The Ripoll City Council distances itself from the call for war against Islam by Cotarelo, whom it has hired for the Diada

Barcelona"Either we convert to Islam and live as second-class citizens, paying taxes, or we wage war and, of course, as far as they are concerned, they are defeated". The Sant Jordi speech given by Ramon Cotarelo in Ripoll has been marked by controversy due to the warmongering tone used by the political scientist hired by the city council led by Sílvia Orriols. Both Junts and ERC have criticized Cotarelo for holding an Aliança Catalana (AC) "rally" at the Ripoll monastery. His bellicose language has even caused the city council to distance itself in a statement: "We regret that the content of the speech did not strictly adhere to the commemoration of the Diada".

According to the municipal government, "full freedom" had been given to Cotarelo to prepare his intervention and they did not know its content. "The reflections expressed during his speech are, therefore, the glossator's own opinions and not a speech previously agreed upon with the institution".

"They have even promoted bringing back military service to wage war against people of other religious denominations. Totalitarianism in its purest form, reinforcing AC's xenophobic discourse," denounced the ERC group in Ripoll, which felt "shame and indignation." For its part, Junts recalled that "the city council must represent Ripoll, not partisan interests."

Ramon Cotarelo was the last-minute choice to deliver the speech for the Diada, which marks the starting point of the commemoration events organized in Ripoll. He was chosen after the philosopher Bernat Dedéu, who had initially committed to it, ended up resigning. Last year, the speech was given by the actor Toni Albà, who, unlike Cotarelo, focused on the need for immigrants to adapt: "When people have migrated, they have adapted to the place where they arrive, because the goal is to stop being immigrants".