The new president, Salvador Illa, swore the Constitution during his inauguration ceremony, supported by five ministers and the presidents of Navarra and Asturias. Illa has formed a new executive featuring key figures to signal the end of the 'procés', appointing former Junts leader Miquel Sàmper (Labour) and Ramon Espadaler, a former member of CiU (Justice). He also recruited Jaume Duch, the former spokesperson for the European Parliament, for the Foreign Action portfolio.
This start to the mandate has been overshadowed by the reappearance of former president Carles Puigdemont in Barcelona, seven years after fleeing justice. The operation planned by the Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, to arrest him before the investiture plenary session failed, calling into question the police force's authority. Puigdemont rejected the police offer to agree on a discreet, negotiated arrest, arguing that he did not enter the investiture session because he was expecting to be detained.
“"I cannot believe the witch hunt that has been unleashed against agents who acted out of civic commitment."
Puigdemont's return was defended by Junts as "a victory" for the independence movement, while ERC, which supported Illa's investiture with 53.5% of its base votes, stated they are working for the former president to "return in freedom." The outgoing acting president, Pere Aragonès, bid farewell by claiming his legacy and wishing Puigdemont could "return in freedom," though he noted that the Supreme Court is the body that "makes the decisions."
On the legislative front, the cultural sector has presented priority requests for the new counselor, including the new Catalan Audiovisual Law, the Catalunya Media City project, and the National Plan for Books and Reading. Meanwhile, the key to Illa's investiture negotiation centered on the new singular financing proposal for the community, a topic that has generated strong friction with the opposition.
