The Catalan political parties face the last days of the 2023 election campaign hungover from the eight-way debate on TV3, in which the pro-independence movement appeared divided and put forward different options for resolving the political conflict with Spain. Gabriel Rufián, representing Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), took the opportunity to defend the dialogue table, calling on his rivals from Junts per Catalunya and CUP to explain what their alternative is: Albert Botran, representing CUP, replied that it was necessary to return to mobilisation, and Míriam Nogueras, representing Junts per Catalunya, proposed reaching an agreement not to invest any Spanish candidate who does not transfer the powers to hold a Catalan referendum on self-determination. Although in the debate Rufián responded to Nogueras that the price they had to put on the investiture had to include more concrete elements and less “empty phrases”, this Wednesday Francesc Marc Álvaro, number 3 of ERC's candidacy for Barcelona, has gone further and has accused the Junts candidate of “launching a blocking proposal disguised as a negotiation”, since Pedro Sánchez has repeatedly made very clear that a consultation on self-determination is not on the table. After dodging Nogueras' approach, Álvaro made clear that ERC “will not invest a right-wing president”. “I don't know about others, but I'm sure it won't be a right-wing one”, he declared.
Defending Catalan in the face of PSC and Sumar's inaction
Despite this response by the new ERC signing to the proposal made yesterday by Nogueras, ERC's act in the Barcelona neighbourhood of Horta was intended to present the party's proposals on the Catalan language. And Pilar Vallugera, MP in the last legislature, stated they will present motions in all municipalities of the Catalan Countries where they have representation, to defend Catalan after the attacks it has suffered from PP and Vox. The clearest example of this repression has been Borriana, in the Valencian country, where the right-wing and far-right government censored children's magazines written in Catalan, such as Cavall Fort or Camacuc. In the TV3 debate, as he did in the RTVE debate, Gabriel Rufián gave two copies to the PP and Vox candidates. For his part, Álvaro pointed out that the Catalan school and language immersion are a “success story”, because they help in the cohesion and the country's social advancement, after the latest decision of the Catalan High Court of Justice.
The number three on the list for the Spanish Congress criticised the PSOE for forgetting to defend the Catalan language, and accused the socialists of practising a “branch politics” with Catalonia which “causes harm”. However, he did not only address the socialists, as the number three has also pointed out that Sumar, the new left-wing coalition, has no linguistic model for Catalonia, and that they do not know “exactly” what to do with the Catalan school: “It is a nuisance for them”, stressed the candidate, who concluded that Yolanda Díaz, head of Sumar, neither answers nor addresses the issue.