Sovereigntism turns the offering to Companys into an outcry against the Court of Auditors

BarcelonaThe Court of Auditors has become the indirect protagonist of the traditional floral offering in the cemetery of Montjuïc to pay homage to Lluís Companys, shot by Franco's regime on October 15, 1940. The Catalan Government, Parliament and several parties attended the Fossar de la Pedrera and they have all been critical of the case against Catalan government officials. It is a reminder that, 81 years later, repression does not stop. The reading from all sides has been that, despite the fact that there are no longer any executions, the Catalan institutions are still being persecuted. Some have even said that now no one is being killed but the "civil death" of some political leaders is being sought.

The Government has been one of the first to attend the Fossar. At the front were president Pere Aragonès, vice-president Jordi Puigneró and minister of the Presidency, Laura Vilagrà. Aragonès was the first to . According to the president, the shooting of Companys was an "attack" on Catalan institutions, as is, in his opinion, the case opened by the Court of Auditors. "They have tried to put an end to the institutions in a physical way, as demonstrated by the shooting of Companys, but also with repression," he said. There has been no answer, however, as to how the Government will react once it has been made clear that this court does not accept the Institut Català de Finances (ICF) bonds for defendants' bails. The president has only promised "firmness" and "collective solidarity".

This Friday not only has there been no difference in ERC and JxCat's message, but at times they have been almost identical. For the president of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, the case of the Court of Auditors – where he stands as one of the accused – is a "new example that repression never stops". "Repression continues very much alive," said Parliament Speaker Laura Borràs (JxCat). Junts secretary general Jordi Sànchez accused the state of seeking pro-independence leaders' "civil death" through the seizure of their assets. Even so, he has had an optimistic vision: he has considered that, while in Companys's case Europe collaborated in his execution – he was arrested by the Gestapo – now the pro-independence movement will count on the "European complicity" when it comes to overruling court cases in the State.

Warnings for the Government

But not all was messages against the Court of Auditors: there were also warning for the Catalan Government. Demòcrates, for example, criticised the audit body based in Madrid, but then had a go at the dialogue table. "There is no path for dialogue with the state until hostilities cease," said its leader, Antoni Castellà. The president of the ANC, Elisenda Paluzie, asked not to devote "an ounce" of strength to try to "reform the Spanish state". "The struggle is the only way," proclaimed CUP deputy Carles Riera. In addition, the vice president of Òmnium Cultural, Marcel Mauri, and PDECat's representative on the Spanish parliament, Genís Boadella reproached the State for never having apologised for the shooting of Companys.

En Comú promises a "thorough reform" of the body

It is not only pro-independence leaders who laid a wreath to Companys. The Unidas Podemos leader in the Spanish Parliament, Jaume Asens, also attended. He also had a message critical of the Court of Auditors, in the same line of everything else that was heard during the morning. In his case, taking advantage of his role in Madrid, he has taken on the commitment to promote a "thorough reform" of this court, which he believes to be politicised. The only party that has distanced itself from these repeated criticisms has been the Catalan Socialists' Party. The socialist leader in Parliament, Salvador Illa, admitted that the guarantees were legal but asked for respect for the Court of Auditors.