Pau Casals was so universal that the five presidents of the Generalitat gathered yesterday at the abbey of Sant Miquel de Cuixà, in the French town of Codalet, found different virtues in him on which to base their speeches. Jordi Pujol highlighted his defense of Catalan identity; José Montilla, the fraternity; Quim Torra, his sense of freedom; Pere Aragonès, his willingness to resolve conflicts peacefully. And what did Carles Puigdemont highlight about the musician? He praised his figure for "thinking of the country" and for not looking for a personal way out. The nexus of union in all of them, however, was the language and Catalanism.
It was the Catalan Summer University that organized the tribute to Casals. The event in the town of Northern Catalonia ended up being more of an act of national affirmation, where the parliaments of the head of the Catalan Executive and Puigdemont sounded the defense of the strategy followed in the face of an investiture still pending in Spain But also to emphasize the agreement with the PSOE to make Francina Armengol the president of the Congress.
The case of Puigdemont was the clearest. "When we ask that Catalan be a language of Europe, a language that lives alongside the others, we do so by continuing the same thread of the generations that preceded us, but thinking of the others and not only of us, of the the same way that Pau Casals did, without looking for a personal way out for himself", said the former president, in clear reference to the negotiation that led the Spanish Foreign Minister to make a request to the Council of the European Union so that it recognizes the official status of Catalan in the EU.
The ex-president was able to set foot on French soil because the investigating judge Pablo Llarena has not yet issued a new warrant. He expects the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to rule on the precautionary measures that Carles Puigdemont and former councilor Toni Comín will take to maintain the European parliamentary immunity that was withdrawn from them by the General Court of the European Union (TGUE) on July 5. .
Aragonès did not fall short. Nor did he hesitate when part of the audience interrupted the beginning of his speech to claim independence for which they assume he does not work. "It's always nice to remember the goal we're fighting for," he replied.
The president, like Puigdemont, called for the Catalan language to be promoted and rights and freedoms to be fully exercised. For Aragonès, "the repression", which he said that Casals suffered with his exile, "still lasts, to the extent that it affects President Puigdemont". "And I want to welcome him", said the head of the Government.
"We have a political conflict pending resolution that is not due to repression, but to the State's inability to recognize the right to self-determination", he pointed out while demanding amnesty "now more than ever" and a referendum as ways to overcome the political conflict recognized by the Government of Pedro Sánchez. The appeal to "continue building the Catalan nation with an inclusive view" sounded like a vindication of ERC's dialogue strategy.
Aragonès and Puigdemont have not seen each other physically since May 2022, in the context of Catalangate.
Be that as it may, yesterday's event served to highlight the diversity that, as Montilla remarked, was represented in each of the five presidents present in Sant Miquel de Cuixà. Only Artur Mas was absent, for personal reasons, and Pasqual Maragall, for health reasons. The icing on the cake was the private lunch that brought all five together at the same table and that presidential sources assured that it lasted two hours and that it was "disteous and cordial".
During the tribute ceremony there were frequent shouts of "Puigdemont, our president" and "Independence". All the parliaments were applauded, although Montilla's caused some commotion and some whistles among the audience present. The former president, who came with all the knowledge from Moncloa, bet for "a fraternal Spain, respectful of diversity and able to manage its plurality". "You cannot build a nation by denying a part of the citizenry their right to belong simply because they understand their national identity in a different way", he expressed.
In addition, in his intervention he claimed to deal with the problems, "not from confrontation", but from "dialogue and agreement". The amendment in Junts is clear.
Pujol, for his part, made a fierce defense of Catalan identity, emphasizing the language. At this point he thanked Puigdemont for his negotiation for Catalan. And Torra highlighted Casals' sense of freedom and his loyalty to the land, language and culture. But also his commitment to peace, a moment when it was not to be attributed to "a dark Spanish maneuver" that the musician did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1958. "Curiously, that year he was deserted", he said toast
