A year after the pro-independence victory at the polls, the spokeswoman for Esquerra Republicana highlights the social, economic, democratic, green and feminist transformations of the Aragonès government

“Pere Aragonès’ Catalan Generalitat government is opening a new phase in Catalonia, the phase of Republican Transformation.” With these words, Esquerra Republicana’s Deputy Secretary General and spokesperson Marta Vilalta celebrated on Monday the first anniversary of the pro-independence victory in the parliamentary elections of February 14, 2021. Ms Vilalta outlined the main transformations in social, economic, democratic, green and feminist policy that the government has put in motion, setting course for a new Republican Generalitat.

On one hand is the Green Transformation, with the public energy utility and the new renewable energy decree as the foremost measures of the Ministry for Climate Action led by Teresa Jordà. On the other is the Feminist Transformation, with a government that has for the first time established a Ministry for Equality and Feminism and that has in just a few months implemented measures for the benefit of equity, reconciliation and the war on gender-based violence, including the draft Transgender Bill and the distribution of menstrual cups in high schools. “We will only move forward as a nation with a truly egalitarian society where the rights of all people can be guaranteed, especially of those who have been systematically discriminated against,” said Ms Vilalta.

She also highlighted the pilot scheme to implement a Universal Basic Income and the recent announcement of the advancement of the school calendar as measures to support the social and economic transformations promoted by the Aragonès Government. These were complemented by the positive employment trend making Catalonia best-ranked in reducing joblessness in 2021.

Ceasing application of the Gag Law in Catalonia is the way to challenge the state: to stop obeying an unjust law in order to apply European jurisprudence

Marta Vilalta Deputy Secretary General and spokesperson

Catalonia will stop applying the Gag Law

Ms Villalta concluded by pointing to the Democratic Transformation, spurring the National Accord for Amnesty and Self-Determination, zero-corruption policies and the recent announcement by the Ministry of the Interior, headed by Joan-Ignasi Elena, to cease application of Spain’s Gag Law in Catalonia with the aim of protecting the right to demonstrate and to peaceful protest, as well as the right to information. “Ceasing application of the Gag Law in Catalonia is the way to challenge the state: to stop obeying an unjust law in order to apply European jurisprudence, in terms of fundamental rights, and stop fining protesters and journalists who are exercising their rights or doing their job,” she summed up. “All these are acts, not photo-ops or words,” she concluded.