ERC's Alfred Bosch: “We are not going to surrender”

The leader of left-wing pro-independence Esquerra Republicana (ERC) in Barcelona, Alfred Bosch, said in an interview with Catalan News that if they win the next election, they will continue to push for the creation of an independent Catalonia. "Of course we are going to continue, we are not going to surrender", he said, stating that Catalans "are not better nor worse" than any other nation in the world, and therefore should be able to defend their "right to self-determination."

Bosch admitted that despite the declaration of independence on October 27, the pro-independence forces have not been able to take control of the country, which is being ruled right now directly from Madrid following activation of article 155 of the Constitution. "We proclaimed the Republic, but it's a little creature, we have to make it grow," he said, adding: "Right now the reality is that there is a big deal of repression being imposed on Catalan society, and we have to admit that article 155 is being deployed, yes."

Bosch defended comments by the secretary general of his party, Marta Rovira, who said that the Republic was not implemented by the Catalan government because Spain had threatened the use of violence. "We already saw a big deal of violence on October 1, on referendum day," he said. "We saw riot police beating up people, attacking defenseless and unarmed civilians, elderly ladies and whole families. We have seen political prisoners, members of the Catalan government, elected democratically, being put in jail because of their ideas and political actions," he insisted. For him, there is no "need of any more evidence" than that to understand that Rovira's comments were "completely sustainable."

The leader of ERC in Barcelona said that pro-independence parties had asked for an agreed referendum with Spain "for ages" and regretted their unwillingness to accept a "Scottish-style" vote. Bosch said that right now the only alternative pro-independence voters have left is the December 21 election, and that's why they're fighting to achieve an overall majority. "That was not our choice", he said referring to the vote imposed by Madrid, "but we're going to take advantage of it, we are going there, we love democracy and ballot boxes."