Born in Pobla de Segur (Lleida) on April 24th, 1947, he has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Polytechnical University of madrid and holds a doctorate in economics from the 'Complutense' University of Madrid.

Having won scholarships from the March and Fullbright foundations, he took a Master's degree in planning methods at the University of Stanford (USA) and in economic engineering at the University of Paris.

He has been a member of the Spanish Socialist Party since 1975.

For seven years he was head of the systems department at the oil company CEPSA (Compania Espanola de Petroleos).

He was put in charge of finance and economic planning at the Provincial Council of Madrid in 1979.

He was appointed under-secretary for the budget and public expenditure in December 1982.

In February 1984, he became secretary of State for finance.

He was elected as a deputy for Barcelona in the parliamentary election of June 1986 and re-elected in the October 1989 election.

He was appointed minister of public works and transport on March 12th, 1991 and continued to hold office in the new government formed following the general election of June 1993.

He is married and has two children.