In Camp de Tarragona, Catalan President Salvador Illa defended Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, calling him a “moral and dignified reference” for Spain and Europe. His comments came during what he described as an “intense and complex week” linked to corruption information concerning the PSOE and former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
Speaking at the Festa de la Rosa, Illa backed Sánchez’s political project and contrasted it with the approach of the Popular Party. He said Alberto Núñez Feijóo was “not quite taking off as a candidate” and referred to former Prime Minister José María Aznar, adding: “He who can hear, let him hear; he who can see, let him see; he who can check, let him check.”
Illa did not address the corruption allegations directly. Instead, he focused on what he described as the different values of the two political camps and praised the current progressive government’s record. He said the recent events should be seen in the context of the progress Sánchez’s government has made over the past eight years.
“We are people who go straight, who do not hide, but we are not naive. We know how to read things. And what is happening?” Illa said. He then pointed to what he described as gains in freedom, social rights, stability and coexistence, and said Spain is the best-performing economy in Europe and the main engine of job creation in Europe.
Illa also said the choice was between “one plural, diverse, and inclusive” model and another that wants everything “uniformised”. He described them as “two models of society, of economy, of common good, and of politics”, one as public service and the other as a conquest of power at any price. He said Catalonia is clearer about the model it wants. For more Catalonia-wide political coverage, see our news page.
He also used the speech to highlight his government’s plans on housing, healthcare, dependency and projects for Camp de Tarragona. Illa referred to a recent education agreement as a “first, historic step” to work together and raise education to levels of excellence. He closed by sending greetings to Zapatero and repeating a line he attributed to him: “Against every insult, a proposal; against every disqualification, an idea; and against every exaggeration, a big smile.”