The agreement between the Catalan vice president, Jordi Puigneró, and the Spanish minister of transport and also former mayor of Gavà, Raquel Sánchez, on the expansion of the airport of Barcelona-El Prat, involving an investment of 1.7 billion euros, with the aim of positioning Barcelona as a European-level international hub, together with the commitment to connect it by high-speed train to the airports of Girona and Reus, promises the creation of an air transport network between the three Catalan airports and a significant boost to all of them.
The Catalan government, which wanted a slower timetable to make the final decision, has had to dance to the beat of the Spanish ministry and the public airport operator Aena: it was now or never. In this situation, it had to be now, since the risk of losing the investment was high and the pressure of the Catalan business sector on the government even more. The clearly favourable position of Junts - at least, the part of the party that is now in government - has ended up acting as more pressure on coalition partner ERC, which fears the strong opposition of the CUP and also, in part, of the Comuns. Aena has got what it wanted, but the Catalan executive has not been wrong in this decision, as letting the opportunity pass would have burdened Catalonia financially.
The news, whose announcement coincided with the first meeting of the bilateral commission between the state and the Generalitat, overshadowed the appointment between the two governments. Partly because of the sheer impact of the news of the airport expansion, but also because the Spanish government made use of some sleight-of-hand in the meeting between the two executives: making long-term commitments, with a calendar of agreements spread out over as long a time as possible. The aim of the Spanish government, to move towards regional agreements without ever releasing the handbrake, is an obvious strategy to keep the Catalan administration seated for as long as possible at the negotiating table, even if all it gets in return is crumbs.
Of the entire list of 56 pending areas of devolution of state competencies to Catalonia, requests which date back to the presidencies of Artur Mas and Carles Puigdemont, one was unblocked this Monday, that of university scholarships for the 2022/23 academic year. The other 55 will be discussed in so many other committee meetings. A calendar that does not inspire optimism and that could last for years.
And if for matters like these which are as straightforward as the transfer of powers contained in the Statute, the state needlessly beats around the bush, how will it be possible to make any progress at the dialogue table on the conflict between Catalonia and Spain in which the Catalan government has pledged to present its demands for an amnesty, a referendum and self-determination?