In Barcelona, Junts used Wednesday’s control session in the Parliament of Catalonia to press President Salvador Illa to apologise over corruption cases affecting the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE). Junts parliamentary leader Mònica Sales said Illa should stop “hiding” and give an explanation for the party’s conduct.
Illa rejected the criticism and said he is not afraid of any investigation and has already given the explanations required. The exchange took place during the chamber’s regular question time for the president, a routine part of parliamentary scrutiny in Catalonia.
Sales also referred to the PSOE federal committee held at the weekend, where Illa said socialists were not afraid of anything. In Parliament, she told him he had had an opportunity to ask for forgiveness on behalf of his party. The official Parliament record and the chamber’s published material on Junts’ request for Illa to appear are the main sources for the exchange.
The political row matters in Catalonia because it adds pressure around the government’s stability and its ability to focus on day-to-day issues such as public services, transport and budgets. The Catalan government depends on parliamentary support to move measures forward, so clashes between the government and opposition parties can affect negotiations in the chamber.
For readers following the wider political context, the Parliament of Catalonia is the regional legislature in Barcelona. On first mention, the Catalan Socialists’ Party (PSC) is Illa’s party in Catalonia, and the PSOE is its sister party at Spanish state level. You can follow more Catalonia political coverage on our News page.
Primary sources for this story include the Government of Catalonia presidency notes on Illa’s response, and the Parliament of Catalonia’s official material. Readers can also monitor the Parliament’s agenda and published session records for any further developments.
Primary sources: Government of Catalonia (Presidency), Government of Catalonia (Presidency), Parliament of Catalonia.
