ERC extends a hand, for now

The passage of the Generalitat's budget for 2015 could go ahead thanks to a gesture of support from ERC, which this newspaper reported on Saturday, after an internal debate to find a way to prioritise the social axis of consensus defended by the republicans and maintain the forward momentum of the sovereignty process. For this to happen, a minimum of consensus with CiU and the government is required. The gesture by the republicans is thus an act of generosity forced by the situation, although it must be noted that it also silences those voices that accuse the party of prioritising its own interests over those of the country.

The passage of the budget may now go ahead but the hand that ERC is holding out will not allow the government to relax for long, because the offer comes with a clear sell-by date alluded to yesterday by the republican spokesman Pere Aragonès: within 30 days elections must be called. Thus the pressure continues, but in a way that allows for conversations in enough time so that the historic pressure does not cause a precipitous rush that cannot benefit a sovereignty process that finds itself at a key moment. Catalan politics has in recent years managed to overcome many hindrances, but it seems increasingly complex that the parties that need to pull in the same direction can continue to do so with the cohesion necessary, both within and without, to progress further. That is why gestures like the one made yesterday suggest that, despite the difficulties, there remains enough mutual will to come to an understanding.