The President of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, emphasized this afternoon in Paris that "the fact that the Orsay Museum is hosting a Catalan exhibition of one the greatest Catalan artists of all time, Antoni Gaudí, is a clear demonstration of the potential of our culture". The Chief Executive, who participated in the opening ceremony, pointed out that this exhibition "is one of the most important milestones in the last months of projection of Catalan culture in the world".

The Gaudí exhibition in Paris, which will open to the public, Tuesday, April 12, is the result of a collaboration between the Orsay Museum and the Museu Nacional d'Art de Cultura de Catalunya (MNAC), where it premiered and where it has been seen between November and March. Pere Aragonès, who was accompanied by the Ministers of Culture, Natalia Garriga, and Foreign Action and Open Government, Victoria Alsina, visited the exhibition together with the director of the museum, Christophe Leribault; and the curator, Elise Dubreuil; the president and director of the MNAC, Joan Oliveras and Pepe Serra, respectively, and the curator of the exhibition at the MNAC, Juan José Lahuerta.

In statements to the media, the President of the Generalitat stressed that "we have come from a few weeks (and the ones that are about to come) where Catalan culture is once again projected in areas of international reference and does so with all the strength, creativity and future projection that a culture like ours has".

In this sense, he referred to the Spotlight book fair in London, where Catalan literature has been invited, which, he said, "has allowed it to be projected in the Anglo-Saxon market and with very good prospects for future translations". The President emphasized that there had been meetings of more than 200 Catalan authors, agents and publishers with their equivalents in the United Kingdom.

He also referred to the presence of the Catalan company La Perla 29, which has brought its show 28 i mig (28 and a half), in Catalan, to La Colline National Theater in Paris. Earlier this morning, the head of the Government visited this theater and met with the company’s director, Oriol Broggi, and other members of the team. "The fact that an innovative Catalan company, which makes a very unique theater, is recognized in one of the main theaters in Paris is another reason to take pride in our culture" said the president, who noted that Catalonia will also be present at the Venice Biennale.

Renewable energies

As part of his official trip to Paris, President Aragonès also visited the headquarters of syndicat des Énergies Renouvelables(Renewable Energies Union), an organization that brings together 450 renewable energy producers from all over France. The Chief Executive met with the president of the entity, Jean-Louis Bal, and his secretary general, Cyril Carabot, to learn about the projects they are carrying out and exchange experiences. In this sense, he explained that "we are committed to working together for the future development in the field of innovation in energy production", such as in the development of offshore wind farms or issues related to biogas production.

Pere Aragonès highlighted the government's commitment to the energy transition process and stressed that "it must be done from a European point of view", especially given the war situation in Ukraine, which "has made evident that one of the ways to reduce dependence on Russian gas is to advance in the development of renewable energies". "The more energy sources there are, the less dependence there will be on certain producers" conclusion.

In this sense, he referred to Midcat, which, he said, "is back on the table due to Europe's need to improve its gas connections, to reduce its dependence on the Russian market, but above all because it is a renewable gas pipeline and, singularly, green hydrogen". For this reason, he assured that, from an environmental point of view and with regard to the energy transition, "it makes perfect sense when we focus on an infrastructure that would initially transport natural gas but should be prepared and focused on the transport of renewable hydrogen gases".

"In Europe, right-wing parties isolate the extreme right and in Spain they are put in government"

The President of the Generalitat visited Paris the day after the first round of the French presidential election and expressed "concern" about the results of the extreme right-wing in these elections. As explained by the Chief Executive, "Catalonia has always fought the extreme right and will always do so under any circumstances" and for this reason added that "we feel complicit in all French citizens who have opted for other options and who defend the values of human rights, social justice, democracy and involvement in the European project". President Aragonès has drawn a parallel between the situation in France and Spanish, stating that "in many parts of Europe right-wing parties isolate the extreme right and, on the other hand, in Spain they are put in government".