 In 1994, he was elected Secretary for Organization of his party, and he became First Secretary of the party on 18 June 2000.After the 2003 election to the Parliament of Catalonia and the constitution of the "Tripartite Government" of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC), Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) and Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds (ICV) and his appointment as a central government minister in 2004, he became the PSC strong-man in the central government in Madrid, sitting in the national parliament as deputy for Barcelona district from 2004 to 2006.His appointment in April 2004 as minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism meant he resigned all his posts in the local administration.