The option of negotiation to reach independence no longer exists. The conflict will not be avoided by negotiation". This is what former president Carles Puigdemont thought in September 2019, in statements collected in the book La lucha a l'exili. A lot has changed since then. Especially after 23-J, when Junts became an essential piece for the governability of the Executive of Pedro Sánchez and admitted that there was "an alternative path" for a historic agreement. Since the post-convergents agreed on the investiture of the president, JxCat and the socialists have met four times in Switzerland.
Puigdemont has assumed the status of natural leader of Junts with the candidacy for the 12-M elections and has left behind the interim situation. Yesterday, in Jordi Basté's interview with RAC1, he promised to return to Catalonia for the investiture debate, whatever the outcome of the elections, "to preserve the institution". He also admitted that, if he is not elected president of the Generalitat, he will leave active politics, and sent a clear warning to Sánchez to remind him that the stability of the Spanish legislature is in his hands.
The situation experienced by Xavier Trias at the Barcelona City Council has not been suffered by convergents. It's still happening, and that's why, faced with the possibility of Junts winning the elections and the socialists making a move similar to that of Jaume Collboni, who won the mayoralty thanks to the abstention of the PP, he warned that it would make little sense to give support for the central government "if its franchise in Catalonia - the PSC - tries to put sticks in the wheels of the will of the Catalans".
The message is clear. If Sánchez wants to remain in the central government, let Illa abstain in the event that Junts wins the elections or an independentist government can be formed. He doesn't want last-minute maneuvers because Sánchez will pay for the broken dishes.
And to make his position clear, he underestimated the role of Illa in the negotiations with the PSOE, whom he has never considered a valid interlocutor, despite the fact that the socialist leader has been behind the scenes in all the negotiations with Junts. He also does not want to agree with the PSC, and nothing to debate with the socialist leader. Puigdemont thinks big; in any case, a face to face with Sánchez or Alberto Núñez Feijóo. Illa is the candidate of the 12-M, the polls present him as the winner and also the rival that must be defeated in the next elections.
