Esquerra Republicana celebrates the first step in Parliament for the creation of a body of professionals specialized in foreign action

The Catalan Parliament has given the green light for the government's bill to create a body of personnel specialized in foreign action and relations with the European Union, with the aim of bolstering Catalonia's international projection. A broad consensus formed by Esquerra Republicana, the Spanish Socialists’ Catalan branch PSC, centre-right Junts, and left-wing CUP and Els Comuns supported the parliamentary procedure, overturning the overall amendments by the right and far-right.

The personnel will be present in several ministries in order to strengthens cross-departmental functioning of Catalan foreign action and to ensure greater return on the Government's public policies for the country and for citizens.

For Esquerra, this Foreign Action Service is key to advance the deployment of Catalonia’s foreign action. As Esquerra Republicana member of parliament Jordi Albert has said, the Foreign Action Service "is essential" because it provides a critical degree of professionalization and rigour in the defence of Catalonia's interests."

Another example of the government's commitment to international projection of Catalonia is the recent opening of the twenty-first Delegation of the Catalan Generalitat government, in South Korea.

Indeed, the Generalitat has never had as many delegations abroad as now, and this is already paying off. Over the last year, the executive has recovered dialogue at the highest level with the European institutions and ministers of several European states. This all paves the way for Catalan society and to create greater opportunities for the country.

The bill was passed through the extraordinary emergency procedure – which hastens deadlines as far as possible – after Esquerra Republicana presented a request before the Bureau. Once this step has been validated, the bill will continue its parliamentary passage, now in preparation for its second reading.