Ada Colau
| Ada Colau | |
|---|---|
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Colau in 2015
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| 119th Mayor of Barcelona | |
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Assumed office 13 June 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Xavier Trias |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
3 March 1974 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Political party | Barcelona en Comú |
| Spouse(s) | Adrià Alemany Salafranca |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence | Barcelona |
| Occupation | activist, writer |
| Website | http://adacolau.cat/en |
| Twitter: @AdaColau; Facebook: ada.ballano | |
Ada Colau Ballano (Catalan: [ˈaðə kuˈɫaw]; Spanish: [ˈaða koˈlau]; Barcelona, 3 March 1974), is a Spanish left-wing representative and, since 13 June 2015, the current Mayor of Barcelona, the first woman to hold the office. Colau was one of the founding members and spokespeople of the Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) (Platform for People Affected by Mortgages), which was set up in Barcelona in 2009 in response to the rise in evictions caused by unpaid mortgage loans and the collapse of the Spanish property market in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
Ada Colau was born in Barcelona and grew up in the Guinardó neighbourhood. She went to school at the Santa Anna and Febrer Academies, and went on to study philosophy at the University of Barcelona but lacks the pertinent degree due to leaving her studies before completion, precisely by one subject, which she claims was due to economic instability in her family.
Ada Colau was one of the founding members of the Platform for People Affected by Mortgages (PAH) in 2009, and acted as the organization's spokeswoman until 2014. Colau rose to national prominence after calling a representative of the Spanish Banking Association "a criminal" while representing the PAH at a parliamentary hearing on the housing crisis in February 2013. Colau supports the use of escraches, public protests outside the homes of government officials. That same month, a Popular Legislative Initiative proposed by the PAH and supported by over 1,400,000 signatories was debated on the floor of the Spanish Congress. This was followed by a speech to the European Parliament Committee on Petitions in Brussels. In March, Madrid Government delegate Cristina Cifuentes of the People's Party accused Colau of supporting the Basque radical nationalist party Bildu. Colau is coauthor of the book Mortgaged Lives, based on her experiences of grassroots campaigning and direct action with the PAH.
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