Josep Lluís Trapero steps down as Mossos director general as Ferran López takes charge

Leadership changes in the Catalan police

The Catalan government has announced a restructuring at the top of the Mossos d'Esquadra following the resignation of Director General Josep Lluís Trapero. Catalan Minister of Interior and Public Safety Núria Parlon confirmed on 9 September 2026 that Trapero decided to step down after two years in office, having communicated his choice in late August. Ferran López will succeed him as director general on 15 September 2026. Simultaneously, Chief Commissioner Miquel Esquius is retiring, with Sílvia Catà appointed to replace him as the first woman to lead the operational command of the police force.

Interior Minister Parlon emphasized that Trapero made a personal and irrevocable decision rather than a choice initiated by the regional administration.

The decisions are personal and respectable. I would have liked him to finish the term, but I will not enter into speculation.

Operational record and future priorities

During his two-year mandate as political head of the police, Trapero focused on combating repeat offenses through initiatives such as Plan Kanpai, while also facing scrutiny over police infiltration in schools and teacher assemblies. Parlon stated that the new leadership will maintain the core strategic framework established over the past two years, with three specific priorities: improving preventive response capacity, reinforcing community policing, and tackling repeat offenses and organized crime.

The regional interior department emphasized that cooperation with other security forces and the execution of the existing strategic plan remain central to the force's operational agenda.

Trapero's path through the Mossos

Trapero entered the Mossos d'Esquadra in 1990 and served in Girona, Vielha, and Quatre Camins prison before his promotion to chief commissioner in 2013 under former interior minister Ramon Espadaler. He became widely known to the public in August 2017 while leading the investigation into the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils. Following the Catalan independence referendum on 1 October 2017 and the subsequent enforcement of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, the central government dismissed him on 28 October 2017, appointing Ferran López as his replacement.

Spain's National Court (Audiencia Nacional) acquitted Trapero of sedition and criminal organization charges on 20 October 2020. Former interior minister Joan Ignasi Elena removed him from the police leadership roughly one year later. Trapero returned to lead the political direction of the force in 2024 when Salvador Illa assumed the presidency of the Generalitat and appointed Parlon as interior minister.

Political reactions and regional scrutiny

President Salvador Illa met with Ferran López and Sílvia Catà following the announcement to discuss the transition. Illa published a statement expressing gratitude to the outgoing leadership.

I want to thank the work, commitment and dedication of Josep Lluís Trapero and Miquel Esquius, who leave their responsibilities today. Thank you for having been at the service of Catalonia and because today we have a safer country and a more protected citizenry.

The resignation drew criticism from opposition parties in the Catalan Parliament. Junts spokesperson Salvador Vergés accused Illa's government of losing control of the interior department and street security. The leadership transition follows the resignation of Tomàs Carrión, the secretary general of the Department of Interior and Public Safety, who stepped down one week earlier.