Amadeu Altafaj

Amadeu Altafaj i Tardio (Barcelona, April 27, 1968) is a journalist. He is the Permanent Representative of the Catalan Government to the European Union as well as delegate of the Catalan government in Brussels since 2015.

Altafaj was trained as a journalist and began his career in Brussels as a correspondent for COM Ràdio, El Mundo, and ABC. Altafaj was spokesperson for the European Commissioner of Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel. Later, he became the spokesperson of economic affairs for the European Commission, a position in which he gained certain notoriety in European circles from June 2012 on, due to the financial crisis that was affecting various countries in the Euro zone. Between 2012 and 2014, Altafaj was the Deputy Head of Cabinet of Olli Rehn, the vice-president of the European Union and European commissioner of Economic and Monetary Affairs. In December 2012 he commented publicly on the economic situation of Catalonia, affirming that it would be economically viable if it was independent, implying that Catalonia would come out of the crisis before Spain.

On December 23, 2014, the Executive Council of the Catalan Government created the post of Permanent representative of the Catalan Government to the EU which Amadeu Altafaj holds with a rank of general director. He also took on the leadership of the delegation of the Government to the EU.