A police blunder that is now a political crisis

The decision by the General Directorate of Information of the Mossos d'Esquadra to send two plainclothes officers to a teachers' assembly to, according to the force, conduct a risk assessment in the face of a labor dispute "always adhering to current legislation" has generated a political storm that could complicate life for the Government. The fact that the teachers discovered the identity of the officers, who posed as teachers at a school, is a blunder that threatens to widen the current rift between teachers and the ministry, just on the eve of a new round of negotiations that was to begin on Monday.

However, the political consequences of the crisis could be even more serious. Sending undercover police to a school to spy on teachers, even though the Interior Department wishes to frame it within the normality of information gathering in the face of protests and mobilizations and even if it is legal, is a stain on the force's image. Closing ranks as President Salvador Illa and the minister Núria Parlon have done is an insufficient response. Explanations must be given and a debate must be opened on the limits of this type of police action.

Although this case is not comparable to the police infiltrations that the independentist left suffered, which were carried out with judicial authorization, teachers have reason to feel indignant and believe that their rights have been violated by the police action. In a labor dispute, parties have the right to discuss their respective strategies without the other party being aware of them. And this has now been jeopardized by an excess of zeal from the Mossos.

To Salvador Illa, immersed in budget negotiations with ERC, a new, difficult-to-manage front is now opening, as the Republicans, along with Comuns and the CUP, have demanded the dismissal of the Police Chief, Josep Lluís Trapero, as the political head of the mess. It is evident that if the Government intends to keep Trapero in his post, it will have to make concessions in other areas to regain the trust of both its legislative partners and the teaching collective.

In summary, this questionable police action could prove especially costly for a Government that has so far navigated successive crises with a certain degree of calm. But after the controversy over the pilot plan on police presence in institutes, the labor dispute with teachers now seems entrenched, and there is no sign of a quick resolution. And while the executive could until now stand firm on the offer accepted by UGT and CCOO, the Mossos have now given USTEC a powerful lever for pressure in future negotiations. And for a left-wing government, having teachers up in arms is always a bad omen.