Josep Borrell is a Spanish politician with a long history of diplomatic work in his country and in the European Union. He was born into a poor family with a history of political and trade union struggle against the rule of General Franco.
He became a member of the European Parliament during the legislative period 2004-2005, and assumed its presidency during the first half of the term. Borrell rose through the ranks and was chosen as the second Spanish President of the Parliament after Enrique Crespo. He will be assigned the position of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy beginning in 2019.