Puigdemont worried about Trump victory and the ‘new uncertainties’ it will bring

Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, admitted being worried about Donald’s Trump election as 45th President of the United States. According to Puigdemont, this unease is shared by all the Catalan sovereigntist parties, since they reject populism. Puigdemont forecast that Trump’s victory will bring ‘new uncertainties’ but emphasised that the American citizens’ decision, which has been made ‘with freedom’, must be respected. Catalan Conservative People’s Party (PPC) leader, Xavier García Albiol, also commented on Trump’s election during this Wednesday’s plenary session. ‘I don’t know if the upcoming President of the US will build a wall, but you have built an invisible barrier between good Catalans, those who support independence, and bad Catalans’, he said, addressing Puigdemont.

The Catalan President also pointed out that the first public figure to congratulate Trump was French far-right leader, Marine Le Pen. According to what he expressed on Twitter early this morning, Puigdemont forecast that Trump’s victory will bring a more complex and uncertain period and added that this opinion is shared amongst the international and especially the European leaders, who consider it an ‘unexpected result’.

Amongst the main challenges on Trump’s agenda, Puigdemont named climate change, which according to the Catalan President, doesn’t only affect the economy but also the whole of the citizens.

‘Ciutadans’ call to build a ‘sensible’ alternative to stop ‘populism’
Spanish Unionist ‘Ciutadans’ leader in the Catalan Parliament, Inés Arrimadas, considers Trump’s victory to urge the building of a ‘sensible’ alternative which could bring ‘realistic proposals’ rather than being carried along by ‘magic positions and populist campaigns’.  In a press conference, Arrimadas admitted to being ‘surprised’ by the US Elections’ result but insisted on Spain’s duty to keep cordial relationships with the new US Government.

‘CSQP’ consider Obama’s politics neoliberal
Alternative left alliance ‘Cataluna Sí que es Pot’ (CSQP) also commented on Trump’s victory. According to CSQP’s leader in the Parliament, Lluís Rabell, Trump’s victory is a result of the neoliberal politics which impoverish the working class popular. Puigdemont noted that ‘considering Obama’s politics neoliberal is a bit too much’ and praised Obama’s time as head of the US Government and emphasised that he was President during a ‘very critical time’.

PSC: Trump’s victory is ‘very bad news’
The Catalan Socialists considered Trump’s victory ‘very bad news’ but hoped for his term of office to have ‘a more conciliatory tone’ than his campaign. PSC’s leader in the Parliament, Miquel Iceta, described Trump as a person ‘with few considerations regarding minorities’ and with ‘not only a conservative perspective but a narrow and isolated point of view’.

PPC compares Trump’s divisive strategy to Catalonia’s
PPC’s leader, Xavier García Albiol, addressed Puigdemont and said that the Catalan Government ‘is a professional’ in terms of instability and putting in force uncertain politics. ‘I don’t know if the upcoming President of the US will build a wall, but you have built an invisible barrier between good Catalans, those who support independence, and bad Catalans’, he accused.