Spokeswoman Marta Vilalta explains that Esquerra intends to begin negotiations imminently and is committed to a broad-based government

From the ballot on 14 February, it is clear that over half of the Catalans want to build a Catalan Republic, said Esquerra spokeswoman and deputy Secretary General, Marta Vilalta in a press conference on Monday. “50% was a challenge we wanted to and were able to meet, and we had been severely criticized for it, but it is a very important milestone for our movement; it is a very clear message for the international community too: Catalonia wants to be a state, we want independence for our country,” she said. It is a “historic milestone,” Ms Vilalta added.

However, Esquerra sees other messages after analysing last Sunday’s results, which gave them 33 seats and the leadership of the independence movement. A movement that is clearly left-leaning, which is why Ms Vilalta pledged that recovery from the coronavirus crisis had to be based on social justice. She added that the solution to the political conflict would be based on the great consensus that, as of last Sunday, will be defended by 82 Members of the Catalan Parliament, which includes amnesty for the political prisoners and exiles, and the exercise of self-determination.

It is in these terms, Ms Vilalta assured, that Esquerra means to begin “imminent” negotiations to form a government, and insisted on the importance of building a broad-based administration, with leadership by Esquerra and Pere Aragonès as the President.

This was all announced shortly before it transpired that the Spanish Public Prosecutor’s Office once again demanded open prison for the political prisoners to be revoked. “Esquerra will lead a new phase in which we will shed blood, sweat and tears to end the repression and to vote freely for the future of our country,” said Ms Vilalta.