Instead of the traditional gift of coal for "bad children", the Three Kings will arrive this January 6th, 2021, with a new tightening of anti-Covid restrictions in Catalonia. Under the slight Christmas relaxation allowed by the Catalan government's measures, the coronavirus has regained ground, leading the executive to take a series of actions to "slow down" activity for 10 days, that is, at least until 17th January. Given this decision, the next question that hangs in the air is whether there is any guarantee that the Catalan elections called for February 14th can be held. Just moments after the announcement of the umpteenth new Covid rules, we asked the head of the Generalitat's electoral process area directly. Bernat Solé (Agramunt, 1975), is Catalan foreign minister, and also responsible for institutional relations and transparency, assuming the cabinet role when Alfred Bosch resigned as foreign minister because of allegations that his chief of staff had carried out sexual harassment. Solé attends ElNacional.cat by videoconference: due to contact with an infected person, since Christmas he has been confined to his home in Agramunt, the town of which he was mayor.
With the data we have on the table today, and the tightening of restrictions announced, can the February 14th election be held?
The restrictions announced are for the next few days. The assessment of the holding of the elections must refer to the 14th February, that is, a future scenario. For this reason, we have charted a series of possible scenarios [along with the responses envisaged] and these have been agreed by all the political parties, and endorsed by the Procicat civil protection committee. It is from this series of scenarios that we have to determine the viability of the election, or decide a possible postponement. What is clear is that the chart envisages that the elections will only be postponed in the event of an exceptional restriction on social activity.
But with the current restrictions could elections be held? In this current context?
Today, despite the measures announced, there's no exceptional limitation at social level and, therefore, depending on the scenarios chart, they could be held.
There's no exceptional limitation at social level and, therefore, the elections could be held
Of the two scenarios which would call for postponement, one is very clear, that of a full lockdown as in March 2020, but the other is more open to interpretation, it speaks of a restriction of all social activities in large spaces and sectors and very limited capacity limits for the rest... Isn't this the current case?
The chart says that there must be major restriction on social activity, especially in spaces where large numbers of people circulate and today this is not the case. So today, according to the scenario chart, the elections could be held.
That is, despite closing shops at the weekend, with bars and restaurants unable to open most of the day and gyms closed... isn't this a major restriction on social activity?
What I am saying is that the scenario chart, agreed with the input of the health department, determines the scenarios, which are linked to the [deescalation] phases established by the Procicat, which say whether or not the elections can be held. Obviously, when the time comes, the decision will be made, based on the epidemiological situation of the moment. Right now, objectivity is based on this chart.
But the concept of "significant restriction" is open to interpretation...
If you look at the chart, today, with the restrictions announced, they could be held. This doesn't alter the fact that from the situation at [each] moment, an analysis is made and the appropriate decision is taken.
The decision will be made next week
And if you had to give your best assessment today of what will happen, what would you say? Will Catalans be able to go to the polls on 14th February?
The decision will be made next week. I can't anticipate it. If January 15th has been set as the epidemiologically best date to make the decision, it makes no sense to get ahead of that. We will not have all the information until the 15th.
On the 15th we'll still be immersed in these new ten-day January restrictions. And public health head Dr Argimon and other experts predict that the situation will worsen in the coming days.
I repeat, I don’t want to get ahead of things. It would be an exercise in irresponsibility. The scenario chart is very objective and consensual.
And if the elections are not postponed, how will you explain to the public that they can't open businesses, they can't go to the gym or the bar, but that they are encouraged to go to the polls?
First, once the decision is made, it will be explained. As well, we'll have to explain the situation that the Catalan public will face on 14th February, not the situation applying on 15th January.
If they end up being postponed, is there already an alternate date? Some sources suggest May.
That assumption at present has not been made. Once the epidemiological situation has been assessed, the decision will be made around 15th January. It's true that there is a consensus on the part of all political parties that in the event of postponing the elections, a proposal for a date should be put on the table. The final decision is in the hands of the Catalan government. Before making the final decision, we will hear the voices of the political parties' committee.
If the elections are postponed, a proposal for a new date will be put on the table
Regardless of when they're held, applications for voting by mail have already been activated. How many have been received, so far?
