The former president of the Parliament of Catalonia Núria de Gispert defends her successor Laura Borràs against the accusations for an alleged splitting of contracts while she directed the Institució de les Lletres Catalanes (ILC). According to her De Gispert, before "everyone did it", so she suspects that justice has focused on Borràs for political reasons. In statements to La 2 and Ràdio 4, the current spokesperson for Democrates has asked to contextualize some events that, in her opinion, are a mere administrative irregularity.
"A way was sought to make it legal," De Gispert specified, although he limited these practices to a past mentality and to the fact that "administrative laws were not so clear." The former leader of Unió Democràtica recalled that the awarding of contracts goes through the Intervention filters, so that if this department did not prevent it, in the opinion of the former president, it was not so serious. She has assured, yes, that she never did.
"Why (are they trying) Borràs and not another?" De Gispert asked, adding that there is a component of political persecution. Borràs, who was suspended from her position last July, is facing her trial these weeks for her management at the helm of the ILC. At the expense of the outcome of this process in the TSJC, De Gispert asks to maintain the interim situation in the chamber (although he has stressed that he does not like it), because removing Borràs would definitely be a "double punishment". He has also indicated that she would not have endorsed her suspension.
Also in statements to La 2 and Ràdio 4, the former president of Parliament has vindicated the figure of Jordi Pujol, whom she has said was the "quintessential leader" in Catalonia, Spain and Europe. In this sense, De Gispert has demanded that Pujol be "rehabilitated" and that he be returned the title of Honorable Molt that Mas withdrew from him after the confession of his money abroad in the summer of 2014.
De Gispert believes that the former president of the Generalitat "was wrong" when making said announcement and that he did it to "defend" his family. Likewise, he has revealed that Pujol himself recognized his mistake two months after the public letter. In a private conversation between the two, revealed today by De Gispert, the former member of Unió reproached him for that announcement and for not having previously received advice "neither from Artur Mas nor from Miquel Roca".
Regarding the current political situation in Catalonia, he considers that there is a lack of leadership in all the parties after the procés has "headed off" those that were there, in his opinion. The disqualifications and "fear" of criminal consequences, he has specified, have emptied the first political line. According to De Gispert, those that exist at the moment are "numbers 2 or 3" who "have three boils to go" to become good leaders. For the former president of Parliament, Pere Aragonès is a "good manager" without "political leadership". In her opinion, the best politician today is Xavier Trias, who after leaving politics will try to become mayor of Barcelona again.
Núria de Gispert is now part of Demòcrates, a party that brought together the pro-independence sector of Unió Democràtica after its dissolution. In the last Catalan elections, Democrates joined the Junts per Catalunya list. Precisely on the UDC stage, she has criticized the then leader, Josep Duran i Lleida, for “wasting” money. "I was stunned when I saw that there was 17 million euros in debt," explained De Gispert, who regretted that they realized this situation "late." "Duran and others went to the side they had always wanted," said the former leader of the formation, referring to the political path chosen by personalities such as Ramon Espadaler, now a deputy for the PSC.
De Gispert, who presided over the Parliament between 2010 and 2015, has demanded that "there is not so much talk" about the privileges of the deputies and officials of this institution. He does not see "so bad" issues such as retirement awards, because it is a "help" for politicians who leave office and are left without a job. Regarding the old licences, he has acknowledged that he knew of their existence, although not the figures or the details. However, he has defended his management as head of Parliament, marked by a considerable cut, in his opinion, in expenses.
