Illa responds to Feijóo: "You will never be president of Spain because you do not understand Catalonia"

The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, launched this Sunday a direct message to the leader of the Partido Popular, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, to whom he assured that he will "never" reach the Presidency of the Government because he does not understand Catalonia. The response was made through his official account on the social network X, after the Popular leader defended his territorial project in an interview published by La Vanguardia.

"Indeed. That is why you will never be president of Spain. First against Catalan, now against amnesty: curious way of understanding Catalonia", Illa wrote, in reference to Feijóo's statements, who had assured that "you cannot be president of Spain without understanding Catalonia".

The exchange comes less than a month before the general elections of November 29, in the midst of the pre-campaign and with territorial politics as one of the main points of confrontation between Socialists and Populars. The Catalan president questions whether Feijóo can present himself as a defender of Catalonia's interests while maintaining his rejection of the amnesty law and certain initiatives related to the use of Catalan.

Feijóo promises to repeal the amnesty law if he reaches the Government

Illa's words also respond to the commitment expressed by Feijóo to repeal the amnesty law if he manages to reach La Moncloa. In the interview granted to La Vanguardia, the president of the PP has reiterated his opposition to the norm approved during this legislature and has assured that he has not changed his position.

"Obviously, it will not have retroactive effects, because our legal system does not allow it", Feijóo has acknowledged when explaining the consequences of a possible repeal. The Popular leader has defended that his intention is to eliminate the norm, although he admits that this decision would not automatically reverse the measures already applied.

The position of the PP contrasts with that of the Catalan Government, which considers that the amnesty has contributed to normalizing the political situation in Catalonia after the independence process. Illa has defended on several occasions that its application represents an advance for coexistence and has criticized those who seek to reverse it.

The president of the Generalitat had already previously reproached Feijóo for his position on the official status of Catalan in European institutions and the regional financing model. Now he is reviving those criticisms to question the credibility of the territorial project presented by the Popular leader.

Feijóo promises more investments in Catalonia and questions the transfer of Rodalies

In his interview, Feijóo has presented a series of commitments aimed at Catalan voters, among them improving the execution of State investments and strengthening the institutional presence of the central Government in the community.

The PP leader has announced that, if he reaches the Presidency, he will visit Catalonia every three months to report on the fulfillment of the committed public works. He has also defended a reorganization of railway and road communications to improve connections between territories.

However, he has expressed his doubts about the transfer of Rodalies to the Generalitat, considering that the Catalan administration could take on a service that requires major investments and presents management difficulties.

Feijóo has also accused Pedro Sánchez of having disappointed the Catalans who trusted him and has maintained that the President of the Government has not corresponded to the electoral support received in Catalonia. In relation to Junts, he has stated that Sánchez has benefited from his parliamentary agreements to strengthen the position of the PSC.

Catalonia returns to the center of the pre-campaign for November 29

The exchange of statements reflects the confrontation between PSC and PP over Catalonia's role in Spanish politics. While Feijóo tries to broaden his support in the community with proposals on investments, infrastructure and financing, Illa questions whether that commitment is compatible with the position of the popular party on the Catalan language and amnesty.

The president of the Generalitat had already warned at the beginning of October that Feijóo did not deserve the support of the Catalans, whom he accused of hindering initiatives related to regional financing, the official status of Catalan in Europe and housing.

The response published this Sunday adds a new episode to that confrontation. Illa uses Feijóo's own words to question his aspiration to govern Spain, while the PP leader defends that his experience as president of the Xunta de Galicia allows him to understand the country's territorial and linguistic particularities.

With the general elections of November 29 increasingly near, amnesty, regional financing and the relationship of the future Government with Catalonia are once again among the central issues of the political debate.