Heated exchanges in general policy debate
On Wednesday 30 September 2026, the second day of the General Policy Debate unfolded at the Parliament of Catalonia in Barcelona, marked by sharp political confrontations. The most intense clash came between President of the Generalitat Salvador Illa (PSC) and Ignacio Garriga, secretary general of Vox in Catalonia, who directly labelled Illa a "corrupt" and "liar" during his speech. Garriga accused the socialist government of enabling illegal immigration and weakening public services, claiming continued Socialist rule would lead to "more migratory invasion, more collapse of public services, and criminal degradation like Ciudad Juárez." He criticised Illa for dedicating part of his previous day’s speech to international affairs, saying citizens elected him to govern Catalonia, not act as an international statesman.
Illa hits back at Vox accusations
In response, Illa rejected the allegations and called Garriga a "provocateur, rude, demagogue and uninformed." He defended his government’s record and insisted the PSC is a "clean party," stating: "I am not corrupt." Illa challenged Garriga to explain Vox’s own party financing, specifically funds allegedly received from Russia and Hungary. Appealing to their shared Catholic faith, Illa quoted Pope Leo XIII on the need to eliminate all forms of discrimination, urging reflection. Garriga countered by accusing Illa of "disguising himself as a Christian" while supporting abortion and euthanasia.
I am not corrupt.
The president also demanded action over César Gil, Vox’s councillor in Sabadell, who mimicked shooting an advisor from En Comú Podem in a recent council meeting. Garriga defended Gil’s gesture as a rhetorical question about ETA-style violence. Lluís Mijoler, a parliamentary member, responded from his seat by calling them "Nazi."
PP joins criticism with sharper tone
Alejandro Fernández, leader of the Catalan People’s Party (PP), also criticised Illa but with less inflammatory language. He mocked Illa for focusing on ideological sermons rather than managing public services, saying: "I have the feeling you are much more comfortable playing pontiff of Catalonia than president of the Generalitat." Fernández urged Illa to show humility and focus on practical issues like improving Rodalies commuter rail service before attempting to "save the world." He challenged Illa to a public Catalan language test and called for a return to former socialist leader Pasqual Maragall’s slogan of prioritising "teachers, doctors and police officers." Despite tensions, Fernández announced the PP would support cross-party proposals they agree with, regardless of origin. He also asked Illa to condemn the normalisation of the phrase "Puta España," which Illa immediately rejected, saying he has never used it and always opposes it.
More Barcelona coverage on Barna.News: Illa to Address Housing Crisis in Parliament Speech.
Reported by ultimahora.es, Parlament de Catalunya, El Periódico (CA).
