Catalan President Salvador Illa has firmly ruled out any notion of a government crisis. He defended his cabinet’s decision-making during a turbulent month marked by rail chaos, severe weather, and public sector strikes.
Speaking in an interview with TV3 on Tuesday night-his first major appearance since returning to the Palau de la Generalitat-Illa rejected demands from the opposition party Junts to submit himself to a vote of confidence in Parliament. The Catalan leader insisted his priority remains “working to resolve the problems” facing the region.
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Salvador Illa returns to office
Illa resumed his duties on Monday after a month-long medical leave due to pubic osteomyelitis. This condition required hospitalisation. He noted that he faces another three weeks of treatment and a “progressive” recovery of his full functions.
His return comes at a challenging time. The administration faced intense scrutiny over the management of the Rodalies commuter rail network, a fatal accident in Gelida, and a severe wind episode that disrupted the community. Illa stood by the actions taken by his acting team, led by Minister of the Presidency Albert Dalmau.
“I told them to act with confidence; the worst thing was not making decisions,” Illa stated. “The situation this last month has been very complex, but the decisions that had to be made were made.”
Defending the cabinet
The President offered a robust defence of his spokesperson and Minister of Territory, Sílvia Paneque. She has been the face of the government during the recent infrastructure crises. Paneque was recently the subject of a censure motion in Parliament, supported by Junts, ERC, the PP, Vox, and the CUP.
Dismissing the parliamentary reprobation, Illa asked, “What does censuring the minister solve?” He argued that Paneque had “given the necessary explanations” and maintained his full confidence in her ability to manage her portfolios. He rejected suggestions from the Comuns that her responsibilities should be divided.
Infrastructure and emergency management
Addressing the chronic issues facing the Rodalies rail network, Illa acknowledged the frustration of commuters. He claimed the service is beginning to “stabilise”, but noted that 210 speed restrictions and delays remain on various lines.
Illa attributed the poor state of the infrastructure to a historic lack of investment. He cautioned that solutions would not appear “overnight”. He pointed to the progressive arrival of 110 new trains and the acceleration of the governance transfer to a new mixed company as the correct path forward, in line with European guidelines.
The President also defended the decision to send an ES-Alert message to the entire population ahead of last week’s windstorm. Some local mayors in Girona and Lleida criticised the blanket nature of the alert. Illa maintained that safety was paramount. “If we had not taken this measure, we would have regretted many personal damages,” he said.
Budgets and housing
Looking ahead, the government is working to approve the first budgets of the legislature before 31 March. Negotiations are intensifying with the Comuns, who have made their support conditional on a temporary ban on speculative housing purchases in stressed market areas.
Illa confirmed that the Department of Territory is studying expert reports on the legality of such a ban. “The Government will not have shaky legs to resolve this issue,” he promised. He emphasised that the new budget would have a progressive focus aimed at solving housing and mobility deficits.
Opposition reaction remained sharp. Mònica Sales, the leader of Junts in Parliament, accused Illa of endorsing “disastrous work”. She also said he lacked the ambition to confront the central government regarding the fiscal deficit. “His propaganda no longer covers up his incompetence,” she concluded.
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