'Disappointing and insipid,' opposition criticizes president's general policy debate speech

Catalan president Pere Aragonès urged the next Spanish PM to set the conditions for a self-determination referendum in Catalonia during the next mandate in Tuesday's general policy debate. 

Opposition parties will have their turn to give speeches on Wednesday, but some already responded to the Catalan president's words in press conferences following the speech on Tuesday afternoon.  

The Socialists viewed Aragonès speech as "disappointing and insipid," as described by spokesperson Alicia Romero. 

The left-leaning Catalan branch of Pedro Sánchez's party believe that Aragonès has "good intentions, but lacks the ability to carry them out," and that it has been shown that he is "alone and weak."

Regarding the Catalan president's demands for referendum conditions to be set during the next mandate, Romero remarked that Catalonia "has already voted enough this year" and that the Catalans "made their bets" with the Socialists, who won most votes in Catalonia in the July general election by a landslide.

She also criticized that ERC "have not been able to find a stable majority that will give them security in this legislature." Aragonès' party, ERC, have the support of only 33 MPs in the chamber, out of a total of 135.

Pro-independence Junts per Catalunya, who left the cabinet last October to move to the opposition, also criticized the president's speech. 

Junts spokesperson Mònica Sales said that Aragonès "cannot lead the resolution of the conflict, he has no credibility" to negotiate. 

Sales pointed out that the negotiations to name the next Spanish PM are "between parties and not between governments," and reproached him not to speak on behalf of third parties.

Far-right Vox say that the president's speech will leave Catalonia "closed" and "divided." Spokesperson Joan Garriga said that the opening of the general policy debate was "more of the same." 

For him, the Catalan government wants "amnesty for coup plotters and corrupt people" while the rest of the citizens "are not forgiven even a parking fine."

Far-left pro-independence CUP called Aragonès' speech "extensive and triumphant," but also "misleading and ambiguous." For MP Laia Estrada, Aragonès' words have "nothing to do with the reality of the country."

She considered it "regrettable" that the government has so much power in what happens in Spain and lamented ERC's prominence in dealing with the political conflict. "Without a political initiative, we cannot expect the solution to come to us from Madrid."

Jéssica Albiach of En Comú Podem, the left-wing party in favor of a referendum but not aligned on the independence question, called for negotiations over Sánchez's investiture not to be a "competition" between ERC and Junts.

Yet, Albiach believes it's necessary to work "with prudence and discretion" regarding any potential referendum conditions being set. "The national interest should be above the party interests", she said, while pointing out "it is important not to take things for granted" regarding a potential amnesty.

Albiach lamented the "triumphalism and complacency" of Aragonès and criticized that he presents plans in a general policy debate that are not yet finalized.

Spokesperson for unionist Ciudadanos, Anna Grau, said the Catalan and Spanish legislatures were "lost" because "everything will revolve around the amnesty and the referendum."

"We don't expect anything good," said Grau, who described a potential amnesty and referendum as "unconstitutional aberrations."

Meanwhile, MP for the conservative People's Party, Lorena Roldán, criticized that Aragonès took for granted that an amnesty for those who have sought independence for Catalonia would be passed.

"He has confirmed the infamy of Pedro Sánchez," Roldán denounced, before quoting Aragonès that this will be "only the starting point" of "indignity, bossiness, and inequality."

"It implies accepting that those who broke Catalonia and Spain have the right to commit crimes and are above the rest," she warned.