The Minister of the Presidency, Jordi Turull, announced on Sunday afternoon that the Catalan Government would raise the issue of the “poor management” at the Barcelona International Airport after Aena, the state-owned infrastructure management company responsible for El Prat, refused to sit down at the negotiating table. This attitude, despite the Generalitat's warnings, has made the situation “untenable”.

 

“We will explain to all the embassies and consulates from all the different countries affected by the chaos at Barcelona’s airport how this was all caused”, Turull affirmed. The Minister announced that the Catalan Government would inform the international community that the management of the Barcelona International Airport is the sole responsibility of the State. A state which has “looked the other way”, he denounced. “The Spanish government's delegate said that this was not within Aena's competences. How can it not be if Aena is the one managing the airport?” Turull asked.

 

Despite the situation and the lack of competence of the Generalitat in this area, Turull explained that the Catalan Government has tried to work towards resolving the issue as a mediator “right from the onset” and has showed an attitude that contrasts with the State's neglect.

 

“The State is used to banning and ignoring problems, and problems should not be banned or ignored but faced, which is what the Generalitat de Catalunya has insisted on this whole time. This is reason we want explain ourselves to the world, because this is affecting our country's image and many people are suffering the consequences”, Turull affirmed. 

 

In this regard, the Minister affirmed that Catalan Government feels “utter embarrassment” for the damages committed by the State's inaction, which has affected thousands of people from every country. For this reason it will also communicate the Catalan government's position to all the diplomatic missions regarding all the “inconveniences that have been produced” due to the poor response to the strike.

 

Another aspect that the Government will bring to light in its memorandum to embassies and consulates are the repeated demands from Catalonia to assume the management of the Prat, which the State has always denied. “We will explain why, from Catalonia we are asking for many competences […] If we had State instruments, these sorts of things would surely not happen the way they have happened”, he contended.