The president of the Generalitat de Cataluña, Salvador Illa, has defended the role of Catalan as a key element of integration during his interview with Carlos Alsina on the radio program Más de uno. “Catalan is the language here and it is a mechanism for integration. It will help them to progress, to integrate and to get to know us”, he assured.
During the conversation, Illa stressed that he does not feel the need to justify his identity: “I don't have to prove my Catalan identity nor give explanations to anyone”. Furthermore, he championed an open vision of the country: “I feel part of a plural and diverse Spain”.
The leader also "roundly" condemned the boycott of the writer Eduardo Mendoza, calling it a “very minority” event, and lowered political tensions by assuring that the leaders of Junts per Catalunya with whom he deals “are not racist”, in response to statements by Yolanda Díaz.
🔴 Salvador Illa: "The leaders of Junts are not racist; Yolanda Díaz's characterization was unfortunate"
— Onda Cero (@OndaCero_es) April 22, 2026
👉🏻 The president of the Generalitat de Cataluña has answered Carlos Alsina's questions on @MasDeUno: https://t.co/kLFkyWw1a8 pic.twitter.com/B6EtqLZsfb
In an institutional key, Illa affirmed that his objective is to consolidate stability: “I believe that today's Cataluña is quite different from that of a year and seven months ago. We have strengthened coexistence”. He also announced that there will be budgets in this session period and defended that Catalan politics must be resolved in the Parlament de Catalunya. Regarding political normalization, the president indicated that it will arrive when figures like Oriol Junqueras can run for elections and Carles Puigdemont can return to España.
In economic matters, he defended regional financing based on equity: “What is difficult to explain is that I make a solidarity contribution and end up in a worse relative position than the one who receives it”.
Illa also addressed social and ethical issues, defending that “the decision about abortion must be made by women” and recalling his role in the approval of the euthanasia law as Minister of Health, which generated “no conflict” for him. He also showed himself to be against the use of the burka, although he clarified that he will not impose his personal convictions: “I have no right to impose my convictions on other citizens”.