ERC leaves Government crisis committee for anti-covid measures because of leaks
Aragonès says the leaks are disrespectful and urges the media not to publish them
BarcelonaERC has pulled out of the Government's crisis committee which is in charge of agreeing on the measures to prevent coronvirus. As the SER radio programme Aquí Cuní has advanced, and as Republican sources have explained to ARA, they have decided to leave following the leaks of the de-escalation plan, which they attribute to JxCat. A telematic meeting was scheduled for this Wednesday morning and originally had to be chaired by the Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economy, Pere Aragonès, and several key ministers - who negotiate and agree on the measures against the pandemic - had to participate: the Minister of the Presidency, Meritxell Budó; the Minister of Home Affairs, Miquel Sàmper; the Minister of Health, Alba Vergés; the Minister of Education, Josep Bargalló; and the Minister for Territorial Administrations, Damià Calvet.
According to Esquerra's sources, they are asking for a "loyalty pact" with their partners in the Government, and request that no drafts on the de-escalation are leaked before being approved: "We have said enough leaks to torpedo measures, enough disloyalty from the partners, and enough blocking decision making". The controversy took place on Tuesday, when a drafted plan from the Health Department which defined the de-escalation, and which was still being polished, was announced by Rac1.
Esquerra's departure has made itself heard in the control session in Parliament, since the spokesperson of Catalunya en Comú, Jéssica Albiach, has asked the vice-president, Pere Aragonès, to confirm this information. The acting president has avoided to do so, but he has described as "regrettable" that drafts which the Government is still working on are leaked to the media. "This cannot happen again", said Aragonès in the plenary session, calling on all councillors not to focus on defending a "legitimate interest" of a single economic sector or political party. "If we don't move forward together, no economic sector will move forward", he said.
In another speech, Aragonès even asked the media "to be responsible" and not publish leaks. The vice-president also endorsed the words of the deputy director of Procicat, Sergio Delgado, who yesterday criticised the fact that the plan was made public before it was approved. "It is a total lack of respect," he said.
