Age really is just a number for 103-year-old Dr Moises Broggi, who is standing for a seat in Spain’s Senate on November 20. Dr Broggi is the main candidate in Barcelona for a coalition led by the Catalan Republican Left party. If the former field surgeon is elected, he will become the oldest Spanish senator ever.

Dr Broggi decided to stand because of spending cuts to Catalonia’s health services, and he also feels the current Spanish financial crisis, coupled with that of the European debt crisis, warranted his involvement.

Dr Broggi on his decision to run:

Well, the party nominated me. I’ve always been interested in politics and in my homeland. The situation now is especially interesting because of the problems that exist these days.

The Catalonian regional government is pushing through with drastic austerity cuts that have affected all areas of the economy, not just Dr Broggi’s cherished public health sector.

His interest in politics dates back to the start of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 when he served as a field surgeon for soldiers fighting General Francisco Franco’s military.

He takes inspiration from that time in his life:

I met people who were important to me and were idealists opposed to tyranny.

Dr Broggi also hopes that one day there can be a separation of Catalonia from Spain, whose 7,5 million population have always believed themselves as independent to Spain.

His party won three of Barcelona’s four seats in the Spanish Parliament in the 2007 election, but it’s believed their coalition isn’t as strong this time around, and Dr Broggi’s hopes may be dashed.

[Source: SMH]