 He became the First Secretary of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia on 18 June 2000, and a member of the Federal Executive Committee and the Federal Committee of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) on 23 July 2000.He served as Minister of Industry, Tourism and Trade in the government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero from 18 April 2004 until 9 September 2006.He is married and has five children.