Senate Rejects Treaty Amid Macron’s State Visit
The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has publicly lamented the Spanish Senate’s rejection of the Spain-France Friendship and Cooperation Treaty, which was blocked on Wednesday by votes from the PP and Vox. The treaty, originally signed in Barcelona in 2022 by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and French President Emmanuel Macron, was rejected in the upper chamber despite a prior constitutional validation of its content. The Senate vote, held just hours before Macron’s state dinner at the Royal Palace on Wednesday evening, ended in 142 votes against, 106 in favour, and one abstention. The opposition from PP and Vox centred on Article 2.4 of the treaty, which allows ministers from each country to attend cabinet meetings of the other at least once every three months. Despite a joint interpretation issued by Madrid and Paris clarifying that such participation would be limited to the margins of meetings, the PP challenged the clause’s constitutionality. The Constitutional Court unanimously rejected those legal concerns on 23 September, confirming the treaty’s compatibility with the Spanish Constitution. However, the Senate’s disapproval triggers a new phase under Article 158 of the Congress Rules of Procedure, requiring a Mixed Commission to reconcile differences between the two chambers.
Illa Advocates for European Unity and Ukraine Cooperation
Speaking at the second day of the BCN Desperta! 2026 forum in Barcelona, organised by Crónica Global, Metrópoli Abierta, and El Español, Illa linked the rejection to broader concerns about national and European cohesion. He used the occasion to reaffirm Catalonia’s commitment to international cooperation, highlighting a recent visit to Kyiv where he met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and signed agreements with Ukrainian regional authorities in Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv to support reconstruction in energy, health, and infrastructure. Illa announced a forthcoming meeting in Barcelona with Ukrainian business leaders and confirmed the launch of a Catalonia-Ukraine Programme to assist in post-war rebuilding. This follows a €800,000 aid package approved by the Catalan government in May and coordinated efforts with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine.
We must strengthen European solidarity and practical cooperation, especially in times of geopolitical tension,
said Illa, recalling his recent talks in Kyiv.
Housing Crisis and Social Cohesion in Focus
Turning to domestic issues, Illa highlighted housing as the most pressing concern for Catalan society, referencing the recent eviction of Maricarmen Abascal. He reiterated new measures approved by the Catalan government this week, including a fund to purchase homes at risk of eviction, a joint home-buying mechanism for over-40s unable to secure mortgages, and the extension of Emancipation Loans.
How can I tell someone who has a job, is starting a family, and lives in a functioning economy that they cannot afford a home?
Illa asked, attributing the roots of the housing crisis largely to the 2008 financial recession. He also criticised major North American tech firms, accusing them of instrumentalising public institutions and undermining social cohesion. In contrast, he praised a positive shift in attitude among Catalan businesses and industry leaders. Illa concluded by thanking the organisers of BCN Desperta! and the media outlets behind it for their public service journalism, stressing the importance of credible information in maintaining democratic stability.
Reported by elpais.com, elconfidencial.com, David Expósito J, ara.cat, en.ara.cat, elconstitucional.es, rac1.cat, cope.es, elperiodico.cat, cronicaglobal.cat.
