Yesterday, President Illa gave himself a bath of solemnity to highlight that he has reached the midpoint of his term with a budget for next year, a project to improve the financing system, and the country with the independence movement faded. And all of this is no small thing, considering he only has 42 deputies. Stability of today versus the independence paralysis of ten years, would be the message.Illa gave a speech, therefore, there were no uncomfortable questions nor did he make any self-criticism for the management problems, which was precisely what he boasted about in the election campaign two years ago. On the contrary, the idea was to convey an inspiring and visionary message (the conference was titled 'The future is here') on a quiet night.And within this presidential framework, the president made the announcement intended to make headlines: Illa will promote a great educational pact.“As president of the Generalitat, I am calling from this moment on the whole country to a debate on education, a debate to take action, a debate that will lead us to reach a new great country consensus for education. I will soon initiate a round of meetings with the political forces with parliamentary representation, I will ask the Education Council of Catalonia to be the instrument for this debate, from the knowledge and pluralism it represents. I commit to ensuring that the debate includes, now yes, reaching the 6% of public investment as established by the education law approved by the Parliament of Catalonia in the year 2009. A 6% of the resources of the country's gross domestic product destined for education. We must take Catalan education to excellence”.This has been their way of admitting that, after two years of management, this school year has begun with a teachers' strike and the conflict is far from over. We are in favor of this pact. Not today. Days ago, as you will surely remember if you follow us regularly. 15 days ago, on September 1st, I said here: “A country pact for education. Now or never, because what is at stake is the country itself”. And a week ago I stated that “reaching a great country agreement for education, thinking of the students and the future of the country, is increasingly necessary”. Therefore, it would be good news if this pact turned out well. It could turn out well, because we have the talent and it seems (Illa announced that it would move towards 6% of public investment in Education) that we will have the means. But the greatness and generosity of the Government, the opposition, the unions, the teachers, and the families are needed. I insist, hopefully this pact can be developed, because the future of the country depends on it, but the Government must admit that it has not been at all inspired when it comes to setting the course.Beyond the specific announcements, beyond what is said, there is what is meant. And yesterday, the president wanted to send a message of self-esteem, even of the joy of living, as when he said that “Catalonia is a wonderful place, where wonderful things happen”. I also believe it, but when a politician wants to generate enthusiasm in Catalonia, he must keep in mind that this is a country for which the Spanish Constitution and the Statute of Catalonia, and the financing, are too small, very small, and that the common regime does not inspire. And that this morning there are people looking at Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, who have signed a document more declarative than effective to form a common front and pressure London for independence and thinks that what is most exciting is giving a state to the nation.

When the Minister of Education herself describes the PISA blunder as "very serious", when she admits that the problem could have been solved in time, when she reveals that the State warned on seven occasions about the error in the sample, almost everything has been said.Even more so: when the disaster costs the number two of the department her position, a senior official is subjected to disciplinary proceedings for “omissions that constitute carelessness or negligence in the fulfillment of established obligations” and two more proceedings are opened for serious misconduct against two civil servants for a “presumed breach of their obligations and duties as public officials”, it is pertinent to ask what is happening in the Department of Education, because we are not facing errors, but attitudes, attitudes sustained over time, so sustained (seven warnings!) that we join the hypothesis formulated today in our editorial that it was not bad faith. Was it a matter of excluding students from the sample who would probably perform poorly? Was it a matter of protecting the Government from the disrepute of a fall to even lower positions in the European school rankings? Or an attempt to harm it, considering that President Illa focused on the PISA report as soon as he took office as president, when he signed a collaboration agreement with the OECD in January 2025 to improve the skills of Catalan students in four years and redirect the results of the educational system? Well, not only has there been no redirection, but there has been an international failure of our Government, an executive that came to demonstrate good management, opposed to the independence fervor of a whole decade that was considered lost.

"Local governments need support." The Minister of the Presidency, Albert Dalmau, made these remarks in Parliament during the debate to approve an extraordinary fund which, added to the local cooperation fund, brings the total amount the Generalitat (Catalan government) has injected into local entities this year to 170 million euros. This money should allow them to pay bills at a time when utility prices are rising and interest payments to banks continue to increase. The need to resort to these kinds of mechanisms to guarantee essential services in municipalities highlights one of the major problems facing local governments: the lack of a stable, predictable, and sufficient funding framework to cover the costs of the services they provide.

"Barcelona will have an intercontinental airport and the airports of Reus and Girona will have high-speed train stations connecting them". Thus goes the agreement reached this Monday between the central government, the Generalitat and state airport company Aena to give the green light to the expansion of El Prat airport. After months of heated public debate, which has pitted Catalan economic forces and Aena against ecological movements, neighbours and city councils of the metropolitan area, this afternoon it has been announced that the agreement that unlocks a planned investment of €1.7bn in Catalonia's biggest infrastructure.