The candidate for the Generalitat of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, has been sworn in as president after being involved in a bitter investiture debate in the Catalan Parliament. As planned, he has been elected thanks to the support of his group and the independence party ERC.
Salvador Illa He has been elected with 68 votes in favor, 66 votes against and one vote not cast, achieving the majority necessary to be invested. He becomes the president of the Generalitat of Catalonia after years of independence governments. During the voting process, they pronounced the name of Carles Puigdemont, as he was absent, his party colleagues gave him applause.
The return of the former president of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemontto Spain has not stopped the investiture debate of the socialist Salvador Illa in the Generalitat this Thursday.
“I will govern for all. I come to buildnot to dismantle,” Illa stated during his speech before the investiture vote that will take place this Thursday.
“Catalonia must look forward“You can’t waste time, you have to count on everyone,” said Illa, assuring that she will work “to make possible the full restoration of all political rights in Catalonia”.
In a nod to the independentists, Salvador Illa has claimed “the agile, fast and without subterfuge application” of the Amnesty Lawdemanding “respect for the legislature that expressed its desire for full normalization” in Catalonia.
Alejandro Fernandez of the Popular Party comments: “Mr. Illa, you are starting a new process that will not lead to a plurinational State.” Furthermore, the popular affirms that the processism is “the worst political disease that Catalonia suffers.”
For his part, Laura Borraspresident of Junts per Catalunya, has denounced the police attacks that have taken place at the gates of the Ciutadella.
Criticism of the independentists
However, the pro-independence parties have thrown criticism against the new ‘president’ during his speaking turns. Since the formation of Carles Puigdemont, the great absentee from the plenary session, Illa is considered a puppet of the central government.
“It is evident that the agreements he has reached with his crutches do not depend on this House, but on Congress. Therefore, you are a branch president“said the Junts deputy, Albert Batet.
“It was the shortest speech, a speech empty of content. What policies are you going to make? Because I haven’t heard anything. It is evident that we are going to oppose it because there is an alternative and a future,” he added.
“A democratic aberration”
The other majority pro-independence party in the Chamber, ERC, has regretted the absence of the escaped Junts leader. “President Puigdemont He has not taken his seat due to a democratic aberration“, stated Josep Maria Jové.
“Puigdemont has returned home and we are very happy. It should be in Parliament. It is the desire for revenge of some judges that has made it necessary to approve the Amnesty law,” he added.
Jové has assured that they will continue walking towards independence. “With today’s vote nothing is closed. Today we continue working for independence. This is a ‘yes’ with conditions.”.
Salvador Illa has also recognized the approach of his party, the Socialist Party of Catalonia, towards the independence parties, focusing on what unites them. “I recognize that the PSC has moved positions. Does anyone have another way of government? To a point I thank them for their stubbornness,” said the socialist.
For his part, Ignacio Garriga, from Voxhas criticized the cordon sanitaire that the PSC and the majority of parliamentary groups want to apply against the extreme right. “They won’t be able to change us (…) The danger for Catalonia is the PSC, it is ERC and it is Junts“. “The agreement between the PSC and ERC breaks the principle of equality of Spaniards,” he argued. “Spain does not steal from us, but you do steal“. He has also said that citizens are concerned about the “insecurity” in the community.
ADVERTISINGCriticism of the amnesty law and changes to the level of financing for Catalonia
In her turn to speak, the leader of Comuns, Jéssica Albiach, has been critical of the interpretation of the amnesty law by judges and he has pointed out that the Catalans do not deserve the spectacle that is being experienced in the Parliament. Furthermore, he has pointed out that more distrust in institutions and more political degradation cannot be allowed.
Jéssica Albiach assures that the pillars of Catalonia are “the promotion of the language” and “unique financing”, and demands Catalanism as a national driving force. In addition, the leader of Comuns demands changes to Salvador Illa. “To achieve a feeling of community and respond to the wishes of Catalans, a new fair and proper financing system is needed, which has to be in solidarity with a federal and plurinational Spain,” says Albiach.
Puigdemont’s return to Spain
Puigdemont announced this week that he would return to Spain and that he intended to attend investiture plenary session of the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illain a last attempt to stop the entry of the new socialist Government.
The founder of Junts, who fled Spain on October 30, 2017 after the failed declaration of independence of Catalonia, appeared on thursday morning on Lluís Companys promenade in the center of Barcelona, where he gave a speech before disappearing again.
ADVERTISINGweighs on him a arrest warrant for a crime of embezzlement of public funds who was not amnestied in application of the Amnesty Law applied by the Supreme Court created for those involved in the Catalan ‘procés’.
A socialist victory after years of independence government
Salvador Illa won the Catalan elections on May 12 with 42 seats, which represented a strong increase in votes and the best result of the match in this communityautonomous since 2003.
Junts per Catalunya, the party founded by Puigdemont, came in second place with 35 seats and Esquerra Republicana (ERC) lost 13 deputiesresults that made the pro-independence majority disappear for the first time in years.
