In the PSC they are clear that it will not be easy to get Salvador Illa to be the next president of the Generalitat, but they are clinging to several premises to surround the company with legitimacy. The first, the “historic” victory in votes and seats of his candidacy; the second, that the independence movement does not have an absolute majority; the third, that Junts is wrong with its “threats” to bring down the Government of Spain if it does not achieve governability in Catalonia, and the fourth and transcendental, that what they now expect from ERC is that it agrees to invest Illa.
At a press conference from the socialist headquarters, party spokesperson Núria Parlón appealed to the “reality principle” that in her opinion the polls cast against the will of the Junts candidate, Carles Puigdemont, to attempt his investiture. “Citizens have said that it is up to Illa to lead the change in Catalonia and the new stage of coexistence,” he noted, and although the PSC is willing to speak with all political forces, except with Vox and Aliança Catalana, they demand for their candidate the role of the investiture.
To achieve this, Parlón invoked the progressive forces with which it would be possible for Illa to be president -ERC and Comuns-, especially ERC, recalling the helping role of the socialists during the legislature after the departure of Junts del Govern.
“We have always been close to weaving agreements that would guarantee governability, such as in the budgets (…) we have always shown a collaborative attitude with the Government so that Catalonia moves forward” and when the Government broke up “we worked for stability”, Therefore “it is what we expect from ERC”, that “at least they do not block the PSC from starting this new stage.” In this way, the PSC comes to demand reciprocity from the Republicans in the face of the reluctance expressed by President Aragonès, who this Monday left governance in the hands of Junts and the Socialists.
The PSC is clear that the left-wing pact is the only solution that would avoid an electoral repetition that “citizens would not like.” Parlón recalled that “we have always been in favor” of this path and that they “would like” to be able to establish an alliance of progressive forces because they believe that “it is the best way to make this country progress.” On the contrary, it does not even occur to them to study the scenario proposed by Puigdemont this Monday: abstaining to facilitate his inauguration.
“We will not support the investiture of Carles Puigdemont. The citizens have spoken clearly. “We are willing to reach agreements, symmetrical, asymmetrical…, but we will not make Puigdemont president even if he threatens to overthrow the Government of Spain,” Parlon concluded.
The attitude of the former president claiming for himself the presidency of the Generalitat in favor of the stability of the Spanish legislature is received in the party with disbelief. In the PSC they appeal to “memory” and “coherence” given what they heard from the Junts candidate this Monday in his press conference, in which he renewed his offer of an agreement with ERC. “Sometimes memory is a great cemetery,” they reproach.
Thus, they remember that the independence movement has lost a million votes in these elections, Junts has only gotten three more deputies, ERC has lost 13, and they reproach Puigdemont for now appealing to “stability” to justify a pact with ERC that does not add up. after having broken the coalition government of Pere Aragonès.
The same “coherence” and “integrity” that they recognize from Aragonès with his decision to step aside in the Parliament and not collect the minutes is what they now demand from Puigdemont, whom they warn that his threat to use the stability of the Spanish legislature will not turn out well. “It is an error and an inconsistency” to link the governability of Catalonia to that of the State,” say party sources, as well as a symptom that Junts “does not know” Pedro Sánchez.
“We have room,” the socialists say, to test Illa’s investiture, for which the PSC has appointed a negotiating commission that will immediately get to work to try to convince ERC. A commission formed by the party’s deputy first secretary, Lluïsa Moret; the secretary of the electoral organization and action area, José Luis Jimeno; the secretary of the municipal policy, implementation and territory area, Joaquín Fernández; the number two on the electoral lists, Alicia Romero; the deputy and member of the Parliamentary Board, Ferran Pedret and the secretary of PSC programs, Javier Villamayor.
The socialists intend to start contacts as soon as possible, aware that although there is a new appointment with the polls on June 9, the next day, the new Parliament will be established. By then, the eventual agreement to invest Illa should be advanced. The formula should not be a problem: “in coalition or in minority”, they accept, although they will respect the decision made by ERC.
