Eduard Rivas resigns as Salvador Illa's chief of staff while under court investigation

Resignation and successor

Eduard Rivas has left his post as chief of staff to Catalan president Salvador Illa, a departure the Generalitat says was his own decision. The resignation became public on Monday, 2 November, although EL PAÍS reports that Rivas stepped down the previous Friday, 30 October. Xavier Amor, until now secretary for local governments and relations with Aran, will take over the role, and his appointment is due to be approved by the Consell Executiu on Tuesday, 3 November.

“Xavier Amor will replace Eduard Rivas, whom the president of the Generalitat thanks for his commitment and services and who is leaving the post of his own decision.”

The court case

Rivas is under investigation for his time as mayor of Esparreguera, a post El Periódico says he held between June 2015 and August 2024. A court in Martorell is examining agreements signed with the Fundación para la Inclusión Laboral (FIL), a foundation Rivas chaired as patron alongside four other mayors of the Baix Llobregat. The Mossos d'Esquadra investigation became known in April 2026, and EL PAÍS reports that police had withdrawn Rivas's mobile phone the previous January. The secrecy of the case file was lifted on Thursday, 29 October, and La Vanguardia describes the suspicion as misappropriation of funds (malversación) during his time as mayor.

Earlier police action and reaction

A 2025 operation by the Mossos included several searches, one at the FIL, and led to the detention of three people linked to the foundation. Sources close to Rivas say he insists he is innocent and maintains that he always acted within the law as mayor and foundation patron. According to the same sources, the resignation is meant to keep any doubt from attaching to the Govern. In April, Illa confirmed that Rivas was willing to cooperate fully with the courts, and he kept his confidence in him.

Timeline of the case

The articles disagree on the date of the resignation: several outlets report it on 2 November, while EL PAÍS places it on Friday, 30 October. The 2025 operation and the January phone withdrawal came before the April disclosure, while the lifting of secrecy on 29 October came days before the departure became public. The sequence is set out below, with Amor's appointment as the next scheduled step.

Who is replacing him

Amor was born in Pineda de Mar in 1975 and holds a degree in business administration and management. He was mayor of Pineda de Mar for 17 years, following eight years as a councillor, and before joining Illa's team he led the local government and Aran relations secretariat. He presided over the Federació de Municipis de Catalunya between 2013 and 2019 and sat on the consumer and commerce commission of the FEMP from 2011 to 2015. La Vanguardia says Amor is joining Illa's core team.