Editorial, 31 October 2022
The Minister for Universities assures that “the legitimate president in Brussels is an episode from five years ago” that has been superseded by electoral periods
The Minister for Research and Universities, Joaquim Nadal, has fundamentally amended the political thesis of the former president of the Generalitat on the run from justice in Waterloo, Carles Puigdemont, by denying that today he still holds “presidential legitimacy”. “The legitimate president in Brussels, Waterloo, is an episode of five years ago,” said the former socialist, now in the executive team of Pere Aragonès as an independent, in an interview on Café d’Idees of La 2 and Ràdio 4.
The politician from Girona, a city that both he and the PSC governed until it was defeated at the polls by the project led by Puigdemont, defended the full legitimacy and institutionality of the autonomous elections of 2017 and 2021 in Catalonia. Both the results and the presidencies of Quim Torra and Aragonès, even though the former claimed to be a vicarious president and did not even dare to occupy the office of president of the Generalitat.
The Minister for Research and Universities, Joaquim Nadal, has fundamentally amended the political thesis of the former president of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont, who has fled from justice in Waterloo, by denying that today he still holds “presidential legitimacy”. “The legitimate president in Brussels, Waterloo, is an episode of five years ago,” said the former socialist, now in the executive team of Pere Aragonès as an independent, in an interview on Café d’Idees of La 2 and Ràdio 4.
The politician from Girona, a city that both he and the PSC governed until it was defeated at the polls by the project led by Puigdemont, defended the full legitimacy and institutionality of the autonomous elections of 2017 and 2021 in Catalonia. Both the results and the presidencies of Quim Torra and Aragonès, even though the former claimed himself to be a vicarious president and did not even dare to occupy the office of president of the Generalitat.
Crime of sedition
In this way, he breaks with one of the most widely defended theses of the most radical pro-independence movement, which assures that Puigdemont is still the legitimate Catalan president. This also clashes with the daily reality of Catalonia, especially since it is governed by a single-colour ERC government with independents.
He adds that this clash with regard to the interpretation of the Catalan reality is what has led the politician on the run from justice to reject the reform of the crime of sedition, although he considers that this position (Puigdemont’s and, by extension, that of Junts) will not hinder the negotiation.
1-O, a great mobilisation
Nadal described 1-O as a “great mobilisation” that “did not end up being what people expected, as the objective of the consultation did not materialise”. He therefore urged the “independentistas” to recognise this and the state to apologise for the police action. It should be recalled that the Catalan Minister for Universities was president of the commission for the right to decide in Girona, which is why he played an active role in the Catalan independence process.
With regard to the post-process, he urged that “the Statute of Autonomy”, which was negotiated during the first tripartite government in Catalonia, an executive of which he was also a member as head of the territory, be “retaken in its entirety”. He assured that the original document, which was “limited, modulated and burdened by the ruling of the Constitutional Court”, could be a “starting point for self-government”. He called for it to be used to move towards “self-determination and amnesty”.
Budgets of the Generalitat
In the same interview, he maintained that the government will make “whatever moves are necessary” to approve the Generalitat’s budget for 2023. In this way, he abandons the vetoes and red lines that the leader of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, basically places on the PSC, considering it to be a party of the 155.
He has clarified that he is not directly involved in the negotiations and has recalled that “many people in Catalonia, except for the destroyers, believe that an electoral process is not convenient now”. He avoided singling out any specific political party to which to attach this label, but between the lines it was understood that the dart was aimed at, at the very least, the most radical part of Junts.
In this sense, he stated that the accounts that Aragonès is negotiating carry “the accent and the hand” of the former minister of Economy and member of Junts, Jaume Giró. But with one difference: an increase in social spending.
Defender of social democracy
On a personal level, Nadal has claimed to be a “socialist without a party”. He assures that social democracy is “above” political formations and defends that his career is “coherent”. He explained that he feels very comfortable at the moment in his life in the Ministry of Research and Universities and that he does not aspire to occupy any other area in Catalan politics other than the one he is currently leading.
He has also quashed an incipient rumour. He has no intention of standing as a REC candidate for mayor of Girona. He considers that this is a political stage that has been overcome.
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