Red Cross. He received the prize of the International Olympic Committee in recognition of the fight against doping in the sports’ field.
In addition to his political career, he has worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, as coordinator of International Cooperation and Development Assistance (from 2005 – 2007 and Secretary of State for Sports, Youth and Volunteering (from 2007 – 2009).
Minister of the Environment, Agriculture and Sustainability: Sílvia Calvó Armengol
After holding the same position during the last legislature, she was reappointed as the minister of the Environment, Agriculture and Sustainability. At the age of 49, she has an Environmental Engineer degree from the Higher School of Engineers of Chambery and a master’s in Public and Private Business Administration from the University of Nice and has spent a large part of her professional career at the Government Department of Environment.
She took on the direction of this department from 2002 – 2005 and from 2007 – 2009. From 2011 – 2015, she was the councilor of DA, holding the presidency of the Legislative Committee of Economy and vice president of the Commission on Health and the Environment. As a councillor, she was also a substitute member of the Andorran delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and a member of the Andorran section at the parliamentary assembly of Francophonie.
Minister of Tourism: Verònica Canals Riba
The head of Tourism, Verònica Canals Riba, is 48 years old, holds a degree in economics from the University of Strasbourg, a master’s degree in business management (EMBA McGill – HEC Montreal, Canaan) and is registered at the College of Economists of Andorra. She has extensive professional experience: she was the director of large accounts at Adecco Spain (1995-1999) before working for Grandvalira-SAETDE as director of catering and complementary services (1999-2009) and, later, as a general advisor ( 2011-2018). In 2016, she entered the Andorran Business Confederation as a member of the Board of Directors representing Ski Andorra and the Andorra Brand and Tourism Commission.
Minister of Health: Joan Martínez Benazet
The Minister of Health, 64 years old, graduated in medicine and surgery and has extensive experience as a specialist in pneumology. Over the last two years, he has been devoted to healthcare management as a director of the SAAS as well as heading the Official Association of Doctors of Andorra from 1996 – 1998. The pinnacle of his political career is his work as General councillor, in 1989, during the last pre-constitutional legislature, and, in the general elections of April 7, he ran for office in the parochial list of Ordino ACO + DA.
Minister of Education and Higher Education: Ester Vilarrubla Escales
The Minister of Education and Higher Education began her political career in 2015, entering as a social and citizen participation councillor in the Comú of Andorra la Vella, the same year in which she was appointed a vice president of DA, a position she has kept until now. She is a graduate of Teaching Sciences from the Blanquerna University of Barcelona (1985), of Catalan philology from the University of Barcelona (1989) and holds a master’s degree in applied linguistics from the University of Lleida. Since 2011, she has been the general director of Andorran Schooling and Education and formerly has been the director of the Andorran Batxillerat School (2009-2011), director of the Andorran Secondary School of Santa Coloma (1999- 2009), professor of Catalan from the Ministry of Education (1991-1999) and professor of Catalan at the College Sagrat Cor of Barcelona (1985-1991).
Minister of Public Function and Administrative Reform: Judith Pallarés Cortés
Cortés is a graduate of political science and administration from the University of Barcelona, with training in public procurement and European grants from the College of Europe in Brussels. Judith Pallarès Cortés assumes the Ministry of Public Administration and Reform, taking over from Eva Descarrega. She is 43 years old, a member of the Liberals of Andorra since 2001, senior councillor for the Comú of La Massana from 2003 – 2007 and general councillor during the last legislature, from 2015 – 2019.
Secretary of State for European Affairs: Landry Riba Mandicó
Secretary of State for European Affairs, Landry Riba, holds a bachelor’s degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Zaragoza and a postgraduate degree in the management of natural resources from the University of Cádiz. In 2019, at 43 years old, he started in politics as an independent candidate with Democrats for Andorra. He continued on to become Director of Agriculture during the last 8 years and in a close relationship with the negotiation of the association agreement with the European Union in the last four years.
See also political system of Andorra
