Illa Clashes With CUP in Parlament

PSC and CUP experienced a moment of relaxation at the start of the legislature. The CUP members offered the benefit of the doubt to Salvador Illa's new government and even opened up to negotiating the budgets. They also reached important agreements with PSC in several town halls.

PSC's latest moves, however, haven't pleased CUP at all. This is especially true regarding the agreements reached with ERC and Junts for new concessions and transfers of power to Catalonia.

Last plenary session in Parlament, CUP deputy Laia Estrada asked the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa: “Where does our right to self-determination stand?”

Salvador Illa has expressed being “satisfied” with the agreements reached, which he believes are “positive” for Catalans. For example, increasing mossos d'esquadra officers or creating more courts. Regarding the right to self-determination, he reminded that “Catalans vote when the time comes” and that “now I'm governing.”

The president defended his role as “defender of Catalonia's interests” before the central government, specifically with bilateral meetings.

CUP was Very Harsh with Salvador Illa

But Laia Estrada struck back, reproaching that the right to self-determination of Catalans “never makes it to the agenda of these bilateral meetings.” She emphasized that this right is defended by the majority of Catalans. She criticized that it has gone back “thirteen years,” reviving “Artur Mas's fiscal deal.”

The deputy told Salvador Illa that he is “Moncloa's delegate” in Catalonia and that the bilateral meetings are “a farce.”

However, she also criticized ERC, Junts, and Comuns as accomplices in endorsing the narrative of political normalization in Catalonia. CUP criticizes that “their resolution of the political conflict is reduced to more police and more judges” or to “forgiving us part of the debt generated as a result of poor financing.”

Low Blow from Salvador Illa

“Are we telling people that the goal of October 1st was this?” The deputy asked rhetorically. She demanded “self-determination, referendum, amnesty for all, decent housing, public health, and Catalan in schools.”

“And on top of that, he'll want us to applaud him,” she said in a final snub.

Salvador Illa raised the tone in his reply, reproaching CUP for not attending the informative meeting prior to the bilateral tables. “It says a lot about what your attitude is,” he snapped.

And he threw a final jab: “It's not my fault that you have zero deputies in Congress.”