Aragonès and Bolaños held a meeting in Barcelona on Thursday
The Catalan president, Pere Aragonès, held a private meeting with the Spanish Minister of the Presidency, Felix Bolanos, in Barcelona on Thursday. The encounter, which was unannounced, took place in the morning and was later confirmed by the Government's spokeswoman, Isabel Rodriguez, and the Govern to TVE.
The meeting's focus was the upcoming 'clarity declaration' and the agreed conditions for a Catalan independence referendum. According to sources from the Catalan government, there are 'many issues' to be addressed with Moncloa, but they have avoided giving details about the content of Aragonès' private meeting with Bolanos, emphasizing that the conversations 'must remain discreet.'
Aragonès reiterated his clear position on the issues in each meeting with representatives of the central government, stating that 'agreements must be fulfilled' as reached in the dialogue table. The Government has framed the meeting as part of the 'normal' and to improve 'personal' and institutional relations. However, the Generalitat denies that there is a 'normalization' of relations with the Executive and emphasizes that there are still 'discrepancies.'
The strained relations between the two governments were particularly evident when the espionage through the 'Pegasus' system of pro-independence leaders, including Aragonès himself, carried out by the Spanish government was revealed. This incident has not been forgotten, with the Generalitat continuing to emphasize the existence of 'discrepancies' between the two governments.
Aragonès is currently in Northern Ireland, where he met with former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and will meet with the leaders of Sinn Fein. His intention in 2023 is to focus on pushing for a 'clarity agreement' that sets the minimum conditions for a negotiated independence referendum.
The dialogue table between the Govern and Moncloa is unlikely to meet again this year due to institutional normality and permanent dialogue. Rodriguez stated that discreet encounters between the Government and autonomous officials are 'habitual.' The director of the CNI, Paz Esteban, lost her job due to this espionage, and she was also questioned about the 'Pegasus' espionage suffered by members of the Executive, including Pedro Sánchez.
Despite the ongoing disputes, Aragonès has assured that they maintain 'all communication bridges' open with the Executive, emphasizing that the meetings are necessary to find a resolution to the ongoing issues. The claim for an amnesty remains a part of the so-called 'dejudicialization' agenda, which allowed pardons for pro-independence leaders and a reform of the penal code at the end of the year. It remains to be seen how these issues will be addressed in future meetings between the Catalan and Spanish governments.
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