Sánchez fractures Catalan nationalism: Puigdemont, Mas, Montilla and Aragonès debate the country

BarcelonaSpanish President Pedro Sánchez is deeply dividing Catalan political identity today. In the post-independence era, without a pro-independence majority, the big question is what to do with the Spanish government: whether to block it or negotiate with it. Without any criticism of their past actions, former Catalan presidents José Montilla, Artur Mas, Carles Puigdemont, and Pere Aragonès clashed over Sánchez and unity in a colloquium on Catalan identity this Thursday. Because they quickly reached an agreement on Catalan identity in theory, but when it comes to putting it into practice, everything changes.

The 45th anniversary of the Joventut Nacionalista de Catalunya (JNC), the youth wing of Junts – and formerly of Convergència – brought together the former presidents, all in retirement except for Puigdemont, who was the main focus. the fragile relationship with the PSOE which is strongly opposed by ERC and PSC, while Mas has avoided the issue. Before the Junts leadership, both Montilla and Aragonès sent messages to Puigdemont, who remained unfazed and asserted that "it is worth taking the risks of holding another October 1st demonstration." Calling for an end to "infighting," the former Socialist president declared: "If we go together, we will move forward. If we don't go together, we won't." In his view, "Catalan nationalism advances when it is united; if it fragments and each side prioritizes its own partisan interests, defeat is guaranteed because the State and Europe are there." He added that this approach "has always sought to be beneficial to the people of Catalonia." Assuming that it is now known "that some things are not possible," he insisted that the Principality "needs a broad and strong Catalan nationalism, as united as possible, to achieve the necessary levels of self-government." This was a message for Junts and its "interests," without explicitly naming them, a point Aragonès emphasized.

The former Republican president defended his negotiating role with the Sánchez government and commented that there was "a tool that is still available," which is "the negotiation process" to explore "the possibility of moving forward." "We still have this opportunity [...] When the circumstances arise, you must take advantage of them," he concluded, asserting that Sánchez "acted out of self-interest," due to a "balance of power."

Convergent profile

The Catalan National Youth (JNC) could not have projected a more convergent image at this colloquium, but it was precisely the demeanor of a long-time member of the Convergence movement like Puigdemont, who received enthusiastic applause, that highlighted the transformation of the political space founded by Jordi Pujol. "The great challenge that remains is freedom," Puigdemont pointed out, in order to safeguard the Catalan language, social policies, and citing the 20 billion euro fiscal deficit. He also responded to Montilla, stating that on October 1, 2017, Catalans were "united," including "people who voted against independence." Furthermore, he argued that the "costs of dependency" are "quantifiable" and "greater" than those of independence.

In contrast, Mas, the only one who received shouts of "President" from the JNC militants, championed Catalan nationalism with the Pujol-era slogan "Catalonia First," adding that "in Catalonia, people come first." He emphasized an identity based on language, but also addressed the demographic challenge of a country that has reached eight million inhabitants: "This is not neutral; it creates tensions and specific situations that Catalan nationalism must know how to address with a compelling appeal," he said. Regarding all these challenges, including the economic one, he argued that it is necessary to determine "the degree of sovereignty that the country needs," without specifying what that degree would be. Aragonès even advocated for a referendum "with an applicable result" and warned that it is necessary "to continue guaranteeing social cohesion," which is "threatened in Catalonia [...] by economic and demographic transformations." "Any Catalan nationalism that is not inclusive is destined for defeat," he concluded. A message for Aliança Catalana, which no one has mentioned.