On Thursday, the president of the Government of Catalonia, Quim Torra, presided over the swearing-in of two new ministers: Ramon Tremosa, who will serve as Minister of Business and Knowledge; and Miquel Sàmper, who will take over as Minister of Home Affairs. The head of the executive said the changes were intended to “strengthen and inject new energy into ministries that have a crucial role to play” in tackling the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.

During his speech, Torra said that in his presidency “there’s nothing more important than fighting the disease and helping seven and a half million Catalans emerge from this crisis in the best possible way. […] This autumn we’ll have to overcome the difficulties we face based on solidarity, collective responsibility and the tenacity of institutions that strive to make the best possible decisions.”

The head of the executive said he is not concerned about the uncertainty surrounding his future as president because he knows that what matters is the team and he is surrounded by people of “exceptional skill and talent”.

The president also praised the work done by outgoing ministers Miquel Buch, Àngels Chacón and Mariàngela Vilallonga “during one of the most difficult periods in Catalan politics”, stressing their “selfless work” and “wholehearted efforts” to help Catalonia move forward after the period when Catalan self-rule was suspended by the central government and “recover the mettle we need to make the Catalan Republic a reality”. Torra said the ministers had “accepted difficult posts at a challenging time”.

The new Minister of Culture, Àngels Ponsa, will be sworn in next Tuesday.