Good afternoon everybody, right honourable president of the Parliament, honourable Vice-president, mayors, Members of Parliament, people who cared to join us today, people who are following us from here and from around the world through media outlets. Allow me to say a few words that at this instance can only come from the heart and from emotion, as well as from reason and legitimacy, but also words that want to contribute to the greatness of this moment.

 

Today, the Parliament of our country, a legitimate Parliament, a Parliament that emerged from the elections of September 27, has taken a long-awaited and long fought for step. The immense majority of legitimately elected political representatives have culminated a mandate that was validated in the ballots boxes.

 

Citizens of Catalonia, hours are coming in which it will fall onto all of us to maintain the pulse of the country, of our country. To maintain it in the land of peace, civility and dignity. As it has always been and will continue to be, without a doubt. It is the institutions and, at the same time, the people who together and in an inseparable way build the nation and shape society. A nation cannot be built without these two elements.

 

And today, mayors, members of Parliament, today you represent, in an exemplary manner, this union, this coordination, this complicity, this solidarity between institutions and citizens, indeed, how a nation is built, how a country is built. Friends, Catalans, this is what we have to do. It is in our own hands to continue strengthening the foundations that make Catalonia not only an ancient Europe nation, in which a language, a culture and a law have lasted for centuries, but above all a society that has always responded peacefully and in a civilised manner to its great democratic challenges. And because these challenges were faced in a civic and peaceful way, they became democratic conquests. Let us be mindful and let us be worthy of this.

 

 

 

President of the Catalan Government