Controversial Post Sparks Outrage
Roger Pinart, second deputy mayor of El Port de la Selva and a member of the Junts municipal group, has drawn widespread criticism after declaring his support for the swastika on social media. On 24 September 2026, Pinart responded to a Junts post titled 'Against hate, now and always. With President Companys, now and always', a reference to the historic 1936 'Let's crush fascism' poster by Pere Català i Pic, with the message: 'In this case, swastika'. The original Junts campaign, inspired by the anti-fascist artwork displayed in the Catalan Parliament by pro-independence parties, was directed at Aliança Catalana for supporting Vox in an attempt to block sanctions over derogatory remarks about executed president Lluís Companys.
Family Ties and Political Affiliations
Pinart, who ran fifth on Junts' 2023 municipal list and holds a leadership role in the town's governing body, is described by the party as an independent figure despite remaining within the Junts-led administration, which governs El Port de la Selva with an absolute majority. He is the son of Genís Pinart, a long-serving former mayor of the municipality, and the brother of another Genís Pinart, who currently serves as regional president of Aliança Catalana in Alt Empordà.
Sílvia Orriols, leader of Aliança Catalana, claimed her party's support for Vox was an 'error' by her spokesperson, Rosa Maria Soberana, following backlash over defending comments labelling Companys a 'murderer'.
This incident follows a 22 September 2026 vote in the Parliament’s Board of Spokespersons, where Aliança Catalana joined Vox and the PP in attempting to overturn a sanction against Joan Garriga, Vox’s spokesperson, for calling Companys an 'assassin' and displaying offensive posters.
Defiant Response to Criticism
Rather than retract his statement, Pinart has continued to defend his position. He has shared a second image, likely generated using artificial intelligence, depicting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez lying on the ground beneath a flag resembling the Catalan senyera, though with only three red stripes, and bearing the text: 'Communism or Catalonia. You choose'. The Parliament’s Committee on the Status of Deputies has previously ruled that such rhetoric crosses the line of acceptable conduct under Article 7 of its Code of Conduct, which prohibits discriminatory or disrespectful speech toward other deputies. The committee’s decision on 22 September 2026 confirmed that Garriga’s actions constituted a minor offense, subjecting him to penalties ranging from a public reprimand to a fine of up to €12,000.
Primary sources: patrimoni.gencat.cat, eleccions.gencat.cat, govern.cat. Reported by ARA, Diari ARA, en.ara.cat, resultados-elecciones.rtve.es, elDiario.es Catalunya, catalannews.com, emporda.info, ara.cat.
