Esquerra Republicana’s Secretary General and spokesperson underlines the challenge for the left to “reconnect” with the citizens and says that this requires “speaking clearly, being coherent and credible”

On Monday, Esquerra Republicana Secretary General and spokesperson Elisenda Alamany again called for the need to progress towards the fiscal sovereignty of Catalonia, and to maintain the requisite compliance with the accords. She stated that for this reason, Esquerra will not negotiate with Catalan president Salvador Illa’s government regarding the 2025 budget, and explained that this had been conveyed to the Socialist Party. “Given fiscal sovereignty or the 2025 budget, it is now time for fiscal sovereignty,” she said. “Having a budget is important, but for the people of Catalonia, fiscal sovereignty is more important,” she said.

Ms Alamany affirmed that Esquerra Republicana’s priority is to ensure that Catalonia takes the “most important step this country has ever made” in terms of revenue collection, and in this sense she criticized the Socialist government for running “late” in developing Catalonia’s own finances. “When you have to prepare the country for fiscal sovereignty, you have to prepare its structure. You need to hire civil servants, about five hundred, at least, and that hasn’t happened,” she said.

In this regard, Esquerra’s spokesperson reiterated the need to “speak clearly” and “be consistent in everything we do and everything we say.” “To reconnect with the people, we have to be credible,” she stressed.

Ms Alamany stated that Donald Trump’s inauguration as the new President of the United States on Monday “shows that reconnecting with society is more necessary than ever.” “This is a commitment that we on the left must make for ourselves, while the far right appeals to our guts and our fears, reconnecting with the concerns, uncertainties, and anxieties of the public.”

“In this new phase, we appeal to our people to be the most useful tool for the country,” she insisted. “With a cohesive party, rebuilding bridges with political and social organizations, and with other parties, and being demanding regarding the respect for the agreements we have reached, since that is how we respect Catalonia,” she concluded.