Antoni Bassas' analysis: Immigration: a great responsibility and a lot of hypocrisy

He PSOE-Juntos pact for the comprehensive delegation of powers in immigration In the Generalitat it is very important. It places a great weight on the shoulders of the Generalitat, a great responsibility that will not be easy to exercise. It is not absolute: the immigration law is and will be Spanish, but otherwise, a person who comes to live and work in Catalonia will have to go through the Generalitat's office, which will act in accordance with the legal regulations approved by the Parliament of Catalonia. Let's do it well, because it is a delicate and difficult competence.

From the point of view of the Spanish constitutional architecture, it is a step of enormous importance, it is a federalizing step, which would come to insist that, in matters of immigration, the Ministry of Social Security and Migration is as much a State as the Generalitat.

If you want to know the fine print of the agreement, and the unknowns that remain to be resolved, don't miss this double page that we have prepared.

That the Generalitat has it is not a minor or disproportionate issue: immigration is a constant phenomenon in the life of Catalonia and in the last 25 years we have increased the population by two million people.

And now let's talk about the political debate. The Spanish right has reacted with hysteria. In the PP-friendly press:

"Juntos cancels more than 1,700 police officers in Catalonia due to the pact with the PSOE", "Marlaska has hidden the agreement from the commanders, a disgrace and an absurdity for the agents", "Sánchez surpasses himself with the concessions to Junts"; the nefarious Fernández Díaz writes: "The State is leaving Catalonia", and "Another resounding victory for Puigdemont", "Now we know that the Process did not end with the application of 155".

This is the tenor. This is on the right. In the left, Podemos:

"It seems to me that this agreement between the Socialist Party and Junts, which is an anti-immigration party, as it has shown on many occasions, most recently last week, by voting against our initiative to promote, precisely, this extraordinary regularisation... Is it an openly racist party that competes with Aliança Catalana, the Catalan far-right, on issues like this, precisely? It is electorally aligned with the far-right and they are competing to see who is the most racist of the two. I don't know with what votes the Socialist Party intends to push through this agreement with Junts, and with such an openly racist approach, moreover, but it is clear that this is not going to be done with Podemos' votes."

To say that Junts is racist is insulting. But, in addition, this competence is for the Generalitat, whoever governs it. All possible governments of the Generalitat will be racist. Are those of Spain not and will never be? Why? Why is it enough for them to be Spanish? Or is the problem, also for the Spanish left, that the Generalitat has these competences? Belarra has once again made Pla's thing a reality: the closest thing to a right-wing Spaniard is a left-wing Spaniard.

The hypocrisy is spectacular: Aznar did exactly the same as Sánchez. Because he needed Pujol's votes to govern, he withdrew the Civil Guard from the roads, eliminated the civil governors, and transferred 30% of the IRPF to the Generalitat. Why are they shouting now?

Paradox: President Illa sees how Esquerra frees him from part of the FLA and Junts brings immigration powers to Catalonia because Sánchez needs their votes.

Good morning.