The Spanish state is "solely responsible" for the espionage affair, despite the cases of the Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez and defence minister Margarita Robles. This was stated by the spokesperson for the Generalitat of Catalonia, Patrícia Plaja, on Monday, following the announcement by the executive in Madrid that the two Spanish government figures were affected. The Catalan government insisted on demanding an investigation into Catalangate and all its derivatives, as well as the resignations and accountability of those responsible. The spokesperson denounced that the Spanish administration is showing a double standard over the espionage and insisted that a meeting between Catalan president Pere Aragonès and Pedro Sánchez is more necessary than ever.
"It is obvious that not everyone is equal before the state," criticized Patrícia Plaja, who noted that, in the eyes of Madrid, the gravity of the facts is different today with Pedro Sánchez and Margarita Robles as victims of Pegasus espionage, then when it was only the Catalan independence movement and its circles. Thus, she described it as intolerable that today there is an "urgency" that has not been there before in the period since the espionage storm broke.
Aragonès-Sánchez meeting
Nothing has changed in two weeks for the Pere Aragonès executive. The Catalan government maintains the same demands and insists on accountability and resignations of those behind the espionage, whether by action or omission. "If they didn't know, it's because they don't control their own state," said Plaja, who reiterated that the confidence in and credibility of the Spanish government remain severely damaged. She emphasized that the meeting between Aragonès and Sánchez, a constant demand of the Generalitat, was "more necessary" today than last week, and assured that the Catalan administration would be "more insistent than ever" in demanding it. "They can delay it but not avoid it. We'll see how many days they leave it," Plaja added. Aragonés will take part in the annual meeting of Catalan business group Cercle d'Economia on Wednesday, and Sánchez will do so on Friday. It is not expected, however, that the two leaders will take advantage of the economic event to meet: "Everything in its place, and this is not the space." So far the two teams have kept in touch, but there has been no approach yet. The Catalan Generalitat is not looking for a protocol meeting that provides only a photo opportunity - especially after the meeting in Catalonia between the Spanish minister for the PM's department Félix Bolaños, and her Catalan counterpart Laura Vilagrà.
The spokesperson said that the government had already been in contact with those people hit by the espionage who were public officials, and that they had been offered legal defence and support.