Anger and disbelief towards the Aragonese PSOE following the latest gesture of his party colleagues in Benasque. A few days ago, the group sent a letter to the mayor in which it describes as “useless” the raising of the Spanish flag that took place yesterday. According to its spokesperson, Kiko Gracia, this event, organized by the Town Hall in collaboration with the Civil Guard and the Army, could have an impact “negative” in Catalan tourism.
For the Secretary General of PSOE-Aragon, Javier Lambánthis position “does not in any way represent the PSOE and even less Aragon”. “Nor in Benasque. I believe that the vast majority of residents absolutely agree with the raising of this flag and disagree with the councilor,” he said in statements to EL ESPAÑOL.
As reported this Saturday by the Heraldo de Aragón, the socialist representative even suggested that if it was not possible to suspend the celebration The flag of Benasque or that of Spain will be raised with those of Europe and Aragon. The event, organized at the Peguera roundabout and made public by the Town Hall itself on its social networks, included a parade of the Armed Forces in which dozens of soldiers participated as a prelude to the National Day of October 12.
Raising the flag of Spain in Benasque.
Benasque Town Hall
For Lambán, this comes from “an error of perception”. “Catalan tourism They come to the Aragonese Pyrenees, in many cases, fleeing nationalist pressure; to breathe and escape the stress and suffocation that exists on the other side of the river. Also because we are cheaper. It is easier to spend a few days in the Aragonese Pyrenees than in the Catalan Pyrenees. Therefore, even the commercial argument, so to speak, would not justify an attitude of this nature,” he said.
The Aragonese general secretary recognizes himself “very concerned” by the fact that the PSOE maintain “this type of attitude” in part of the territory. “This does not coincide in any way with what Aragon feels about himself and with what Aragon feels about Spain,” he stressed.
Although he ruled out that the controversy could lead to a sanction against the councilor, Lambán assures that it was “many people from the party” who contacted him in recent hours to express his concern about the attitude of the PSOE of Benasque. “They sent it to me from different points of geography, including of course Huesca. I find it quite discouraging that there can be Aragonese public officials who are ashamed of the flag of Spain and who express submissive condescension for Catalan nationalism,” he said.
The decision, he stressed, was taken “absolutely outside the regional executive” of the party. “This has nothing to do with the position of the PSOE in Aragon. The vast majority of Aragonese feel proud to belong to the political community of Aragon, and we feel the same pride to belong to a political community called Spain. We are absolutely convinced that if Spain does not do well, it will not do well for us either. These attitudes of submission towards nationalism and towards a neighboring community seem frankly worrying to us and I would like them not to spread,” he remarked.
