You need courage and daring to turn up at an economic forum in Catalonia and explain to those gathered the benefits of applying article 155 of the Constitution and what the Catalans have gained through the suppression of their autonomy. Standing up at a public conference and saying that the implementation of the article and the performance of the Spanish government were above all an expression of respect to Catalans belongs to the genre of magic, not of politics. Likewise, to proudly proclaim how smoothly the wheels of Catalan infrastructures are turning and how the construction of the Mediterranean rail corridor is proceeding. And to deliver the inaugural lecture of the XXII Economic Symposium that the Foundation Olof Palme organizes annually on the Costa Brava and not to give a single economic fact in more than half an hour. Spanish vice president Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, probably overwhelmed by the resentment encountered in Catalonia due to the suppression of its autonomy, got up in s'Agaró and presented what must undoubtedly be her most incoherent and flavourless speech in a long time. Although the atmosphere in the hall was not directly hostile, but rather distanced from the Spanish government, the vice president flopped in s'Agaró and displayed a nervousness that was unusual in her.
Thus, for the second time in less than 48 hours, the Spanish government has made use of its authority as acting representative of the Catalan government which it fired, to occupy a role that belongs to the Catalan authorities and to present itself as the only institutional voice. In the first of these, an event held by the Catalan employers' association Foment del Treball Nacional, the only political representative was Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy, and on Friday, at the inauguration of the annual Economic Symposium at s'Agaró, which has always been opened by the Catalan president or his economic minister, the place was occupied by the Spanish vice president. To be sure, the tradition that a member of the Spanish government always speaks at the closure of the event has been maintained, and this year, the role will be filled by Spanish minister Luis de Guindos. But there is no trace in evidence of those who have made up the Catalan government. True, the Catalan government is in exile or in prison, but the organizers, if they had wanted, could have invited the second-ranked figures in the Catalan economics ministry —Lluís Salvadó, treasury secretary, or Pere Aragonés, economics secretary — or alternatively, representatives of the Catalan parties.
Neither was there an ounce of respect to figures who hold posts or positions — that of president, in this case— that are regarded, in name, as permanent, and of which they cannot be dispossessed by political discrepancies. That's according to a law passed by the Catalan Parliament several decades ago. Thus, Sáenz de Santamaría made a reference to "ex-president Puigdemont" and, immediately, switched her nomenclature to refer to "president Montilla", as José Montilla, who led Catalonia from 2006 to 2010, was present in the first row. She didn't make a mistake with Montilla but did with Puigdemont. The first visit of the Spanish vice president to Catalonia left a bad taste in the mouth for many of those present even if they were already using expressions like fracture, harmony and the return of companies. The problem is that, in this business forum as well, the Spanish Government has also lost the credibility it needs to go through with this.