A little over a year ago that Jaume Duch (Barcelona, 63 years old) is the holder of the European Union and external action portfolio of the Generalitat. Bachelor of Law and Journalism, landed at the Government of Salvador Illa after two decades of being a spokesman and general communication director of the European Parliament. In a geopolitally complicated moment, he travels to New York to meet several agencies and programs of the UN, on the occasion of taking advantage of the international interlocution of Catalonia, always within the competence framework.
Ask: What message will Catalonia leave there?
Answer: The importance of defending multilaterality and international law, especially humanitarian. The consensus that for many years allowed managing international relations between countries and is time for all public authorities, also Catalonia, are being broken, we give a step forward in their defense. Starting with the UN, that you have to play a more important role if we want to avoid this reverse.
P. Are you worried about the effect that you can have in the Catalan economy the fact of?
R. We think there are situations to which one has to talk clearly. And the massacre, the genocide in Gaza, is obviously one of them. As President Illa says, the values are above all.
P. The repercussions can be very specific, such as.
R. We would like the entire EU to approach the type of measures that the government has already approved. Thus, the repercussions for all members and for Catalonia would be much smaller.
P. Do you worry that there is no consensus, that games like together are warm?
R. I see a popular consensus regarding what is happening in Gaza. Therefore, I do not enter disquisitions on concrete positions that other parties may have.
P. Did you be surprised to hear yesterday [por el jueves] The German Friedrich Merz chancellor says that Palestine recognition was the last step, not the first?
R. We will have to see what the management of the relations between the Member States of the Union in the coming weeks is.
P. Do you think that with another president in the White House, the world would be attending this annihilation to the people of Gaza?
R. The American administration can play a fundamental role and I think it has to know how to listen to the international community on this issue.
P. And another president would apply the current trading policy based on tariffs?
R. Let’s not talk about what could happen, let’s talk about what happened. It is the first time that we have a US president who breaks the deck of the rules of the World Trade Organization. That is the situation.
P. This tariff battle puts on the table the importance of the outside presence to open new markets. Díaz Ayuso said last week to open schools than “Embassy” Catalan.
R. First, they are not embassies, they are delegations. I think everyone can understand the difference. Second, not only Catalonia has an external presence, it has many communities, including the PP, because they are based on a law approved by José Manuel García-Margallo. Third, these delegations are not an expense, they are an investment, because what they are dedicated in some way is to the economic projection of Catalonia. And fourth, it is difficult for us to receive recommendations from those who do is weaken their own public services.
P. What do you attribute that of political adversaries?
R. In the background, what it seeks is to continue in a discussion that in Catalonia no longer interests anyone. Attacking with that seems simplistic, repetitive and ancient. We are talking as if international relations were those of the nineteenth century. One thing is the foreign policy that the states do and another thing is the external action, which we all do it, even companies and unions.
P. What is missing to achieve the official of Catalan in the EU?
R. It is not a matter of what we lack, but of patience and perseverance. I have lived it for many years, that the decisions made by the EU cost time, even more those that need unanimity.
P. Ayer [por el jueves] German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Madrid that artificial intelligence will solve it in the medium term. What do you think?
R. It is not a matter of understanding or not understanding us, it is linguistic justice. What was said yesterday outside – I don’t know what was said inside – I conclude that the issue is very high on the Spanish agenda and that the chancellor recognizes the need to solve him.
P. What are the reluctance that transmit to you on this point?
R. It is more a matter of ignorance. We will have to continue doing a pedagogy work. Not everyone knows what the linguistic reality of Spain is. That there are four co -official languages in a territory in which practically 20 million people live. That the co -officiality of Catalan, from Basque, of the Galician is a true co -officiality, which is lived in health, justice, school, police and in the courts.
P. Is there coordination with the governments of the Basque Country and Galicia to advance the officiality?
R. There is with the Basque and we would like to have it with the Galician government. The door is open.
P. We saw this week a photo with ERC, following the agreement for the new delegations. Do you have many pending things in your investiture agreement portfolio?
R. It is necessary to reinforce the participation of Catalonia in some multilateral organisms, something that I will also explore in New York in the next few days. We will renew the agreement with UNESCO. External action is not a taboo if done taking into account your competences.
P. The reactionary wave that Europe is already in Catalonia, with its peculiarities. Does it seem good strategy to confront in public, as I give illa in the control sessions?
R. People have the right to hear certain things, someone with authority responds. Regardless of whether or not that is strategies, it is about putting walls to certain opinions and that society see that there are politicians who have very clear the border between the moral and what is not.
P. What comes to your interlocutors about facts such as the photo of Illa and Puigdemont?
R. The people with whom I usually do not ask me about this issue. But when talking, I notice absolute understanding regarding what the Government and the Generalitat are doing. Both about the amnesty and what refers to a policy that is allowing is a return to normal.
