Catalonia's new minister for foreign affairs and open government, Victòria Alsina, has said this Monday that her department will work together with all the exiled pro-independence politicians to internationalize the Catalan cause. Alsina asserts that she wants to "make sure that what is happening in Catalonia is explained without distortion" beyond the country's borders, and in this she believes that the Catalans facing retaliation in exile are able to play an important role.
In one of her first statements as the new Catalan foreign head, the Junts-appointed minister told Catalunya Ràdio that she spoke for two hours with president Carles Puigdemont last week and vowed to work together with the rest of the exiles. In her view, their “tone and energy” are essential to explain what is happening in Catalonia to the wider world.
"Giving a vision of Catalonia to the world is making sure that there are no distortions. The Spanish state and other bodies want to stop this. But the struggle for liberty, democracy and civil rights must be explained and I will stand up for that", she assured, although she is aware that "the pressure from Spanish diplomacy is very great and they devote infinite resources to it".
"I'm not coming to do a Pedro Duque"
Alsina, first woman to fill Catalonia's foreign action role as well as the youngest minister in the new government, made it clear that "she has come to take politican action and not to be an independent technician": "I am not coming to do a Pedro Duque", she said, referring to the former astronaut who is Spain's science minister. "That is, someone who has a lot of experience, but removed from the context of the country. I have worked with the Catalan government and the institutions and I know how it works".
On the other hand, the new minister announced that the name of her department will change to "Foreign Affairs and Open Government" in order to reflect a wider concern that embraces the transparency, collaboration and participation of the new government, and also applies to the international arena.
Zero tolerance for abuse
In addition, Alsina has shown her full commitment to putting an end to and fighting against all forms of violence, following episodes of abuse in this department that led to the resignation of former minister Alfred Bosch. "My departmental workers are the first priority. I will protect them from any aggression, including that of the Court of Accounts," she said.
Victòria Alsina / ACN
New minister's background
Victòria Alsina, one of the seven Catalan government ministers nominated by Together for Catalonia (Junts), holds a PhD in political and social sciences from Barcelona's Pompeu Fabra University, with a degree in management and public innovation from ESADE. Aged 38, she has been a professor and academic director at the Center for Urban Science & Progress at New York University, as well as a researcher at Harvard Kennedy School. Her area of specialization and research was innovation in the public sector. She was a Catalan government delegate in the United States and co-coordinated the Catalonia 2022 expert group promoted by president Quim Torra.
Main image: The new Catalan foreign minister, Victoria Alsina / ACN