Illa pledges to buy apartments from vulnerable families to avoid cases like that of Maricarmen Abascal

BarcelonaSalvador Illa gives the official starting signal for the political year with new promises, especially in housing. The President of the Generalitat has announced in the general policy debate in Parliament that the Government will promote an anti-eviction fund, joint purchases between administrations and citizens who cannot afford the down payment for an apartment, and the expansion of youth emancipation loans.

The leader of the PSC has pointed out that the goal is to avoid more cases like that of Maricarmen Abascal, who was evicted from her home at 87 years old. "This is not the model of society we want," Illa remarked. And he compared himself indirectly with Madrid, governed by the PP of Isabel Díaz Ayuso. "In Catalonia, we have values and we put humanity before everything else," he stressed. On the other hand, he took the opportunity to thank the processing of the Maricarmen decree promoted by the Spanish government, led by Pedro Sánchez.

It is in this context, that of the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal and housing at the center of the debate in Madrid, that Illa has launched the commitment to create a 25 million euro fund to avoid new cases like that of this lady from Madrid. As the president explained, it would only be activated as a "last resort" and to stop the evictions of "vulnerable" citizens. The amount of money put in by the Generalitat is "expandable" and Illa has invited other administrations—such as city councils, county councils, and provincial councils—to contribute more funding.

This, however, has not been the only "unprecedented" measure that Illa has committed to carrying out. He also announced that the Generalitat will offer the option to Catalans of "40 years old with stable incomes"—but who have "difficulties accessing a mortgage"—to assume half of the purchase and ownership of a home. The deal is that the citizen can live there as an owner for 40 or 50 years, and then pay the rest or hand it over to the Generalitat, which would use it as social housing.

The application of the amnesty

On October 6th, a plenary session at the Parliament of Catalonia and another at the Constitutional Court will begin in parallel. In Madrid, the progressive wing of the Constitutional Court will validate the full amnesty for former minister Dolors Bassa and, by extension, for the rest of the October 1st leaders whom the Supreme Court had refused to amnesty. That day it will not yet be effective, but the President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, is confident that in the next plenary session of the Parliament, scheduled for October 20th, Catalonia will be able to welcome the deputies who remain in exile. "I want us to have President Puigdemont with us in the next debate we have in Parliament."

Illa opened his third general policy debate this Tuesday, the 40th of the democracy, with a message of optimism. The president has claimed the work of his government to improve people's lives and also to improve coexistence. And this is where the amnesty comes in, necessary to build a "more united, cohesive and prosperous" society. "The amnesty law has the endorsement of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and the Constitutional Court. Its application is mandatory without further delay. And so it will be, as I have always defended," he insisted. Illa has vehemently defended the application of the amnesty since it was one of the agreements between the PSOE, ERC, and Junts for the investiture of Pedro Sánchez in 2023. Before, he, like the rest of the Socialist Party, had opposed this measure.

In addition to guaranteeing the return of Puigdemont to Parliament, it will also cause another active deputy to return from exile, such as former minister Lluís Puig, and for Josep Maria Jové, president of the ERC parliamentary group, to see the case against him at the High Court of Justice of Catalonia dismissed. Illa has also defended that the republican president, Oriol Junqueras, should have his political rights restored. "Catalonia decided to look forward a long time ago. The vast majority of us are committed to reconciliation, dialogue, and coexistence."