The Catalan and Spanish governments convene the negotiating table championed by Esquerra Republicana

The first meeting of the negotiating table between representatives appointed by the Catalan and Spanish governments took place at the Spanish Prime Minster's official residence, the Moncloa Palace in Madrid

After years of political deadlock and lack of institutional dialogue, the Catalan and Spanish governments convened the first session of the negotiating table to address the political conflict between Catalonia and Spain. Negotiations between the governments, hitherto rejected by the Spanish authorities, was one of the main demands of the Catalan independence movement. The negotiating table was convened thanks to an agreement advocated by Esquerra Republicana to facilitate the investiture of the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and the formation of a new coalition government between the Socialist Party (PSOE) and Podemos last January.

The negotiating table represents the materialization of the fact that this is a political conflict, and that the only possible solution is through negotiation, dialogue and agreement. Since this has not been the view the Spanish government has defended in recent years, it is no doubt seen as a change in attitude.

The fact that there are political prisoners is an anomalous situation in any democracy, and we will use the negotiating table to claim both their amnesty and to defend Catalonia's self-determination.
Marta Rovira Esquerra Secretary General

In this sense, Esquerra Secretary General Marta Rovira —currently in exile in Geneva—has likewise proclaimed the opening of dialogue between the parties a success, although she also said that "we know that this is not the dialogue we would have wanted." She added "the legitimate negotiators on the Catalan side are currently in prison or in exile" in reference to the former Catalan government which made the referendum on self-determination possible in the 2017. Ms Rovira concluded "The fact that there are political prisoners is an anomalous situation in any democracy, and we will use the negotiating table to claim both their amnesty and to defend Catalonia's self-determination."

The delegations were made up of members of the Catalan government: President Joaquim Torra, VP Pere Aragonés, ministers Alfred Bosch and Jordi Puigneró, and representatives designated by the Catalan government, Marta Vilalta, Elsa Artadi, Josep Maria Jové and Josep Rius. The Spanish government was represented by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Deputy PM Carmen Calvo, and minsters Carolina Darias, Manuel Castells, María Jesús Montero, José Luis Ábalos and Salvador Illa. The delegations agreed to reconvene once a month, alternately in Madrid and in Barcelona.