The Catalan president-in-exile, Carles Puigdemont, is not digressing from his intention to articulate a pro-independence Catalan government. Puigdemont stated this Thursday in Perpinyà that Sunday's election results leave a panorama that is "very open for everyone", with many possibilities, and he reiterated that Junts has "options to govern", and even more options than other parties to achieve a "coherent government". "In this scenario, the options for a minority government are there and we will fight for them", assured the president-in-exile, who warned, however, that Together for Catalonia (Junts) are prepared for all eventualities and do not fear a repeat election, although it is not their preferred option and he believes that it would not be good for the country.
The team of Junts deputies elected on Sunday crossed the French border into Northern Catalonia today to hold the group's first meeting, together with the party's representatives in Congress and the Senate and its organizational leadership. The objective was to assess the situation after the election and Puigdemont's message echoed what he already conveyed on election night and the day after. "We will fight to the end with all the options we have, but above all, we want to contribute to the reflection that the pro-independence movement must make", he asserted.
Carles Puigdemont, this Thursday in Perpinyà: "In a situation without clear absolute majorities, we have more options [than others] of governing with a coherent majority, that is without 'inventions' like hoping the PP will abstain, or that sort of thing."
He asserted that in a simple majority scenario, the pro-independence bloc (59 seats) has more options to achieve a "coherent government" than the constitutionalist-progressive bloc (48 seats) - that is the Catalan Socialists (PSC) and the alternative left Comuns - who would have to resort to "inventions" to achieve the abstention of the People's Party (PP) or that of far-right Vox. "In this scenario, the options for a minority government are there and we will fight for them", asserted the candidate, adding that he has already reached out to other parties with initial contacts.
But he also pointed out that there is the possibility of a tripartite left-wing government, either with an agreement by minor parties to give external support in Parliament or actually forming a joint government. And there is, finally, the repeat election scenario. "I've said before and I repeat today that this is not a good scenario for anyone. It would be a luxury we cannot afford. It's not our choice. Having said that, it doesn't scare us and we are ready. We are prepared for all eventualities", he assured.
Carles Puigdemont: "We will fight to the end for all the options we have, whatever the scenario is, but above all we want to contribute to the reflection that the independence movement as a whole has to make on the current situation."
Need to repair the "fault"
Puigdemont did not shy away from the question of self-criticism. He affirmed that the arguments for independence are clearer than ever and that the social majority that supports the independence process remains very solid, but, on the other hand, today, Parliament no longer has the absolute sovereignist majority that it had achieved. "We are doing something that is not right", admitted the head of the Junts list, who stressed the need to repair this "fault".
He stressed that the solution is not exclusively in the hands of Junts, which is why a meeting of pro-independence parties is necessary. "We have an emergency serious enough to stop wasting time on internal divisions and partisan clashes and start prioritizing the country", he argued.
He asked his deputies to keep up their contact with the territory and with the people, as they have done throughout the campaign. "If we are in the government, that is fundamental; if we were in the opposition, even more so; but if there are elections, as well".
The argument that the Socialists lost elections and are governing
He warned that there will be a lot of speculation in the coming days, because Junts will try to ensure that few people participate in its negotiations, maintaining great discretion, so he asked for understanding and help from the members of the party. "If we want all the options we have to go well, we have to do it in the style that went so well for us in the negotiations with the PSOE", he affirmed.
Puigdemont recalled that the Socialist party lost last year's Spanish general election and yet it governs in Spain and it lost in the Barcelona city council and it heads the council too. He warned that delegitimizing such moves is equivalent to delegitimizing democracy. "We must not allow ourselves to be told that this attempt of ours to lead a government has no legitimacy. We can't let this line be fed to us and we have to be particularly didactic", he told his deputies, asking them for an attitude that was as un-partisan and un-sectarian as possible.