Isla returns to work promising to tackle the country's crises: "I know what Catalonia needs"

BarcelonaThe President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has returned to work. He was on leave for 30 days, during which he was relieved of his duties while recovering from osteomyelitis caused by a bacterial infection, which led to his emergency admission to Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona. In an official statement from the Gothic Gallery of the Palau de la Generalitat, the head of the Catalan government expressed his gratitude to the medical team that treated him, as well as to the other staff at the hospital: "Since my admission, these have been difficult days at times, but also enlightening and rewarding."

Illa returns after a turbulent few weeks in Catalonia, marked by the commuter rail crisis, which the Catalan government has had to address with the Minister of the Presidency, Albert Dalmau, at the helm, along with the Minister of Territory, Sílvia Paneque. This episode was compounded by the teachers' strike, awaiting a proposal from the Education Ministry, the management of the severe weather, and the doctors' strike called for this week. Isla, who has continued his recovery at home in recent weeks, said he has taken note: "I am fully aware of what Catalonia has experienced during the period in which I have had to delegate my duties. These have been difficult days for the country and for all its citizens," he stated. Given all this, he maintains that he has a diagnosis of the roadmap to follow, with more investment in infrastructure and offering "certainties" on issues such as access to housing, which are generating "unease" among the public. "I know what Catalonia needs. I know what the Catalan people are demanding. I know what needs to be done. And today I tell you, again, that we will do it," he guaranteed. In his statement, delivered standing after undergoing rehabilitation to regain strength in his legs, the president reiterated his defense of "humanity" in politics and the values ​​of freedom, solidarity, and fraternity. "These days in the hospital I have witnessed the profound sense of humanity and solidarity that is lived and practiced," he emphasized. In his speech, the former Minister of Health also praised the public health system, which he described as "excellent" although it has "room for improvement."