Antoni Bassas's analysis: 'Illa and the "unapologetically Spanish" PSC'

The eternal and incombustible Miquel Iceta has decided to step aside and give up his candidacy for the presidency of the Generalitat in favour of Salvador Illa.

Do not suffer for Iceta, who tried to be president of the Senate until the votes of the majority of the Parliament of Catalonia prevented him from doing so and will now most certainly become a minister, as were Joan Clos when he left the Barcelona mayor's office or José Montilla, just before he became president of the Generalitat. Iceta has taken heed of the polls, and so has Sánchez, who wanted to start the year with a victory in Catalonia which does not seem on the cards. Rather than resisting and being pushed, Iceta took a step to the side.

And lo and behold, Salvador Illa will be the candidate: "I am ready to preside over Catalonia. I accept the candidacy and take it as an act of service. I am ready to help from where I can be most useful".

Illa is a party man, a part apparatus man even. And in the Catalan Socialist party (PSC) the apparatus has always been as powerful as the party itself. His political career before the cameras began on Mondays, at the press conferences that the parties call on Mondays to start the week by appearing in the media. That Illa was grey, official, almost invisible, and professionally played the role of organisational secretary in a predictable and flat tone. And then came Pedro Sánchez, who made him Minister of Health, another position of Spanish Socialist Party's (PSOE) Catalan quota where Illa could continue doing his work as a minister and continue in charge, from Madrid, of the internal direction of the PSC. But then came the pandemic, and Illa's life changed. Nevertheless, we must be fair and recognise that Illa has known how to turn a disaster into an opportunity. In Spain, more than 50,000 people have died due to the pandemic, but Illa has known how to give to his appearances an impression of unusual common sense, serenity, and no desire to fight anyone, not even the President of Madrid, Ayuso, and even less so publicly. He has defended the dignity of his position with the airs and graces of a perfect public servant. This is what we have seen. Among what we have not seen is a willingness to listen to anyone who knew more than he did.

Marc Toro explains in this article everything there is to know about how the changeover between Iceta and Illa was forged in recent months. And in this article, David Miró makes a clear analysis: "The new PSC will be more unapologetically Spanish-oriented", and adds that it will be "led by unapologetically Spanish-oriented cadres who, moreover, have incubated in recent years a strong resentment towards pro-independence parties, which they accuse of having led the country to the brink. This new PSC considers that after the independence bid, they have to be the axis of Unionism and an alternative to independence".

And Miró pushes further:"Salvador Illa knows that, even if he wins, it will be very difficult for him to be the next president because there is hardly any possible coalition that does not include pro-independence parties. What is coming, then, is a PSC more aligned with the PSOE than ever and less left-wing than Iceta's".

As I wrote yesterday, when Pedro Sánchez defended the pardons for the pro-independence prisoners he said that "this is what the Catalan citizens will be betting on on February 14", which is a way of wanting to strengthen the socialist position in all of Spain. Sanchez knows that in Catalonia, Ciudadanos have dug their grave and the PP is a minor, very minor party. This is why he takes Illa out of the leadership of the fight against the pandemic (we have to ask ourselves if this is the right thing to do) and sends him to Catalonia. The PSOE has been in charge of the PSC and has decided that a minister who appears a lot on TV (and who, I insist, does it well when he does), is the best way to capture the vote of those get their information through the Spanish media that four years ago gave Ciudadanos victory. We will see on February 14.

This is the last analysis of 2020. We know the summary of the year by heart, so let us wish each other a good 2021 and let us all work to make it possible.

Our recognition to those who work in the front line, a thought for those who suffer, for political prisoners, for exiles, and may we have a good day.