'Fight against far right' to be message of new government's first Catalan National Day

This September 11, Catalonia will celebrate its first National Day in over a decade with an executive leading the government in favor of Spanish unity, instead of fighting for independence, after the Socialists took over the administration following from Esquerra Republicana. 

On Wednesday, officials announced their plans for the institutional celebration of the day, with the message of 'The fight against the far right' central to the event, and "many hearts, one beat" chosen as the motto. 

This theme carries on the plans of Pere Aragonès's pro-independence former administration in terms of the graphic image, the slogan, and the institutional events.

The poster was designed by Sergi Delgado and consists of geometric lines that form a heart with the colors of the Catalan flag.

Catalan government spokesperson, Sílvia Paneque, highlighted the values ​​of "unity, diversity, and transversality" in the presentation of the plans for the day on Wednesday, describing it as "a message against fascism and the extreme right."

Paneque said that the National Day is a day for "everyone who lives in Catalonia, thinks what they think, and speaks whatever [language] they speak."

The government will give a floral offering to the monument to Rafael Casanova on September 11 at 9 am, before then participating in an institutional event at the Four Columns of Puig i Cadafalch by the Montjuïc magic fountain.

Institutional message

President Salvador Illa will bring back the tradition of delivering the institutional message of the day from the government headquarters building after Aragonès did it from other places in recent years.

A speech to Catalan citizens delivered from the government building will be broadcast on September 10 at 9 pm.

Aragonès had made the televised speech from other venues, such as the Catalan Studies Institute or the Roman Forum in Empúries.