Sans urges to address self-determination, Rodalies and financing in investiture negotiations
BARCELONA, 23 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The ERC spokesperson, Raquel Sans, assured this Monday that ERC is committed to the recognition of Catalonia as a “nation” and has refused to consider a possible recognition of the Catalans as a national minority to endorse the investiture of the socialist candidate, Pedro Sánchez.
“We will not go into evaluating it. From ERC we approach this negotiation with the maximum possible discretion,” he said at a press conference this Monday, after ‘La Vanguardia’ published that Junts and the PSOE are working on the recognition of Catalonia as a national minority.
“It will surprise no one that ERC considers that Catalonia is a nation and that therefore we can feel comfortable” with that specific recognition, he stated.
Regarding the investiture negotiations, he reiterated that they consider the amnesty “resolved and that we must specify and address” the portfolio of self-determination and improvements in the well-being of Catalans, which includes the transfer of Rodalies and the improvement of the foundership.
As for Rodalies, Sans has not specified whether the negotiations have advanced after President Pere Aragonès warned that they were not going well, although he has recalled that it is the PSC that has “responsibility” for this service.
“We continue to work at ERC with the utmost discretion and responsibility. We have repeated it on many occasions: the three dimensions of the ERC negotiation are the amnesty, the right to self-determination and the well-being of citizens,” he added.
Asked about a possible mediator, she reiterated that ERC defends “politically resolving a conflict that has political roots”, and has vindicated the Government’s commitment to the clarity agreement.
Regarding the official status of Catalan in the European institutions, he stressed that “where there is political will, things end up happening”, and he assured that for ERC it is a central issue.
On the other hand, Sans explained that ERC will hold its Municipal Convention this weekend, in which they will address, among other topics, the distribution of the deficit that the State has established for this year, and local financing.
As stated, the Generalitat is leading the negotiation with the State to reverse the distribution of the deficit objectives, although it is also part of the “fiscal deficit” that ERC is working to correct in the investiture talks.
He has also detailed that the president of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, and MEP Jordi Soler are traveling to Ireland this week to meet with Sinn Féin leaders.
The objective of the trip – he explained – is to learn about mechanisms for resolving territorial conflicts and, specifically and “bridging the gap”, the negotiating strategies that led to the Good Friday agreement.
