BARCELONA, Catalonia: Junts parliamentary leader Mònica Sales has criticised ERC for backing the budget agreement reached by Salvador Illa’s Catalan government with ERC and Comuns, saying it gives the executive “fuel”.
In an interview with ElNacional.cat, reported by Europa Press on Sunday, Sales said the government “permanently denationalises” Catalonia. She described the budget talks as a “farce” and said the executive did not want to speak with Junts during the process.
Sales also said that approving the budgets amounts to supporting the “politics of collapse”, and argued that ERC has internal problems. “We have suffered imprisonment and repression, and supporting these budgets is a monumental downgrade,” she said.
On tax collection in Catalonia and talks in the Spanish Congress, Sales called it an “absurdity” to turn again to Junts. She said Junts’ position is to seek an economic agreement for Catalonia. For more Catalonia-wide political coverage, see our news page.
Sales also questioned the inclusion of the orbital railway line in the pact, saying it came at a time when “the chaos of Rodalies [commuter rail] and mobility is permanent”. She noted that Junts had voted in favour of the project in parliament, but said the issue was one of context and concept. She also referred to the investment consortium, which she called an “absurdity”, and said efforts must be made to make the third additional provision of the Statute of Autonomy a reality.
Asked about Junts’ candidate for next year’s Barcelona municipal elections, Sales said Josep Rius’ decision not to stand was honest. She added that the party should be free to run its selection process as it sees fit, and said what happens in Barcelona is not separate from the rest of Catalonia.
