The Minister of the Interior of the Government of the Generalitat, Joan Ignasi Elena, was convinced this Thursday that the amnesty law will be approved because it represents a “historic opportunity” and will give “a magnificent victory to political Catalanism” and to the entire citizenship. Elena expressed his opinion before the press, in Paris, where he has made an institutional visit to maintain contacts with police officials and parliamentary leaders who address security matters.
“I am sure that we are not going to lose this historic opportunity that we have to put things in their place and that those who have always been innocent are innocent, because they have not committed any crime,” said the councilor after holding a meeting. at the Institute of Higher Studies of the French Ministry of the Interior. “Many people, many people, have fought to make the amnesty a reality and, therefore, it seems to me that we will not make the mistake of losing this magnificent opportunity, this magnificent victory of political Catalanism to make it clear that voting is not a crime and that Therefore, all those who have been prosecuted as a result of working to exercise a right such as voting do not have any criminal responsibility,” Elena added.
The Catalan Minister of the Interior did not want to speculate on what formula will be found to make possible a majority vote in favor of the grace measure, but he insisted that the norm will finally be approved in the Congress of Deputies because the opportunity for “a collective victory that we should celebrate”. Elena recalled that support for the amnesty is very majority among the Catalan population.
During the contacts with their French interlocutors, issues such as the fight against drug trafficking, the prevention of extremism and its combat, and legislative changes such as toughening penalties for the production and marketing of marijuana were addressed. The latter was discussed with the presidents of the law commissions of the National Assembly and the Senate. The feminization process of the Mossos, which reserves 40% of new positions for women, generated a lot of interest among French police officials.
The security of the Paris Olympic Games, which begin on July 26, was also on the agenda of the interviews. The Catalan police are willing to collaborate with anything the Frenchwoman asks for, including sending agents during the sporting event, although there has been no formal request so far. For the Mossos, it is important to discuss the security of the Games in relation to another event that will overlap, the Copa América in Barcelona.
Elena took advantage of her meeting with the media in a country where the debate on immigration is permanent and often tense to ensure that the link made between immigration and security is unfair and incorrect. The councilor highlighted that 50% of immigrants in Catalonia contribute to social security and very few receive a pension, and that the percentage that has problems with justice is minimal. Elena recalled that in the last year the active population in Catalonia increased by 200,000 people, 60% of them immigrants, and this contributes essentially to economic growth above the Spanish and European average.
