Salvador Illa calls for preserving "democratic coexistence" in the face of the rise of the far right

BarcelonaIf the Salvador Illa's first Sant Esteve speech last year While his previous speech focused on defending the "fraternity between territories" of the State and declaring the Catalan independence process a thing of the past, this time he wanted his central message to be a warning about the rise of the far right. In fact, this is one of the issues that the President of the Generalitat has been repeating in recent months, as he also did this week in his assessment of 2025, where he warned of the "rise of extremism" that places Europe at an "existential crossroads." He insisted in his speech this Boxing Day: "What is at stake in Europe today goes beyond a merely political issue. Our way of life, our democratic coexistence, and our shared prosperity are at stake," he warned. For this reason, he called, once again, for the defense of "human values."

The president's words come at a time when polls predict a rise in far-right parties in Europe, but also in Spain and Catalonia. The latest survey by the Center for Opinion Studies (CEO), for example, predicted that Aliança Catalana was positioned as the third force in the Parliament, tied with Junts., while Vox was once again doing the overtaking within the PP, where it was the fourth largest party. But outside of the polls, the most recent example of this surge was the elections in Extremadura, where Vox skyrocketed and will once again hold the key if María Guardiola (PP) wants to retain the presidency. For all these reasons, Illa calls for "acting with humanity" to guarantee "coexistence." A "coexistence" that he also urged must be preserved. King Felipe VI in his Christmas speech In the face of the rise of "extremism."

"Humanity means welcoming and integrating those in need, it means defending our welfare state to guarantee public education and healthcare for all, it means guaranteeing housing as a right, it means offering social assistance to those who need it most, and it also means guaranteeing dignity, security, and coexistence." The president's call, moreover, comes while the crisis is still ongoing. the controversial eviction of the B9 in Badalona which has put the city's mayor, Xavier García Albiol, in the spotlight. "Without that humanity, without that solidarity, no country or society can be built," Illa declared.

Thus, the president emphasized that the response to the "needs and challenges" facing Catalonia cannot be "to blame those who have the least or those who are different." "We will build a better Catalonia for everyone with effective politics and responsible public policies with solutions that serve the people. All the people," he asserted. In other words, Illa sought to confront once again the xenophobic rhetoric preached by the far right. "Challenges are faced with collective action and with confidence." "We must be clear about the need to invest public resources, everyone's resources, in what is important, in the general interest and the common good, in people," he added. Isla, in this regard, also wanted to acknowledge the work of all public servants and paid tribute to the firefighters who died in the Santa Susanna and Paüls fires, as well as the residents of Agramunt who also lost their lives. The president highlighted the work of these public servants for having faced situations such as the fires in the Noguera, Segarra, and Urgell regions; the floods in the Terres de l'Ebre; and the outbreaks of nodular dermatosis and swine fever. Funding and Budgets

Illa has begun his second year in office with two pending challenges: signing the agreement for new financing with ERC and trying to pass his first budget, the 2026 budget. These two issues are closely linked because the Republicans have made financing a condition. sine qua non to negotiate the Catalan budget. The president made no reference to either issue, although he assured that there is "much work to be done" leading up to 2026. "We have the will and the commitment to do it," he stated, adding that next year will be "better" than 2025, which Illa described as a "good year for Catalonia."