Junts wants to reprove Illa: "He is the worst president of modern Catalonia"

BarcelonaJunts' amendment to the entirety against the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa. The general policy debate, which sets the political course, resumed this Wednesday and was opened by a very forceful speech from the president of the main opposition group in Parliament, Junts member Mònica Sales: "What I have to tell you is harsh," she warned, before sentencing his presidency. "I tell you here solemnly that you are the worst president that modern Catalonia has had," she declared. A conclusion she linked to the cornerstone of the resolution proposals that Carles Puigdemont's party will present in the Catalan chamber, which is based on the censure of the president.

"We had never had a president who governed so poorly." In this way, Sales announced that "for the first time" her group will propose the censure of a President of the Generalitat in this fundamental debate. Although Junts has attacked the PSC government in general with forcefulness, Illa has received the will to censure him with condescension, has dodged the criticisms, and has maintained his commitment to an "outstretched hand" regarding the Principality's crucial challenges with a very brief response.

Illa has once again asked for collaboration from Junts and to "contribute government experience," although he has asked the Junts members to "not speak ill of Catalonia." An accusation that Sales has denied, pointing out that Junts "speaks ill of the Government," not the country. In his view, "Catalonia had never had a president so incapable of governing it" and "history will judge his presidency very harshly." According to his criteria, "he has not known how to govern Catalonia nor has he wanted to defend it" and, for this reason, he has gone so far as to say that "he is not worthy of the position" of president. He even commented that Illa "has ruined" Catalonia, "has deteriorated coexistence" and "has caused the use of Catalan to decline."

Amendment

According to the Junts member, with Illa "Catalonia is doing worse," based on "anesthetizing" the nation and covering up "mismanagement" with "propaganda." Sales argued that the president "tolerates Madrid failing to comply with Catalonia by denying the resources that the Principality generates" and has encountered promises that she diagnosed as having fallen short: "Regarding the real transfer of the personal income tax, nothing; regarding Catalan national teams, nothing; regarding singular financing, nothing; regarding Rodalies, nothing," she enumerated. "This is his influence in Madrid, manager of the decline," she hammered home. In this sense, she referred to the country's main crises, which are faced by Rodalies users, young people who cannot move out, "teachers on the warpath," doctors, farmers, fishermen, self-employed workers, firefighters, or rural agents. "The country is falling apart on him," she declared. On the other hand, she questioned the supposed "lost decade" due to the 'Procés' and warned that "now companies are packing their bags" when Illa governs and without the coercion of the Spanish government and the monarchy.

Regarding housing, the Junts leader defended in the plenary session that "no vulnerable person should be evicted" and that in the event that the owner is a vulture fund, it should be the one to take charge, while the State should take care of it when it comes to small property owners. In her view, "Catalonia needs housing," but the socialists are promoting a "model of more interventionism," which "has failed in Barcelona." In parallel, she defended "orderly and regulated immigration, of rights, duties, and Catalan identity" to "be part of a society with its own language, culture, and identity," which is why she requested migration powers.

ERC: "We will be there if he complies"

Esquerra maintains its support for the PSC, but with warnings. "We offer you responsible collaboration. We are rolling up our sleeves," confirmed the president of the Republican parliamentary group, Josep Maria Jové. However, he insisted to the president of the Generalitat that he must fulfill the agreed-upon commitments. "We will be there if you fulfill them. [...] Prove that your word has value," he insisted.

The president of the ERC parliamentary group also pointed out that Illa has "failed" in his "two electoral promises" that brought him to the presidency of the Generalitat: "management" and "normalization." "Although he wants to hide the political conflict, he is not succeeding, and in this government, you can see the seams coming apart," said the republican. "The management that was promised to us is not there, nor have we been able to glimpse it; do not make excuses as you often do about how you found the country. Do not talk about a lost decade again, do not link independence movements with poor management again. You are living off the projects that we started," he added.

Jové also attacked the "lack of political leadership" of Salvador Illa as president of the Generalitat and asserted that he is "living off the rent" of the years when the republicans and independence supporters were in the executive branch. "It is a government without ambition, without management, and without leadership," Jové hammered home. Furthermore, he insisted that the republicans will be "critical" of Salvador Illa's government, but that they will not engage in "destructive opposition." "It would be very easy, but what would we gain from it?" the republican asked rhetorically. However, Jové also asked Illa to "stop saying that you will fulfill the agreements and just get on with doing it."