‘Remove yellow ribbon from government HQ,’ urges opposition leader

The leader of the main unionist party, Inés Arrimadas, accused the Catalan president, Quim Torra, of only governing “for the people with a yellow ribbon.” This has become the most widespread sign of solidarity with the jailed and exiled pro-independence leaders. “If you also want to govern for the ones without a ribbon, remove the banner showing a ribbon in the Catalan government HQ,” she added in Parliament. 

Ciutadans' leader in the country went on to accuse the independence movement of “provoking a social fracture,” “an unprecedented crisis” and “the flight of 4,000 companies,” while she said Torra’s new cabinet wants to do the same as the previous one. Led by Carles Puigdemont, the previous executive defied the Spanish judiciary to carry out a referendum on splitting from Spain, which was followed by a declaration of independence in Parliament.

Arrimadas responded in the chamber to Torra’s speech presenting his new executive and outlining its main priorities. One of them is to investigate the effects of the seven-month direct rule period lifted last Saturday.

In his response, the Socialist leader, Miquel Iceta, urged for dialogue between the Catalan and Spanish governments. Yet he said this dialogue “requires respect for legality and the separation of powers.” For him, certain issues dealt with by one power cannot be handled by another one, referring to said separation of powers between courts and government. He also asked Torra’s cabinet to give up unilaterality and “imposing a new legal framework.” “We have the possibility to do this another way, without giving up or changing the ideas,” he added.