The Catalan parliament on Thursday voted against the designation of Miquel Iceta, a veteran leader of the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC), as senator for Catalonia. There were 25 votes in favor, 65 against and 39 abstentions.
PSC spokeswoman Eva Granados: To veto Miquel Iceta is to place hurdles in the way of a political way out
The Catalan separatist parties Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia), Catalan Republican Left (ERC) and the far-left anti-capitalist CUP party had announced ahead of the vote that they would vote against Iceta.
The move means that he will be unable to take up a seat in the Spanish Senate or be appointed speaker of the upper house, thwarting the plans laid out by acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose Socialist Party (PSOE) won the most votes at the general election of April 28.
Sánchez had warned on Wednesday that to block Iceta’s designation would represent “a veto on social harmony, mutual understanding and dialogue.”
Ahead of the vote on Thursday, Iceta insisted that “the only way out we have is dialogue, negotiation and dealmaking.”
But separatist parties on Thursday voted against him, while the right-of-center Popular Party (PP) and Ciudadanos (Citizens) abstained. The move is unprecedented, as until now these designations had been nearly automatic.
This will not work just because there is a Catalan speaker in the Senate: Sergi Sabrià, ERC
“What reason is there to veto Miquel Iceta?” said PSC spokeswoman Eva Granados. “Nobody had ever been vetoed before, not even Albiol (PP) or Roldán (Ciudadanos). If you voted for them, what sudden motive is there now? To veto Miquel Iceta is to place hurdles in the way of a political way out.”
But Sergi Sabrià of the Catalan Republican Left accused the central government of electioneering ahead of the local, regional and European elections of May 26.
“After all these shameful months we have learned that we will only make progress when sincere dialogue replaces electioneering. This will not work just because there is a Catalan speaker in the Senate, or because the airport gets a name change,” said Sabrià, in reference to the Cabinet decision to rename Barcelona-El Prat airport after Josep Tarradellas, a Catalan politician who was exiled under dictator Francisco Franco. “A ‘no’ was inevitable, and it was loud and clear.”
English version by Susana Urra.
Josep Catà Figuls/Camilo S. Baquero
Barcelona 16 MAY 2019 – 11:02 CEST
https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/05/16/inenglish/1557995351_178680.html
Add comment