"Today, in this Parliament, seat of the popular sovereignty of the Catalan nation, and with all solemnity, I present my candidacy for the presidency of the Generalitat to make possible the culmination of the independence of Catalonia." With this solemnity, Pere Aragonès, the candidate to be elected as 132nd president of the Generalitat de Catalunya, began his investiture debate speech in the Catalan chamber and gave preeminence to the issue that must be the raison d'être of the new legislature in the face of the February 14th election results, which gave the independence movement an historic and hitherto unknown majority, with 52% of the popular vote and 74 of the 135 MPs.
Aragonès made a speech which reflected the letter of the pact between his party ERC and its major pro-independence partner Junts, he avoided entering into pointless controversies with the opposition parties at a moment when the legislature is beginning, he demonstrated a harmony with his government partners which is promising for the new stage ahead, and, in what is the signature of the house, we once again offered his hand to the Comuns despite still being a little sore from last time he did so, when they bit him with such fervour that if they could, they would have had his arm off. It was a polite parliamentary session, in which the gloves stayed on, in any case. Probably, because the weariness weighs heavily after so many overtures to each other for more than three months since the elections with the inauguration of a new government log jammed for all of this time.
The second point of interest in the debate is the look to Scotland and the referendum promised by the country's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon. Unlike the vote held in 2014, when the post was held by Alex Salmond and an agreement was reached for its celebration with the British prime minister, David Cameron, the situation is now radically different and for the moment Boris Johnson flatly refuses to bow to the wishes of the Scottish pro-independence forces, who have an absolute majority after the recent election. It is not a bad idea for Catalonia to place itself side-by-side with the Scottish pledge, especially in order to try and change any sensitivities that may exist in the European Union.
Any type of agreed referendum that ratifies the one that was already held in Catalonia on October 1st, 2017, is welcome. As long as we do not forget that if the Spanish government does not make a move, and continues aspiring to repeat Groundhog Day over and over again, it is not only boring but also competely ineffective. It will not be easy to find the point of balance in the legislature that is now beginning under a pro-independence government. But it has never been easy and an assessment will have to be made when there are elements to make it. And that moment has not yet come. Now you just have to wish them the very best of luck.