The call to unity
The Minister of the Presidency and Justice, Félix Bolaños, has proposed an alliance between the Popular Party (PP) and Together for Catalonia for the May 12 elections. Bolaños has ironically commented on the nostalgia that both parties have for the year 2017, proposing the name ‘Together for Conflict’ due to his vision that they are two sides of the same coin, separators and separatists. This proposal arises within the framework of a political context marked by the conflict between confrontation and dialogue.
A political referendum
According to Bolaños, the May 12 elections will be a referendum between confrontation and dialogue. The minister highlights that the socialists are committed to dialogue as a way to resolve political conflicts. In contrast, he considers that the proposed alliance between the PP and Together for Catalonia represents a position of confrontation and separation.
The response of the PP
The PP deputy, Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, has responded to Bolaños’ proposal by warning the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) that the amnesty will not prevent them from arresting the former president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont. Álvarez de Toledo affirms that Puigdemont is about to become a prisoner and that the amnesty law proposed by the PSOE will not prevent his arrest. Furthermore, she questions Bolaños about who she will support in case Puigdemont is arrested.
The minister’s vision
Minister Bolaños responds to Álvarez de Toledo by highlighting that the PSOE has managed to reduce concern about independence in Catalonia since it governed. He considers that the party from which independentists have been fleeing during the independence process is concerned about the return of a Catalonia in the process of normalization. Bolaños affirms that, although he does not know the actions that the beneficiaries of the amnesty will take, Catalonia will be different from 2017.
The political challenge
In conclusion, the elections of May 12 represent a political challenge in which positions of confrontation and dialogue are faced. The proposed alliance between the PP and Together for Catalonia presents a vision of conflict, while the socialists are committed to dialogue as a way to resolve political problems. The imminent arrest of Carles Puigdemont and the PSOE’s position regarding the amnesty are issues that generate debate in the electoral context.
