The president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, has shown himself irritated with the commons for having knocked down the Catalan budgets for 2024, which has led him to call elections to the Parliament for May 12 and has taken the opportunity to throw a dart at the leader of Sumar and second vice president of the Government, Yolanda Díaz. “If I were Sánchez he would be a little angry,” warned the Catalan president, who added that “someone has problems managing his space.”
In an interview in El Món with RAC1, Aragonès emphasized that when the budgets in Catalonia are blocked, there are no State budgets. “If those who went with you to the general elections knock down the budgets of Catalonia and those of Spain fall on the rebound, someone has a problem managing their space,” the president warned, after remembering that the last labor decree that the also minister of Labor led to Congress was overthrown by Podemos, a party that also ran for the general elections within Sumar.
“We should not be in an electoral campaign but rather serving the citizens,” exclaimed the president, who explained that last Tuesday he spoke about the issue with Yolanda Díaz, although he has not given details of the conversation. In any case, Aragonès is clear that Ada Colau, who is no longer in the municipal government of Barcelona, ??”has not helped” to push forward the Catalan budgets, “the most social in history” with 2.4 billion euros more than expenditure that would have served to enhance education and other social policies. However, the president once again pointed out the “irresponsibility” of the commoners whom he has accused of using the Hard Rock as an “excuse” to “single themselves” against the PSC.
Be that as it may, Aragonès does not see the Spanish legislature in danger although he regretted that there was the possibility of “negotiating good budgets” and recalled that they should contemplate, among other things, the items for the transfer of Rodalies, agreed upon with Sánchez’s investiture. In any case, Aragonès has indicated that ERC would have studied the State budget project and has regretted that Sánchez “wasted an opportunity.” “It’s his decision,” said the president, who has shown himself to be understanding given the electoral context.
Looking at the post-electoral scenario, Aragonès has reiterated that the country projects of Esquerra and the PSC “are very incompatible” with each other and as an example he has given the agreed consultation and fiscal sovereignty for Catalonia that defends its formation against the refusal of the same as the socialists. On the other hand, the president has hoped that an independentist Government could be reissued with Junts that “allows us to advance nationally and socially.” In any case, he has wondered if “those who left the Government”, in reference to Junts, would be willing to make him president. “We will reach out to all those who want to move towards the freedom of Catalonia and towards social justice. If Junts, the CUP or the Commons want to move forward here, we will find points of understanding,” he added.
Regarding the possibility of having to face Carles Puigdemont as a Junts candidate, Aragonès recalled that the current MEP was already a Junts candidate in 2021 and came third and has stated that what he wants is for the former president, as well as Toni Comín , Marta Rovira and Rubén Wagensberg, can return to Catalonia “freely” thanks to the amnesty.
Regarding his future if he is not finally re-elected president of the Generalitat, Aragonès has implied that he would not remain a deputy in the Parliament. “The presidents of the Generalitat are repositories of the dignity of the institution and then they are also so,” the Catalan president warned, adding that “from the point of view of respect for the institution, when I am not president I will maintain the dignity of the institution as former president of the Generalitat”.
