The general secretary of the PSC, Salvador Illa, indicated this Monday in Bilbao that he faces the current political moment with “optimism and hope”, although he has warned that the path to the investiture of Pedro Sánchez, and to a “horizon of stability”, It can go wrong if you do not act with “political skill” and are not able to “articulate the message that citizens have sent.” The leader of the Catalan socialists, specifically, has identified the point at which this possibility could be broken, looking at Catalonia and sovereignism. “A paralyzing struggle between ERC and Junts could put at risk the generation of a framework of stability in Spain,” he indicated.
Illa made these statements at the Objective Actualidad meeting organized by the newspaper El Correo at the Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao.
The leader of the Catalan socialists has put together a speech in which he has first defined the global context, with Europe as a frame of reference and “an accelerated, epochal change,” as a defining element, and then addresses the challenges that must be addressed. against Spain, “as an actor in that framework”, and, in particular, a Catalonia “that works”, but that has “a weak Government”.
“The years of Pedro Sánchez presiding over the Government have been good for Catalan society. There is a better climate in the institutions. There is a better climate of coexistence among citizens and there is a better functioning of our economy, but we have a weak Government” , has manifested.
Salvador Illa believes that it is worth exploring how to continue developing “these policies that President Sánchez has led in relation to Catalonia.” “Exploring the possibilities of this path that began with President Sánchez is almost an obligation, if not a requirement,” he added, while highlighting the limited support that PP and Vox had in both Catalonia and the Basque Country. .
It is at that point where Illa has appealed to the “political profession”, looking at the PNV -Andoni Ortuzar was among the audience-, to address the “background vectors of politics in Spain”: “Recognition of plurality; triumph of useful politics; capacity for agreements; reinforcement of the reality principle; and reinforcement of political parties.”
Faced with these bases, Illa has warned of the risks of the sovereign path and has stressed that in Catalonia there was never a social majority “in favor of taking the path that was taken and that deepened the division and rupture of society.” , in reference to the previous referendum, “a dead end”, in his opinion.
Salvador Illa has stated that “he does not take anything for granted”, not even the amnesty, and has assured that the referendum that ERC and Junts propose as a condition to support an investiture of Pedro Sánchez as president is “an immense mistake”, “in addition to a red line”, and represents “a dead end that cannot be traversed”.
The former minister has called on the pro-independence forces to “recognize the plurality of Catalan society and believes that a dialogue must be opened between Catalans” that allows “a minimum consensus to be reached.” Among the different projects, he has pointed out that there is a “dwindling” but “significant” part that has a “political project that is to make Catalonia independent”, which he not only does not share but “fights politically.”
The socialist leader, who does not see that “any fracture” is going to occur within the PSOE, has also referred to the Government of the Generalitat and has indicated that “it does not work” and, furthermore, “he is alone and wants to go alone.” “It does not allow this expansion of Catalan society,” he stressed.
In his opinion, that is the “big mistake” of the Catalan Government, wanting to “go alone”, because that leads to the Executive “rather than allowing the growth and development of Catalonia”, to act “as a straitjacket before Catalan society.” “.
Illa has also alluded to the “paralyzing internal struggle” that exists in Catalonia between different expressions of the sovereignty bloc. This is where he sees a risk that could wreck the investiture process.
Finally, asked about the issue of regional financing and the possibility that the Basque economic concert system could be useful for Catalonia, Illa ruled it outright and pointed out that this community must look for “its model.”
