The spokesperson for the People’s Party in the European Parliament, Dolors Montserrat, spoke from Alicante to accuse the national government, regional barons, and the entire Socialist Party of bearing responsibility for what she described as the ongoing humiliation of Spain by the former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont. She asserted that the Socialists, from Pedro Sánchez and Salvador Illa to every Socialist deputy, senator, and mayor, are complicit through their silence and are financing Puigdemont’s actions by permitting what she called a complicit silence.
Montserrat argued that the socialist government is a hostage to the one who humbles Spain. She criticized multiple concessions and accused the government of rolling out the red carpet for a fugitive from justice. She claimed Puigdemont came and went during last week’s investiture debate, a moment she described as undermining national sovereignty. She also flagged that the following day a ceremony marked Illa’s inauguration as Catalan president occurred without the presence of the Spanish flag.
To the Popular Party, that ceremony was not a legitimate transfer of power but a stage where coercers and the coerced share influence and privileges. Montserrat contended that the newly elected Catalan leader embraced a pro independence agenda and spoke with the voice of an independentist. The message she delivered was clear: politics is meant to serve the people, not to chase privileges or seek merely personal gain. She warned that the PP would always oppose these arguments and would fight to keep the country united under the law, stressing that outside the rule of law there is only totalitarianism.
The statements also touched on European funding projects in Alicante. Montserrat noted that projects financed with the European Regional Development Fund are part of a broader effort to improve the local coastline. The work included major improvements along the waterfront, street reurbanization, and a redesigned public space near the Rambla. In total, the investments approached five to seven million euros, reflecting a significant use of regional and European support to boost local infrastructure and urban renewal.
According to representatives cited by the Popular Party, Montserrat was accompanied by a coalition of deputies, senators, provincial representatives, and council members who emphasized that the party governs to benefit all residents and that the city’s administration is delivering solid results through European funds and careful execution. A regional leader of the party in Alicante highlighted that the city demonstrates effective governance through these funds and their implementation, noting substantial investment in multiple city projects. This leadership expressed gratitude for the euro deputies who advocate for these funds and support Spanish municipalities as exemplars, including Alicante.
These remarks come as local officials and party spokespeople underscore a broader political strategy that ties fiscal discipline and lawfulness to national resilience. The emphasis remains on accountability, transparent use of funds, and a steadfast stance against any action perceived as eroding the unity and legal order of the country. The conversation continues to center on how European resources are allocated across regions and the political implications of leadership decisions at both national and regional levels, as well as the ongoing debate over territorial autonomy and national sovereignty.