The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illabroke out in parliament on Thursday against the leader of the Catalan AllianceSílvia Orriols, for her xenophobic speech and assured that “he is not someone to give lessons on who is Catalan and who is not.”
The far-right pro-independence movement accused Illa of wanting to denationalise Catalonia. And he responded bluntly: “To be clear. As president of the Generalitat, for my government,Whoever comes to improve Catalonia is Catalan. And he has rights and duties like all of us.”
The socialist has repeatedly insisted that people who go to Catalonia are “as Catalan as you or me” and have “the same rights and duties as you and me.”
Illa also reproached Orriols for giving him lessons on work. “You, you, you beat me with hate speeches, you beat me by dissolving coexistence in Catalonia. But you do not beat me and do not give me lessons on work or work. I tell you: I work more than you. I am a harder worker than you. “I don’t take any lessons on that,” he said.
So the president said that, even if he was not used to giving lessons, he was going to give one to the ultras: “learn education and learn to respect the institutions that belong to all Catalans. “From everyone, not just you.”
But Illa did not stop there and wanted to emphasize that he is the president of Catalonia and that, therefore, he will monitor it as mayor of Ripoll. “I also govern for the citizens of Ripoll and I will be especially attentive to ensure that the citizens of Ripoll who do not share your hate speech find effective policies within the government of the Generalitat. And I will be vigilant, as president of Catalonia, that you do so as mayor of Ripoll. And you, like everyone else, will respect the law, whether you like it or not,” commented the socialist.
During his speech in Parliament, Orriols launched a Islamophobic attack against ERC MP Najat Driouech, whom he criticized for wearing the hijab in parliament. “They denounce discrimination against women and allow entry to a woman who displays Muslim misogyny,” Orriols said, referring to the ERC MP.
After this attack, Illa defended herself and assured that “the representative Najat, who is not from my political party, does not give him ten thoughts, she does not give him a hundred thoughts, she gives him a thousand thoughts.”
