Miquel Sàmper (Terrassa, 1966) was Minister of the Interior last term. Lawyer and member of the Legal Advisory Commission of the Generalitat, he defends Junts leaving the Government "for coherence and dignity".
A decision as to continue or not in the Government, should the militancy make it?
No. I would have preferred that the executive set a position. We have entered a line that is not the origin of Junts, in an excess of democratization. And the ability to execute and leadership is lost.
Is the executive so divided that no one has been able to impose their criteria?
That's it. I don't like that we all have to position ourselves, to see who sends more people to the media, which position is better defended, it's an unnecessary war of factions.
If the leaders make a decision and the militancy does not endorse it, bad business...
Sure, but you have to take the risks. Politics needs leadership capable of making decisions, with the risk of making mistakes. If not, don't dedicate yourself.
Why do you want Junts to leave the Government?
We got one less deputy than ERC, and they have imposed a steamroller on us. They are setting the strategy regarding independence in a practically dictatorial manner, they reached some compromises and they have already told us actively and passively that they do not plan to comply with those three agreements.
Will they exert more pressure from outside the Government?
At least we will not have to eat the frog of raising the wealth tax although we do not want to, or the protection of squats although we do not believe in it, or that we cannot expand the airport when we are in favor. We have to find a coherent narrative.
Do they sacrifice too much to continue in the Government?
Of course. And I wonder if being in the Government has to reach the point of losing coherence as a party with a story that has nothing to do with ours. I think not, I think we crossed the border of dignity.
Shouldn't priority be given to managing the crisis?
In the Generalitat, as in many town halls, the machinery goes by itself, there are highly valuable officials and politicians can only vary the line a little. This discourse that we have to continue with the management... If Junts leaves the Government, the country will function exactly the same and essential services will not be left behind... that is a trap. The ERC story is swallowing us up and we can continue along this path but the result in the elections will be much worse than some would have us believe if we leave the Government and therefore we do not have a loudspeaker.
Do you think that ERC wants them in the Government?
Man, they're asking us to leave. If I wanted her to stay in a project to share with me, professional, friendship, I would treat her with great affection, as I suppose you would. When they tell you 'we don't feel like fulfilling this pact and you will swallow', it is humiliating. In addition, his policy is not effective, the crime of sedition has not been reformed, which would have allowed the return of exiles.
There are councilors campaigning in favor of the Government.
When I was a minister I thought about my projects, I had a conflict of interest. A Minister cannot go out and say that it is convenient for us to continue in the Government. We cannot allow people with serious conflicts of interest to set trends, and prevent us from giving the party the freedom to decide where it wants to go.
