Early political years

Ribas Reig's earliest political service was as Secretary to the City Council of his native Sant Julià de Lòria between 1963 and 1965.^[5] Following the 1971 parliamentary elections [ca], he was elected a member of the General Council (then named the "General Council of the Valleys") as an independent, because it was not until 1993 that political parties were legalized and political parliamentary groups were formed in Andorra. He remained a member until 1979, when he declined to compete in that year's parliamentary elections [ca].^[6][7] During that period, he held the Finance portfolio which, as there was then no institutionalized separation of powers, was a position comparable to that of Minister of Finance.^[1]

First term as prime minister: 1982–1984

During Andorra's institutional reform process, Ribas Reig was considered to be a possible new head of government, especially after the 1981 parliamentary election in which he was re-elected for the Sant Julià de Lòria parish.^[8][9][10] When the position of prime minister was created, he was the first to be elected to the office by the General Council on 8 January 1982, while he was in Latin America.^[11][12] On 14 January, he presented to the General Council the first Executive Cabinet and the government program.^[13]

On 1 May 1984, he resigned due to lack of parliamentary support and the difficulties of trying to implement a new tax law.^[14] He was succeeded by Josep Pintat-Solans on 25 May.^[15]

Later terms as prime minister: 1990–1994

Ribas Reig was again elected head of government after the 1989 parliamentary election on 12 January 1990.^[16] In 1990, he signed a Customs Agreement with the European Economic Community.^[17][18] In 1992, Ribas Reig resigned after his efforts to introduce a new constitution securing civil human rights were blocked by conservatives.^[19]

After the 1992 parliamentary election, on 5 May he was invested for a third time.^[20] His third term was highlighted by the ratification of the first Andorran Constitution by referendum on 14 March 1993, under which the principality formally abandoned the previous feudal system.^[21]

Ribas Reig founded the center-right political coalition National Democratic Group (Agrupament Democràtic Nacional),^[22] with which he ran for the 1993 parliamentary election, the first after the legalization of political parties. His candidacy won but failed to achieve an absolute majority.^[23] He was re-inaugurated on 19 January 1994, after reaching an agreement with the New Democracy and Democratic National Initiative parties.^[24] In 1994, Andorra became a member of the United Nations, and Ribas Reig gave the admission speech at the United Nations General Assembly on 28 July 1993,^[25] which was the first delivered before the international parliamentary body in Catalan.^[26][2]

On 25 November 1994, after losing the vote of confidence which he presented due to the crisis in the government coalition, Ribas Reig submitted his resignation from the position as head of government taking effect on 8 December 1994; the liberal opposition leader Marc Forné was named to succeed him.^[27][28]