Meritxell Serret (Vallfogona de Balaguer, 1975) is the first head of the Government of Carles Puigdemont to return to the Consell Executiu, this time as ‘consellera’ of Acció Exterior i Unió Europea, and she does so pending trial for 1-O after having spent more three years in Brussels.
The great pending issue of the independence movement is to obtain the sympathy of the international community. How is it easier to obtain it, from the Government or from the so-called ‘exile’?
I like to talk about credibility and reputation. This department has to contribute to reinforcing both. It should be a global perspective, but the agents that are recognized are the institutions, the Government and the Parliament.
It will be in charge of a ‘conselleria’ that has been under the focus of the State. Will you have to tread carefully?
The repression will not stop us because this Government has some powers and a vocation to assume responsibilities and we will not stop doing so. There are very valid people facing legal proceedings, but this cannot make us abandon the full deployment of the powers we have.
You have been the first of the politicians who has returned to Spain after having gone abroad in 2017. Later, Anna Gabriel has followed in your footsteps. Unlike her classmates, she has not been in preventive detention. Is this the result of the dialogue table?
The context, since 2017, has changed. The harshest repression has changed because it has become evident at the international level that rights have been violated. And, as regards my particular case, it is different at the moment when I am in Brussels and a Euroorder is not sent to me, like the rest of my colleagues, because based on the indictment evidence, which is the judgment of the trial of the ‘procés’, there are no elements that link me to embezzlement.
It does not mention the dialogue table.
It can help to change the context but another thing is the specific court case.
She is accused of an alleged crime of disobedience and the prosecution asks for a fine of 12,000 euros and a one-year disqualification.
I am prepared in the sense that I try not to be affected by it. My strategy in the face of repression has been to try to develop myself, so that the repression does not stop me. and when it comes, it will come.
Who will manage the international part of the Canadian road? Your ‘ministry’? Someone external to be named?
The clarity agreement is a commitment of this cohesive Government and will be done in a coordinated manner between all the departments.
Is Scotland still the reference? The Scottish independence movement is the one that has taken the political conflict to court.
In the world there are different independence processes and each one has its singularities. What we have in common with the Scots is this vocation to resolve the conflict democratically. Then the path followed by each community depends on its context. Each one makes his way.
“What was approved in Parliament [sobre Israel y Palestina] it’s legit. But obviously the Government has the right to maintain open relations”
Your predecessor said that the motion approved by Parliament in which it was stated that Israel applies a “crime of apartheid” in some occupied Palestinian territories “did not represent the Catalans or the position of the Government. Do you share it?
What was approved in Parliament is legitimate. But obviously the Government has the right to maintain open relations. As a Government there is a firm commitment to the defense of human rights everywhere.
And what relations should the Government maintain with Israel? Taking into account, for example, the cases of espionage with Israeli technology.
There is a series of works on ‘Catalangate’ and we will see how far we can go. There are and will be relations with Israel. Then there are the objectives of this department that will always be linked to the defense of human rights
The Més Catalunya al Món plan aims for the Generalitat to go from having institutional representation in 44 countries to 63 and from 14 to 20 delegations. Do you accept this plan?
I accept it and I am very clear that the delegations are a fundamental piece to gain that credibility and reputation.
What role should the Consell per la República (CxR) play in international strategy?
I have the entire structure of the department and the delegations. There is also the network of Acció offices, the Institut Ramon Llull, Prodeca… And then we have an environment and we have to look at how to establish synergies to reinforce the action of the Government. There is the CxR but there are many other entities that carry out foreign action. If there is any line of work in which we can coordinate with the CxR, it will be looked at.
Has the departure of Junts from the Government changed the view of the Government towards the CxR?
There was a government agreement with Junts that, with regard to the reform of the CxR, was not fulfilled. And there was no specificity in that pact about what had to be done.
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Have you detected whether the information about the relations between Carles Puigdemont’s entourage and the Russian government has harmed the image of the independence cause?
I reaffirm what was said at the time that the vocation of Catalan society is European and the Government has always been clear that we want to be an active partner in the Union project. And we will continue like this.