Consensus against hate speech in Catalan Parliament
The debate of general policy at the Parliament of Catalonia on Wednesday 01 October 2026 saw an unexpected moment of unity between the People's Party of Catalonia (PPC) and the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC), as President of the Generalitat Salvador Illa formally condemned the use of the phrase 'Puta España'. The moment came during a rebuttal by PPC spokesperson Alejandro Fernández, who challenged Illa to publicly denounce the expression, which has increasingly appeared in public media and political events linked to pro-independence circles. Fernández stated: 'Since you preach so much, I ask you to publicly condemn the expressions of “Puta España” directed at key political figures present here.'
Illa responds with clear condemnation
Illa accepted the challenge. In his reply, he said: 'And I condemn the expression “Puta España”, “Puta Catalunya”, and “Puta whatever”, because I have never used it and have always condemned incivility and expressions of hatred, including this one.' This marks a significant shift, as the phrase, initially justified as humour by some independentist comedians and media personalities, has been used at public events funded by the Catalan public broadcaster CCMA and even by elected officials. In September 2026, the mayor of Santa Eugènia de Berga, Xavier Fernández of Junts, ended a public speech with the words 'Puta España, and viva the Catalan Countries'.
PP and PSC draw line on hate speech
The PP and PSC have now jointly affirmed that such language is not humour but a form of hate speech. This agreement emerged during parliamentary debate, where the PPC had previously accused the government of neglecting accountability while spending 410 million euros on TV3 compared to just 13 million euros on family support programmes. While Junts and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) have typically remained silent on the issue, interpreted by critics as tacit approval, the PSC's public stance signals a break from that pattern. The PSC holds significant influence within the CCMA, the public media body that recently awarded a prize to podcasters who then shouted 'Puta España' on stage.
'The “Puta España!” is not humour, it is an expression of hatred.'
The debate highlights a broader tension within Catalan politics, where calls to combat hate speech from the far right have not always been matched by equal scrutiny of similar rhetoric from segments of the independence movement.
The parliamentary session continues today, with further discussion expected on budget priorities and governance. The full transcript of proceedings is available on the Parlament's official website.
Primary sources: culturadigital.blog.gencat.cat. Reported by elconfidencial.com, parlament.cat, Parlament de Catalunya, hoy.es, elcorreo.com, elcomercio.es, elnacional.cat, okdiario.com, periodistadigital.com, informeraxen.es, radarcultural.es, Departament d'Edicions, Departament d'Edicions del Parlament de Catalunya, Fino, El Confidencial.
