Photo: Irina Rybalchenko
Prime Minister of Andorra (since 2019 – )
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.
Between September 2004 and June 2008, he was judicial secretary of the Batllia d’Andorra, and, between July and December 2008, he was judicial secretary of the Superior Court of Justice of Andorra. In 2009, he worked as an intern at the Court of First Instance of Toulouse (France) and at the Court of First Instance of Barcelona. Before joining the government, he worked as an Andorran policeman attached to the civil section number 2, to the juvenile section number 2 and to the former instruction section number 5.
In 2011, he joined the government of Andorra, chaired by Antoni Martí Petit as Secretary of State for Justice and Interior, under the ministerial mandate of Marc Vila Amigó. In 2012, he became Minister of Justice and Interior of the Principality of Andorra, adding later, in January 2016, the portfolio of Social Affairs, succeeding Rosa Ferrer at the head of the Ministry.
On May 15, 2019, thanks to the votes of the 11 councilors of Democrats for Andorra, the four of Liberals of Andorra and the two of Committed Citizens, he was elected Head of Government, against the Social Democrat candidate Pere López Agràs. On May 16, 2019, he was proclaimed Head of Government by the General Council. After the general elections of 2023, he was again invested as head of government on May 15, 2023.
On September 11, 2023, Xavier Espot publicly declared himself homosexual in an interview on Andorran public radio, which made him the first openly homosexual Head of Government of the Principality of Andorra.
See also Political system of Andorra
See also Government of Andorra
