Antoni Bassas' analysis: 'The reunion of Catalan with Spain'

The PP is a hostile party in the Catalan language, and in 2025 we should hear things like "If they speak in Catalan, I'll get up and leave" (Ayuso, Madrid) or "It's a bit ridiculous" the use of headphones (Moreno Bonilla, Andalusia). The language is that Isla and Ayuso normally meet. But when Isla acts as president and Ayuso acts as president, they are showing off the public representation, he of a country with its own language and she of an autonomous community.

What I'm saying is easy to understand, but Ayuso is a troublemaker and the PP needs to stir up the base Spanish ultra-nationalist instincts, because the day after tomorrow they will demonstrate in Madrid shouting "Mafia or democracy", with the clear understanding that the PP wants democracy, not mafia, despite the numerous cases of corruption that have brought party officials to court and to prison, and despite the fact that Fei.

That's why Ayuso has said things like this: "What they're doing is using Catalan to make secessionist provincialism, which is nothing more than corruption that I don't intend to pay for from the Community of Madrid."

With this atmosphere The conference of regional presidents was held today in Barcelona.

President Isla has received all his counterparts at the doors of the Pedralbes Palace, including, of course, Ayuso, whom, as you can see, he has asked to come in, amidst this expectation when we all start reading gestures and interpreting them. And if we freeze the greeting for a moment, we will see how both clench their jaws, hiding their discomfort with a diplomatic smile.

Then Pedro Sánchez and King Felipe de Borbón arrived, in that order, and after greeting everyone, the monarch and the presidents took the official photo of the meeting. The subtext is clear. First, the autonomous regions are coffee for everyoneAnd second, in Catalonia there is enough "normality" for the king, the president of the Spanish government, and all the regional presidents to meet without large demonstrations. Consider that days before October 1, 2017, here in Pedralbes, a meeting took place between Civil Guard Colonel Pérez de los Cobos and Major Trapero, in the presence of President Puigdemont, to discuss police deployment for the day of the referendum.

Today, however, don't miss Salvador Illa's vindication of Catalan nationality, which he made before the Spanish media and in the presence of the Spanish president:

"Catalan is an open language; it's an invitation to know it, to enjoy it, to live it, to share it, to learn it, to use it. And I think it's a symbol, a gesture, an expression of the plurality of our country's reality that we can use the official languages at this Conference of Presidents. To understand this is to understand Spain."

Illa occupies all the political space he can, and today he has gained another meter with this kind invitation to get closer to Catalan, in sharp contrast to Ayuso's aggressiveness. Now Illa must be consistent and always speak in Catalan when he holds an event in Catalonia. And if he wanted to be even more consistent, he should ask that Catalan be as obligatory knowledge as Spanish. The rest is fine, but it could end up being a mere flowery game.

Good morning.