The image of Salvador Illa as a branchist president and simply responsible for Pedro Sánchez in Catalonia is a recurring caricature of the independence parties, even since the previous legislature. Today, before the new government takes office, Junts intends to make this the guiding principle of his opposition to the solitary executive of the PSC. This is how the party’s spokesperson, Albert Batet, expressed it in black and white, in turn responding to Salvador Illa’s speech in the general policy debate.
If the president had asked the day before for help from the plenary session to defend the interests of Catalonia on central issues such as financing reform, Batet responded the next day that his group’s favor was conditional on its ability to put the interests of Catalonia ahead of the interests of Pedro Sánchez and the PSOE.
“You are above all a party man. Everyone will see it when it is necessary to defend the interests of Catalonia which move forward or which contradict those of his party and those of the State,” assured Batet. The Junts leader in the House also predicted that Illa would return from Madrid empty-handed “whether the PSOE governs or the PP governs” because, according to him, Illa does not have the will to appear before the PSOE nor the ability to do so. agree with the PP.
Batet took as an example the debate in Congress on the distribution of the deficit between the central administration and the communities, an issue on which Junts and the PSOE have recently clashed. “If she is not able to defend the interests of Catalonia in the spending ceiling, how will she defend the singular financing?” he asked.
The head of the Junts group also estimated that the government recently formed by Illa was born “lame” due to the deep differences it maintains with its partners on issues such as financing, airport expansion, income basic universal or the sixth hour. .at school. A “weakness” which is also linked, according to him, to Illa’s political affiliation. “You have announced a tour throughout Spain, but you will not defend the interests of Catalonia, but those of the PSOE, because you will reassure the regional candidates of the PSOE,” Batet said.
