In 1931 he became general secretary of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya. He also was deputy at the Spanish Courts this year, Government and Sanity councillor when Francesc Macia was President of the Generalitat de Catalunya as well as Public Services, Economy and Culture councillor during the Spanish Civil War.
Exiled to France since 1939, he became President of the Generalitat when Josep Irla resigned, in 1954.
Two years after Franco's death (1975), the President of the Spanish Government, Adolfo Suárez, met him to negotiate the reestablishment of the Generalitat, which took place in October of 1977.
He was welcomed solemnly at Barcelona and set up a national unity government. He finished his work with the elections at Catalan Parliament (March of 1980), and Jordi Pujol was elected in April.