Podemos Catalunya supports the "no" vote on the immigration transfer agreed between Junts and PSOE: "It's racist."

BarcelonaThe statements by Podemos General Secretary Ione Belarra, in which she asserted that the transfer of immigration powers to the Generalitat would mean the Mossos d'Esquadra would carry out "racist raids," have scandalized most of the Catalan parliament. However, despite criticism from the PSC, Junts, ERC, and Comuns, Podemos Catalunya supports the words of its national leader and his opposition to the transfer of powers to the Generalitat agreed between Junts and the PSOE, which is currently being processed in Congress. At least, if it is not approved beforehand. regularizes more than half a million migrants undocumented people living in Spain, the immigration law is repealed, the CIE (Central Immigration Registry) is closed, and universal access to registration is guaranteed. "The text is racist," reiterates the leadership of Podem Catalunya—and, in particular, regarding the law's preamble, which links the saturation of Catalan public services to the arrival of newcomers to the country.

Far from backing down, therefore, in Catalonia the party supports its top leader. In statements to RTVE this Tuesday, Belarra also reinforced his words, recalling (as he also did in the interview in the ARA) that the Mossos d'Esquadra have a greater territorial presence in Catalonia than the National Police. "In Podemos, in general, when we say something, we say it consciously. [...] What I was pointing out is that if there is a delegation of powers to the Generalitat, what we will see is thousands more officers doing what the National Police already does, not only in Catalonia but throughout Spain, which are racist raids based on ethnic profiling," he reiterated. In a statement on Wednesday, Podemos Catalunya denies that this constitutes an accusation of "racism" towards the people of Catalonia or the Generalitat: "Any attempt to attribute to Podemos an anti-Catalan attitude or a collective accusation of racism is false, irresponsible, and politically malicious."

Sources within the Catalan leadership point out that, to begin with, the party is in favor of decentralization policies. What they question, they insist, are Junts' motivations for demanding the transfer of power to the Generalitat, which they link to the electoral competition they maintain with the far-right Catalan Alliance and its anti-immigration rhetoric. Furthermore, they recall the agreement between Junts and the PSOE to add 13,500 new officers to the Mossos d'Esquadra force over eight years, as part of their deployment at borders, ports, and airports. in the exercise of powers regarding foreignersa.

Regional Podemos officials consulted by ARA also support this theory and insist that Belarra's words focus on the "institutional racism" they believe exists in both Spain and Catalonia. "The controversy diverts the real debate, which is to guarantee the rights of migrants," a Podemos official told ARA. However, another voice suggests that the general secretary went a bit too far in her way of saying it.

A "misrepresentation"

In fact, several Podemos sources consulted by ARA link the controversy over the words about the Mossos d'Esquadra to the "distortion" that they believe several political forces have made, starting with Junts. Former president Carles Puigdemont assured that the "prejudice" against the Mossos d'Esquadra was "inherent" in being so, "do we have a xenophobic impulse?" he asked. The Minister of the Interior, Núria Parlon, also asked him to rectify, and then the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, joined in, assuring that he would not "allow" the role of the Mossos d'Esquadra to be questioned as the Beles de Belras Esquerra took advantage of the situation to contribute, with Oriol Junqueras accusing Podemos of reproducing the Spanish nationalist discourse of Ciutadans. also in an interview in the ARA, which the Republicans had "privately" asked him to overthrow. The clash has shattered the already strained relationship between the two parties and further diminishes the possibility of the plurinational left-wing front that Gabriel Rufián has proposed, despite ERC's assurances that it is not on the table.