Illa warns from Brussels of the shortcomings of the Government's foreign action: “It can be improved”

The absence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Generalitat, Meritxell Serret, in the 21st edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities, held in Brussels since last Monday, contrasts with the presence of other national leaders, such as mayors, some Catalans , and even presidents of autonomous communities, such as Isabel Díaz Ayuso. And this absence serves the PSC to demonstrate the “improveable” management by the Catalan Executive in its foreign action, according to the leader of the opposition in Catalonia, Salvador Illa, adjectived this Thursday.

The Catalan leader closes his trip to the community capital where he held working meetings with the Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton; the vice president of the European Parliament Marc Angel, and the president of the European Committee of the Regions, Vasco Cordeiro. From there he warned of the shortcomings of this foreign action, which in his opinion should be “more oriented towards generating prosperity” in Catalonia. “Like almost everything this Government does, it can be improved,” he assured.

In a press conference with Spanish media at the headquarters of the European Socialist Party (PES), Illa said that through his trips abroad, in which he always visits the corresponding Government delegation, he notes that he lacks management focused on improving the problems that Catalonia has. In contrast to this management, the leader of the PSC, who visited the Government delegation in Brussels on Wednesday, assured that in his travels his premise is always to “speak well of Catalonia and Spain”, and always “within the limits of the Statute.” “, he defined.

Despite the absence of the Government at the European regional event, Minister Serret announced last Tuesday the creation of a professional diplomatic corps to deploy international action. The leader justified the measure by the “need to retain talent” and to “find profiles adapted to the Government’s foreign action.” This measure will result in a draft bill that must pass the Parliament’s filter, and that the socialists “We will analyze and study it,” Illa said, but the Generalitat’s foreign action “must be respectful and must move within the limits (…) reflected in the Statute,” he insisted.

Illa recognizes the efforts of the president of the Government, Pere Aragonès, to try to recover at least part of the influence that the Generalitat once had in the European institutions and that was lost in the years of the process, but believes that things are not going away doing everything right. He considers that this influence is still far below where it should be and that many of the “technical issues” that are discussed in Brussels and that could generate opportunities for Catalonia are not addressed.

Beyond the officialdom and the use of Catalan, where the central Government is acting with determination with the aim of facilitating the new investiture of Pedro Sánchez, in the permanent delegation of the PSC in the community capital they regret that the representatives of the Catalan Executive in Brsuelas They have practically no relationship with Spanish MEPs, nor do they act in a spirit of collaboration.

In fact, with the arrival of MEPs Carles Puigdemont, Clara Ponsatí and Toni Comín, the umbilical cord that Ramon Tremosa had forged with the European liberals was cut. Now, the three Junts MEPs are not attached to any of the big families. These three MEPs are part of the group of 49 MEPs – of the 705 that make up the chamber – who are not attached to any of the large political families, so their capacity to influence the Union’s decisions is very limited.

The Generalitat currently has 21 foreign delegations that cover 72 countries around the world. The last one was created this summer with the name of Delegació dels Estats Andins to represent the Government in Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. The number of offices is the largest since this department was inaugurated in 2016, under the leadership by Raül Romeva.

The socialists consider that now would be “a good time” to, “knowing your role,” change the course of the Government’s foreign action, especially in Brussels, but “here the game is to stabilize,” they warn. This vision contrasts with the “very politicized” profiles that they consider that the ERC Executive has chosen for its delegations.