[English] FULL INTERVIEW with Catalan President QUIM TORRA (CARLOS ALSINA, Onda Cero Radio)

CARLOS ALSINA: Here with us now is Joaquim Torra, President of the Regional Government of Catalonia. Good morning, Mr Torra

JOAQUIM TORRA: Good morning

CA: Thanks for being here

JT: Thanks to you

CA: [Former President] Puigdemont’s favorite, Vicar of Puigdemont, Puigdemont’s errand-boy, puppet, understudy. All these terms have been used by journalists, or by us journalists on radio show to refer to you. Which of them do you feel best describes your role?

JT: The title of President of the Regional Government of Catalonia.

CA: You said the true Regional President was Charles Puigdemont. This is what he said in your inaugural address.

JT: No, I am the president of the Regional Government. The legitimate president and the person we want to vote in again is President Puigdemont, of course. He ran in the election, I was on his ballot and one of our aims is to achieve his inauguration.

CA: In whose name does Mr Torra speak? Does he speak for the Catalonian Government? Does he claim to speak for Catalan society as a whole? Does he speak for Puigdemont?

JT: I speak… I am President of the Regional Government, and therefore I speak as President of the Regional Government, or course as regards President Puigdemont I also speak as a member of the group Junts per Catalunya, which, I insist… We ran on a very clear platform in which we demand that the Catalan constitution be restored, that was our goal, knowing a clear turning point in this term will be the possible convictions in this trial against our colleagues.

CA: You speak in the Government’s name. Do you make any decisions without checking with Mr Puigdemont?

JT: I make many decisions without checking with Mr Puigdemont. I try to keep myself advised by a great many people. President Puigdemont is one of them, indeed. Apart from that, he’s the political leaders of my party, can you imagine me not talking to him! But I make it a habit to seek advice from many people and of course from my coalition associates and colleagues In Esquerra Republicana.

CA: Who’s making today’s decision on whether Esquerra Republicana and the PdCat withdraw their full objection [to the proposed budget] in the Spanish Parliament?

JT: We make decisions collectively. You’ve seen the footage. We have a working group with members of the Regional Parliament, members of the Regional Government, members of the PdCat leadership, my government colleagues and in these sessions we decided on our strategy.

CA: Are you hoping Pedro Sánchez will call a snap election?

JT: I’m hoping Pedro Sánchez will be willing to discuss — that any Spanish president will be willing to discuss the demands of the majority of the Catalan people, the great Catalan consensus whereby 80% of Catalans want to peacefully and democratically exercise their right to self-determination.

CA: Are you getting that 80% from the survey published by the [pro-secessionist] journal Ara?

JT: That 80% comes from the survey published in Ara and from many other surveys.

CA: What was the question people were asked in the Ara survey?

JT: What’s important, if I may, is to sort of realize that, I think, in Catalonia, it’s difficult to reach this level of consensus, which is not easy (interruption) — sorry sorry

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Read the full transcription here: https://voicesfromspain.com/2019/02/1...

Original video: https://www.ondacero.es/programas/mas...