Carles Puigdemont has launched a fierce attack on Spain’s main opposition and far-left parties, accusing them of conspiring to deny Catalonia control over immigration policy.
In a video released by Junts, Puigdemont claimed the Partido Popular (PP), Vox and Podemos had set aside their ideological battles to block the proposal in Congress. ‘They do not want it because it is Catalonia who is asking for it,’ he said, insisting the move was designed to turn the issue into votes at Catalonia’s expense.
The Junts leader argued that immigration is now one of the biggest pressures on public services, and that a nation should have the right to manage it directly. He accused Madrid’s state-level administration of failing and lamented what he called a familiar dynamic: ‘There is little surprise when the extremes of Spain come together when it concerns Catalonia.’
In a sharp remark aimed at Podemos, Puigdemont said: ‘If Podemos must join Vox to stop Catalonia from having powers, it will join and it will keep joining.’ He added that the vast majority of Catalan representatives had voted in favour of the transfer.
The controversy highlights once again the fractious politics of Spain, where issues of regional autonomy repeatedly collide with national party strategies. For Junts, the rejection strengthens their narrative of a Catalonia being deliberately held back from managing its own challenges.
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