ERC emphasizes that the agreement with the PSOE does include unique financing for Catalonia, in response to Montero's words

The ERC spokesperson in the Senate encourages the PSOE to have "political will" for a referendum: "They already said that amnesty was impossible"

MADRID, 17 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The ERC spokesperson in the Senate, Sara Bailac, has referred to the agreement between her party and the PSOE for the inauguration of Pedro Sánchez, which speaks of creating a bilateral negotiation to talk about unique financing for Catalonia, given the statements of the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, who denied in the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council (CPFF) that this negotiation existed exclusively with the Government.

In an interview with Europa Press, Bailac assured that she refers "to what is written in that agreement" when asked about the statements of the Minister of Finance denying a bilateral negotiation after the Catalan minister did not attend the Council of Fiscal policy.

Specifically, several regional councilors revealed at the end of the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council that Minister María Jesús Montero wanted it to be recorded in the minutes that there is no bilateral negotiation with Catalonia regarding financing.

However, ERC wanted to refer to the agreement signed with the PSOE for the investiture of Pedro Sánchez. The text of the pact states that a bilateral commission will be established during the first quarter of 2024 between the Government and the Generalitat with the aim of reaching an agreement and enabling progress in achieving "adequate financing that guarantees the financial sufficiency of the services." of Catalonia", as well as "ensure compliance with the investment commitments contained in the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia".

In this context, the ERC spokesperson in the Senate recalled that the Ministry of Economy of the Generalitat is working on a unique financing proposal for Catalonia, trying to "find a solution" for, as she said, the fiscal deficit. that Catalonia suffers".

Likewise, Sara Bailac has also pointed out that the independence movement "is going to be decisive" in this legislature in reference to the referendum, warning the PSOE that had been saying for years that the amnesty "was an impossible issue": "So we still spent some time listening to them to say that the referendum is also impossible, but in politics everything is a matter of political will.

In this regard, he has claimed the role of ERC to "force" the PSOE to opt for dialogue "to resolve the political conflict", although he has insisted that the amnesty law is "the first step" to "equalize the conditions." in which the parties negotiate".

"So we understand that the amnesty is the first step to be able to enter into the underlying issue, which is how we are going to make it possible for the citizens of Catalonia to express themselves at the polls about the future of their country," he proclaimed.

And when asked if ERC renounces unilateralism after this negotiation with the PSOE, Sara Bailac referred "to the political statements" that her party has approved: "And the fact is that ERC is going to use all legal, peaceful means." and democratic to achieve our political objectives.

Regarding the amnesty law, Sara Bailac has denounced the "partisan interests" that, in her opinion, the PP is using in the Senate with its absolute majority to delay the processing of this bill agreed with the PSOE and the independentistas. .

"But we are convinced that all these sabotage or obstacles that they want to put in the processing of the amnesty law in the Senate are not going to bear fruit because the law is going to be approved and they are not going to be able to stop it," said the ERC spokesperson. .

However, he hopes that the amnesty law proposal will be definitively approved in the spring and believes that the reports requested by the Senate Board from both the General Council of the Judiciary and the Venice Commission will not further delay the processing of this norm.

In line, she alluded to "discretion" when asked if ERC will present amendments in the processing of this amnesty law, although in the specific case of the former president of the Catalan Parliament Laura Borràs she has indicated that "she does a disservice to the independence movement mix things up."

The ERC spokesperson in the Senate, who has highlighted the "responsibility" for taking office for the first time this term, has also spoken about the elections in Catalonia, referring to the statements of the Catalan president, Pere Aragonès, in which he expresses his intention to exhaust the mandate and hold the elections in 2025.

When asked if the independence movement should engage in self-criticism after the 23J elections, Sara Bailac pointed out that "self-criticism in itself is not bad", although she highlighted that "the independence movement managed to confront a government of the right and the extreme right in the Spanish State".