Salvador Illa remains devoted to the Comuns: Generalitat closes its office in Israel

The investiture agreement is forcing Salvador Illa to make constant concessions to his partners, ERC and the Comuns. With only six deputies, Jéssica Albiach's party is managing to have a notable influence over the Govern. After imposing their housing policy, they now manage to have the Generalitat close its foreign office in Israel.

In this case, the demands of the Comuns fully align with the strategy that President Pedro Sánchez is following. This allows Illa to kill two birds with one stone. Satisfy his government partners, and at the same time reinforce his boss's strategy in Moncloa.

President Pedro Sánchez is carrying out a new offensive against Israel, taking advantage of the whole Eurovision scandal. It is a strategy by PSOE to cover up the Government's crisis and its drop in the polls. Illa once again plays a leading role as a representative of PSOE's and the central Government's interests.

The decision was made during a meeting between the Minister of the Presidency, Albert Dalmau, and the leader of the Comuns, Jéssica Albiach. Govern and ecosocialists have agreed to close the Generalitat's foreign office in Tel-Aviv.

The office was opened in 2015 with the aim of strengthening the Catalan business network in the area. The Govern will soon detail the closure schedule, as well as how many companies it will affect and what will happen to the office staff. Its dismantling for ideological reasons is a detriment to Catalan companies and the economy.

The Comuns get their way again

The measure bears the unmistakable mark of the Comuns, who have made the Palestinian cause and against Israel their leitmotif in this legislature. Albiach has justified the closure by the "televised genocide live" with the death of 53,000 people, 15,000 of them children.

She also said that "Catalonia could not stand idly by," and used the terms "colonization" and "ethnic cleansing of Israel in Palestine."

She also revealed that the negotiations were conducted directly with Illa, who gave the green light. In line with Sumar, Albiach has called for "taking all necessary measures from the international, European, Spanish, and Catalan spheres to stop the war in Gaza."

The Govern was initially opposed to closing the office, but the current context convinced Illa of its opportunity. With this, PSC bows to the latent colauism in the Comuns. It should be remembered that Ada Colau was a pioneer in breaking institutional relations with Israel.

PSC, in the hands of its partners

The agreement thus confirms the drift of the Illa Govern toward the most radical left. The weakness of the minority government and the growing pressure from ERC and Comuns are setting the course of the executive's policies. At the same time, they are preventing Illa from leaving his own mark, and the change of course with Israel is an example.

Another handicap for Illa is the need to support Moncloa's strategy to save President Pedro Sánchez. The President of the Generalitat is finding himself tied hand and foot. This allows him to survive for now, but at the same time prevents him from leading and setting a profile.