The President of the Government Pedro Sánchez believes that the best proposal for the future of Catalonia, to leave the stage of the amnesty process behind, is to “reinforce its self-government” to “recover public services.”
This was stated by Sánchez at the closing of the XV ordinary congress of the PSC, this Sunday in Barcelona, ??in which the party has once again elected Salvador Illa as leader of the Catalan socialists and candidate for the 12-M elections. “That is what unites us: strengthening self-government to confront drought, waiting lists, so that your children are at the forefront of Spain in the Pisa report, to build quality public services…”, indicated the president.
Sánchez went to Barcelona to support Illa in this congressional process in which the party has reinforced the leadership of its first secretary to try to achieve the presidency of the Generalitat, an objective in which the President of the Government has placed his hopes to convince to his electorate that the amnesty is the useful tool to leave the ‘procés’ behind in the face of attacks from the right.
In this sense, Sánchez defended criminal oblivion against the proposal of the right and the extreme right, which “propose a permanent 155, the dirty war, the illegalization of parties”, in short, “the permanent state of exception in Catalonia and Spain “, he accused, because “they do not accept Spain as it is, plural politically, diverse territorially, with different languages, cultures, which are an asset and not a brake.”
Thus, measures such as pardons and amnesty “are tools for political normalization and coexistence,” he insisted, because “when coexistence wins, the economy, stability and ordinary citizens win.” Furthermore, these tools link with the history of the socialist party, he alleged, which is based on “advancing rights, freedoms and coexistence.”
In a clear electoral tone, Sánchez presented Catalans with a dilemma for these elections: “unite or divide, turn the page or not, advance or continue in a litany for having been involved in other things.” And faced with this dilemma, the president warned the electorate that “the great lesson” of all these years of processes is that “Catalonia will not advance alone, nor divided, but will advance united,” which is why he opted to open “a new time.” uniting the Catalans with their Spanish compatriots,” because “Spain loves Catalonia, don’t forget it,” said the leader of the PSOE.
For his part, Salvador Illa responded with a commitment to contribute to creating a Catalonia “involved in the construction of this diverse and plural Spain” and promised a “respectful and purposeful” campaign. And he agreed with President Sánchez on the need to work for Catalonia and “its self-government so that it can lead again” and its institutions “will once again have the prestige and power they deserve.”
Illa addressed especially the pro-independence parties, to whom he demanded not to impose vetoes again as they did in the 2021 campaign, when ERC, Junts and the CUP signed a cordon sanitaire to the PSC that during the legislature has exploded. “Without vetoes and without exclusions,” he claimed, because “the Catalonia that wants to turn the page is asking for a way forward.”
The PSC leader significantly valued the presence of leaders from other parties in this congress, from ERC, from Junts, from the Commons, from the PDeCAT… A “very relevant image”, he highlighted, because it conveys a message of “respect, of tolerance, a commitment to fair play and respecting the rules of democracy.
Illa’s political message in this congress and ahead of the 12-M elections is based on turning the page, which means “uniting and serving the Catalans”, and abandoning “constant complaint”. The way to achieve this is through “strong self-government,” agreed with Sánchez.
The party has a long campaign period ahead of it, for which the team recommends that Illa take it easy: “If it disappears until after Easter, the better.” A good part of the PSC’s strategy will be based on reinforcing a message focused on the need to recover management, and there they have the support of a local fabric where six of the ten main cities in Catalonia dominate, but also on convincing their own and doubtful that the amnesty will serve to definitively overcome the process, and not to return to 2017.
In this situation, the Catalan socialists believe that governability will depend on the result of the two large pro-independence parties, ERC and Junts, since they are aware that they will probably have to reach an agreement with one of them. Even so, they do not fear a new sanitary cordon for the PSC because “it would not be credible” after the successive pacts that republicans and post-convergents have forged with Illa in this legislature, some very important, such as that of the Barcelona Provincial Council or the City Council of the Catalan capital.
What they are clear about in the PSC is that the attacks that may come from these parties will benefit them: “What they do,” they challenge, and above all the disputes that can be seen in the campaign, and that they assure will be seen, between Republicans and post-convergents. . “Resentment, resentment and revenge are going to have a few acronyms, but coexistence only one, the PSC and Salvador Illa,” said Sánchez.
