Pegasus case: Where is the right side of the story?


The Cercle d’Economia was born 60 years ago to help -in the midst of Franco’s dictatorship- to create the conditions for Spain to integrate into Europe. This Friday he somehow culminated that imagined future by presenting his award for European construction to the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen. Some of the founders, such as Joan Mas Cantí, could not hide their emotion and most of the current members thanked Javier Faus, the current president, for this end-of-term gift just as the institution faces its first elections in which Rosa will compete Canadas and Jaume Guardiola. Along with the internal meaning of the event, the last day of the Annual Meeting of the Cercle d’Economia turned Barcelona into a European, Spanish and Catalan capital for a few hours at the gates of Europe Day.

Von der Layen and the moment of Europe

For a pro-European audience, the speech by the president of the European Commission was very moving. She started the first applause with a simple “bon dia & rdquor ;, showing that a certain Catalonia is more comforted by recognition than anything else. But she launched three very powerful ideas: the first is that the response to the pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine have generated a new “moment in Europe” that it will reinforce its integration; the second was the determination to win the war against Putin because together we can get rid of “Russian threats & rdquor; since in Ukraine “we fight for our democracy, for our freedom and for our rule of law & rdquor ;; and the third congratulations to the Cercle for having been on “the right side of history & rdquor; like Pau Casals.

Feijóo claims his identity

The Circle has been the scene of Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s first speech in Catalonia as president of the PP. More than one was surprised by how much he liked what he heard. Three ideas to highlight. Stopping being president of the Xunta is not going to change his way of understanding the autonomous State. The Spanish project has to protect the diverse identities that do not exist to poke others’ noses but instead express respect for their own legacy. Politics and the economy mutually need to generate stability, so their political project is to get out of the trenches. A look at the treatment of certain Madrid press towards his speech shows that, for some, getting out of that trench means losing a very lucrative business. Already more in private, Feijóo pleased some of the attendees with the study that he has to put an end to certain problems for entrepreneurs such as the wealth tax. But, perhaps, the most comforting thing for the members of the Cercle was Feijóo’s response to the pact with Vox, which he always referred to as “that party & rdquor; just as Bárcenas was for Rajoy “that gentleman & rdquor;. The PP is autonomist, pro-European and constitutionalist and from “that party & rdquor; it only needs to recover the votes lost as a result of a split. Come on, the PP is not moving on the right side of history.

Sánchez and Aragonès in search of an author

In this context, Pedro Sánchez and Pere Aragonès wandered around the closing of the Cercle meeting looking for an author who could provide them with an argument to reestablish their alliance. And things are not easy. For the moment, they have been summoned to meet but they will not do so until they have something to say to each other. And what can be said? For now, Aragonès insists that the Pegasus issue is “very serious & rdquor ;, which it is. And Sánchez replies that “he respects & rdquor; to Catalonia and its institutions. Which should suppose by third derivative that it is not investigated who is respected, at least consciously. The Pegasus crisis is still there and while it is out of control it does nothing but undermine relations between Esquerra and the Government, between the two factions of the Government and between the various sensitivities of the PSOE. Too many trenches within the great trench. Can this drift precipitate the end of the legislature? The matter has the power to achieve it and those who enjoyed listening to Feijóo see it as viable. But Sánchez always saves the match point, although not always falling on the right side of history.. And during the match, Aragonès may find himself drawn to the wrong side of history again.


Leave a Comment