The Government has approved the opening of 3 new delegations: in Australia, based in Sydney; in Japan, based in Tokyo; and in Senegal, based in Dakar.
The three new delegations address the need to cover geographical areas without Catalan institutional representation yet, with the desire to be present all over the world.
According to Budó, “the increase in the number of delegations from 15 to 18 strengthens the network of offices of the Catalan Government abroad with the aim to enhance international cooperation regarding the containment of the pandemic as well as to contribute to the economic and social reactivation of the country”.
As you may recall, the Government approved in June last year the expansion of the network of delegations abroad in Maghreb and Latin America which took shape in January this year with the creation of delegations in Argentina, Mexico and Tunisia.
Once the European continent is covered and the priority areas are strengthened, with the permanent desire to accompany the dynamics of internationalization of the Catalan society, an effort is being made in order to progressively extend the network of delegations abroad in regions which were traditionally not covered.
In the round of questions from journalists and on the possible attendance by the executive at the King's act in Barcelona next Friday, the Minister of Presidency has assured that “the Catalan Government will not attend the act in King's presence” and added that the executive only expects the King “to apologize for the partisan and incendiary speech of the 3rd of October, three years ago ”. According to Budó, in the speech “he made it very clear that he does not have any consideration for the population of Catalonia”. "In the Government of Catalonia, we have a lot of work and we will thus continue with our agendas", said the spokeswoman.
The government spokeswoman also explained that after receiving the report from the Legal Advisory Committee on the impact that the pandemic could have in the next elections, it was considered appropriate to create a working group made up of the various departments involved. For Budó, the aim of this working group is to determine how we can guarantee two basic elements in these elections: the right to vote and the maximum health and protection conditions. "We have been thinking about the measures that guarantee the maximum health security and protection conditions and now we must also determine how we guarantee the right to vote to everyone in a pandemic situation," said the spokeswoman. Budó explained that “from now on, whether the electoral law is to be partially amended is not clear and it is also a tool we have in order to make sure that these elections can be held with the maximum democratic and health conditions possible”.
Regarding the recommendation of allowing a 2.2% deficit next year, Budó reminded that "the Catalan Government has repeatedly asked for flexibility of the deficit". "Having said that, this measure is welcome, and in this sense the elections period and February elections do not have to impede a budget approval in 2021, even if it is not at the beginning of the year”, explained Budó. The Minister has reminded that "it was not the Catalan Government that vetoed the approval of a budget law but a Court that condemned and disqualified the President of the Government for defending freedom of expression".