We understand that by January 2nd there were about 10,000 applications to vote by mail. Approximately three out of five of the applications have been made electronically. We are very pleased with this, it's a figure ten times higher than in 2017. It's a breakthrough and we hope that in the coming days it will continue. And those who don't want to vote via telematic means should know that they can also do it in person at a post office.
The measure that enables the postman or woman to be the depository of people's votes has raised suspicions. There are critical voices who speculate that there could be irregularities.
There could be the same irregularities as there might be in taking the vote to the post office. All we are doing is introducing one more person into the transmission chain to take that vote to the ballot box. The post office official, instead of collecting the vote at the post office, does so at the voter's home.
Everyone selected to do polling station duty must turn up. Electoral law allows no exceptions
Given the context of the pandemic, will it still be mandatory for people to do election day duty, working on polling booths, if their names are selected?
First of all, there are security protocols that have been worked on with the Procicat that already have the necessary measures in place to ensure the safety of people who are part of the electoral process. On the other hand, being part of a polling booth can be understood as an obligation but also as a right. In the same way as in an election, a person who, for whatever reason, considers that they should not be part of a polling table, can obviously appeal against it. But everyone who is selected to do polling station duty must turn up, because they will obviously be guaranteed protection. Electoral law allows no exceptions.
And for residents abroad, has a new solution been found, or will it once again be an ordeal for Catalans living outside Catalonia to vote?
We have always argued that it is essential to repeal the voto rogado [imposing difficult conditions on those abroad wishing to vote], which is the responsibility of the state. Podemos and the PSOE included it in their election programme. We have asked Spain's Central Electoral Commission for the possibility of advancing generic documentation to voters abroad so that they can prepare their vote in advance, without having to wait to receive their ballot papers. At present, this has not been granted. It was a unanimous agreement of the political parties committee and that is why we resubmitted the request. I hope the response will be positive, because otherwise they will again be limiting the right to vote of citizens abroad.
Are you afraid that the pandemic will cause a big drop in voter turnout?
Looking around internationally, we have seen that in those elections where there has been consensus among political parties and planning in time as we have done here, turnout has declined slightly but nothing out of the range of participation in other elections. We're working towards that goal. That's why we have intensified the institutional publicity campaign.
Polls show that there is a very high number of undecided voters, more than a third of the electoral role, and that the party most affected by this indecision is yours, the Republican Left (ERC), which has a voting frontier with Together for Catalonia (JxCat), but also with Catalonia in Common (Comuns) and the Catalan Socialists (PSC). How do you address this?
ERC addresses the elections by presenting its political and social programme. When you present a large programme you have an open space of possible undecided votes. We need to take the space of indecision as a challenge to try to convince as many people as possible.
These elections will be fought between the PSC and ERC
And how will you convince both the voter who doubts between voting for you or JxCat, and the one who doubts between you and the PSC?
These elections will be fought between the PSC and ERC, because they are two models which time has shown us are opposed. ERC presents itself with clear objectives to move towards the Catalan Republic but also with a social model based on these republican values. Therefore, the voter will have to choose between the model of the Spanish Socialists (PSOE) - which, despite calling itself the most progressive government in history, we have seen how it has managed the pandemic - or the ERC model.
It will soon be a year since you were appointed as a Catalan cabinet minister. During this time, what has your foreign action department done to gain international complicity with the independence process?
This last year has been heavily marked by the pandemic. Efforts have been focused on helping in the return of Catalan citizens abroad who had to return, or assisting those who were in lockdown in distant places. And also to observe the good international practices that are carried out in this area, to replicate them. From here, it is clear that showing ourselves to be a reliable player is essential as a way to make ourselves heard in all areas. The Catalan government explains itself from all points of view.
What is the current status of the report proposing to open legal proceedings against your predecessor, Alfred Bosch, for the case of sexual harassment by his chief of staff?
Precisely because of the protection of personal data required in these types of reports, it will only be provided to members of the government once it has been prepared and that will be at the time when it is dealt with by the executive. Today I don't have the report in my hands, for reasons of confidentiality.
But almost a year has gone by and there is still no response.
The bodies that prepare these reports need their time. It is the legal services of the Catalan government who are working on this report.