Catalan parliament names Junts' Anna Erra new speaker

Former mayor of Vic replaces ousted Laura Borràs as chamber head after pro-independence bloc finds consensus despite divisions

Junts MP Anna Erra voting for herself to be named the new speaker of the Catalan parliament
Junts MP Anna Erra voting for herself to be named the new speaker of the Catalan parliament / Job Vermeulen
Catalan News

Catalan News | @catalannews | Barcelona

June 9, 2023 12:59 PM

June 9, 2023 09:04 PM

Anna Erra has been named as the new speaker of the Catalan parliament, bringing an end to a period of nearly a full year with the chamber being led by an acting speaker. 

The former mayor of Vic replaces Laura Borràs in the post, who was initially suspended as speaker in July 2022 when she was sent to trial for corruption. The parliament then confirmed ousting Borràs as head of the chamber last week after being sentenced for helping a friend win public contracts without going to public tender. 

Erra, of Junts per Catalunya, was confirmed as the new president of the parliament bureau on Friday thanks to votes from her own party as well as that of fellow pro-independence party Esquerra Republicana, in addition to the abstention of far-left CUP, also in favor of splitting with Spain. 

 

The deal to name Erra the new speaker is an example of now-rare consensus found among the pro-independence bloc, coming together to avoid a Socialist candidate from being named the new president of the parliament bureau. 

Asumpta Escarp was put forward by the Socialist Party for the post, but the 44 votes she garnered among lawmakers was not enough to surpass the 64 votes of Junts and Esquerra combined.

She was put forward for the post by Junts general secretary Jordi Turull. Earlier in the week, when Erra was confirmed as the candidate for the position, Catalan president Pere Aragonès celebrated the news that a pro-independence figure was chosen to "restore trust and shared decisions" between pro-independence parties. 

In the wake of the municipal elections held in May, Aragonès spoke of the importance of "unity to defend Catalonia" and of strengthening alliances among pro-independence forces in councils and institutions. 

The current term began with a shared government between Esquerra and Junts, who agreed to grant the presidential post to the former's Pere Aragonès and appoint the latter's Laura Borràs as parliament speaker, but Junts quit the executive in October 2022. 

"In a full democracy, this parliament would not have suffered the anti-democratic interferences it has," said the newly elected Catalan parliament speaker Anna Erra / Catalan News

After a meeting among party leadership, Borràs explained that although Junts considered not proposing any candidate, Erra was eventually chosen in order to "keep the institutions of Catalonia at the service of their sovereignty and combat democratic aberration," referring to Borràs' ousting from the speaker position.

'In a full democracy, this parliament would not have sustained such interferences'

Speaking to fellow lawmakers once being named the new speaker of the Catalan parliament, Anna Erra said that she was proud to be elected to the role, but lamented the "unusual political circumstances" that brought her to such a position. 

The Junts politician criticized the "interferences" that the chamber has experienced, citing the situation of her predecessor Laura Borràs, as well as that of Carme Forcadell, the speaker of the chamber during the 2017 independence push who spent years in jail before being subsequently pardoned and released.

Erra also mentioned that if justice is to be served, then Laura Borràs would occupy the speaker position. "This parliament and Catalans are not living in a situation of democratic normality," she said, adding that Catalonia has been subject to "illegitimate attacks" that have had "personal consequences" for many. 

"It should be possible to do politics without the threat of judicialization," Erra stated. 

That is why, in her acceptance speech, the new president of the parliament bureau promised to make this a space for “talking, reaching agreements and debating.” 

The former teacher also mentioned that she wanted to provide a good example of the use of the Catalan language.

She added that “institutional protection will not save the language, but rather Catalans speaking it in places like the Parliament.” 

Carlos Carrizosa, of unionist Ciudadanos, rose from his seat to ask for the floorwhile lawmakers applauded Anna Erra. Carrizosa considered Erra’s speech “partisan” and asked for all parties to be able to speak. Erra replied that today’s session was ceremonial, with the purpose of voting for the new chamber speaker.” 

"Today was another step in the continual degradation that Catalan institutions are suffering," said Ciudadanos leader, Carlos Carrizosa, after Junts' Anna Erra appointment as parliament speaker / Catalan News

Borràs ousted

On June 1, the Catalan parliament confirmed the removal of chamber speaker Laura Borràs' seat after her corruption sentence.

In radio interviews on Friday morning, Borràs admitted that it was a "complicated day" for her, rather than one of standard "procedure." 

The chamber decided after the Supreme Court denied the parliament bureau's appeal against the electoral board's move to remove her MP status.

Only Aurora Madaula, second secretary of the parliament bureau, and part of the Junts group, voted against the decision.

The electoral board decided to strip Laura Borràs of her MP seat in early May after being sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for helping a friend secure public contracts before becoming the parliament speaker.

Catalonia's High Court also barred Borràs from holding public office for 13 years after she was found guilty of forging official documents, being the initiator of the crime of commercial document forgery, and administrative breach of official duty for splitting contracts to avoid public tenders favoring her friend and IT specialist Isaías Herrero, who pled guilty after securing a deal with the prosecution.

Borràs was sentenced as she was the head of the Institute of Catalan Letters (ILC).