We must work to be "effective", not to create an "effect". This has been the warning given by the president of ERC (left republicans), Oriol Junqueras, from the Estremera prison, in a letter that has been read by deputy Gabriel Rufián this Saturday at the beginning of the party's national conference. The former vice-president defended a formation "capable of dialogue with all democratic formations, of building bridges and a sincere dialogue". Against this, he warned that "stridencies, soft and empty proclamations, exclusionary nationalist discourses are the quickest way to become a noisy minority again, to return to autonomy".
In a letter that has strengthened the Republicans commitment to a more pragmatic approach, Junqueras has taken a hard line against many of the received critics. He says that ERC cannot be taught "any lesson in dignity and patriotism," and he even say that it was them who "had to carry all the work and responsibility on their shoulders in July to save October 1". He also mentions that in the Catalan elections of last December they were the only candidature with its leader in prison.
The imprisoned leader denounces that they have had to suffer "all kinds of infamies and accusations" such as making "secret pacts with the PP".. Faced with these accusations, Junqueras says that "we were the first ones to say that we would not hesitate to throw out of the Spanish government those responsible for beating of the people on October 1".
"We are listening to nominalist debates that surprise me a lot", says Oriol Junqueras, who affirms that "the only interesting debate" is to "build an unbeatable force that can break the formidable conservative alliance that will not allow the Catalans to decide our future". In this regard, he claims that "the more we persist in this, the easier it will be for us to convert our dreams into reality and to obtain international understanding". On the other hand, he warns that "the weaker our persistence, the easier it will be to prevent us from building a country in peace and freedom".
The Republican leader insists on the idea of laying the foundations for independence. "We don’t change course on a whim, we are people who know that progress is only made when we work for it, when it is intended to be effective, not just to create an effect", said the politician. "We talk to everyone because we are the ones who want to bring everyone in. Because only by doing so will we win".
Esquerra Republicana celebrates this week its national conference at La Farga de l'Hospitalet de Llobregat, where it will discuss the strategic presentation of the political party. More than 1,400 opinions were presented during the debate. It takes place in the context of the pragmatism which ERC has adopted since the referendum last October, as a result of the repression.