Spain New beginning in Catalonia: Illa sworn in as head of government
Socialist politician Salvador Illa has been sworn into office as Catalan Prime Minister at a ceremony at the Government Palace in Barcelona. "By taking office today, I am also inheriting the hopes of the Catalan people as a task," said the 61-year-old, who made a name for himself as Spain's health minister during the coronavirus pandemic. Although his socialist party was once again the strongest force in the early elections in May, it needs the left-wing moderate-separatist ERC party, which had previously been the head of government, and the left-wing ecological alliance Comuns to govern.
10.08.2024, 14:16
SDA
On Thursday, 68 of the 135 members of the regional parliament in Barcelona voted for Illa. Spanish media saw his election as a fresh start for the region, which has been rocked by a dispute over demands for independence for more than ten years. However, it is likely to be difficult for the calm and conciliatory Illa to reconcile his pro-Spanish policies with the ERC's quest for independence.
At the start of the ceremony, Illa was conciliatory towards his separatist predecessors. "I have no doubt that all previous presidents came into office with the best intentions of making Catalonia a better country," he emphasized, even including the former regional government leader Carles Puigdemont, who is still wanted on an arrest warrant.
The separatist leader reappeared in Barcelona for the first time in almost seven years in exile on Thursday shortly before Illa's election in parliament. He gave a short speech in front of around 3,500 supporters, repeated his well-known arguments for Catalonia's independence, which would have to be fought for against the resistance of the rest of Spain if necessary, and immediately disappeared from the scene again.
After a long break, he then returned on Friday evening on Platform X and wrote that he was back in Belgium, where he had been living for most of the time since his escape in 2017. It was not known if and when the arrest warrant on charges of personal enrichment in Spain would be lifted and Puigdemont could return to his home country in freedom. Illa called on the Spanish judiciary to apply the amnesty law issued for Catalan separatists such as Puigdemont "quickly, swiftly and without excuses".
