Readers in Catalonia have questioned two recent points at Ara Cat, an editorial on the defence industry and what some see as a Barcelona-centred view of the region. The newspaper’s ombudsman addressed both complaints in its digital editions.
One subscriber, Antoni Soler Ricart, a former president of FundiPau, said he felt “disgust and disagreement” with the paper’s editorial of 10 May, titled “Defence and technology: a Catalan approach”. He said the paper’s position seemed at odds with its usual sensitivity to war, militarism and international relations, and argued that the issue was especially sensitive in Catalonia, where pacifist traditions remain strong.
Ignasi Aragay, the deputy director, said the editorial was written “exclusively from an economic and business point of view”. He said Catalonia’s pacifist roots go back to the Spanish Civil War and that Europeanism, strengthened after the Second World War, has also aimed to prevent further conflict. He added that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and what he described as the United States renouncing its role via NATO in European security, had changed the context.
Aragay said Europe now needs to take more responsibility for its own defence, including by considering the military industry. He argued that defending Europe against Russian aggression means defending social-liberal democracy and consolidating that democratic space worldwide, rather than leaving Europe dependent on an unreliable United States or a dictatorial China.
Toni Güell, head of Opinion, said the newspaper regularly publishes pacifist and anti-militarist views in its Debate and International sections. He cited writers and analysts including Vicenç Fisas, Jordi Armadans, Carme Colomina, David Fernàndez and Natza Farré, and said the paper also follows organisations such as the Delàs Centre, the Catalan International Institute for Peace and SIPRI. He added that Ara Cat has published a dossier on pacifism in contemporary Europe and an interactive feature on non-armed civil resistance in Ukraine.
Other readers raised style and coverage concerns. Fèlix Tarrida questioned the paper’s use of formal and informal address in interviews, while Xavier Albertí said a Sant Jordi special on dragons was too focused on Barcelona. The ombudsman said the paper’s use of tu, vostè and vós depends on the person and context, and acknowledged the criticism about Barcelona bias, saying coverage should reflect Catalonia as a whole, not only the metropolitan area.