President defends blackout response: 'We acted with responsibility and rigor'

Catalan president Salvador Illa has defended his government's response to the April 28 blackout, saying it was handled "with responsibility, rigor, and a sense of national duty," and without deferring to the Spanish government.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Illa emphasized the importance of self-governance, stating that the Catalan executive wants "maximum self-rule" to manage crises directly, not to "complain or pass responsibility to another administration."

He thereby drew a contrast between Catalonia's response and that of other Autonomous Communities that requested a Level 3 emergency, which shifts management to the central government in Madrid. When that option was offered to Catalonia, Illa said, his government declined.

Illa warned of "vulnerabilities" in the system due to energy dependence and stressed that "not one step backwards" should be taken on renewable energy.

During a 30-minute speech, Illa outlined the government's actions during the power outage, emphasizing priorities such as protecting the public, restoring service, coordinating with other administrations, and providing accurate and transparent information.

Next step

Now that the crisis has passed, Illa praised both the public and emergency services for their response, describing it as "civic, mature, responsible, and exemplary."

With power fully restored, the next step, he said, is to understand the cause of the outage. For that reason, the Catalan government has opened two investigations – into national grid operator Red Eléctrica and utility company Endesa – to help clarify what went wrong.

New emergency center and 48-hour backup plan

Based on the experience of the crisis, Illa announced plans to construct a new 112 emergency coordination center for CECAT (Catalan Operational Coordination Center), designed to handle crises across Catalonia, particularly in the Barcelona metropolitan area.

The center would integrate all emergency services and security services, with the government also considering the inclusion of key infrastructure operators, such as Rodalies, the Catalan Water Agency, and energy providers.

He described the proposal as "a national project, not a government project," and called for cross-party support, pledging to keep parliamentary groups informed throughout the process.

The government will also ensure that all essential services – such as hospitals, fire departments, care homes, and police stations – have at least 48 hours of energy autonomy in the event of future outages.

In addition, the government will reinforce the RESCAT network (Catalan Emergency and Security Radiocommunications Network), especially for local administrations, and expand access to members of the government and parliamentary group leaders to guarantee communication during crises.

No retreat on renewables

Throughout his remarks, Illa highlighted the "vulnerabilities" of modern societies made clear during the blackout, with energy dependence topping the list.

He warned that there cannot be "one step backwards" on energy policy and renewable energy.

"It’s understandable that questions are being raised," Illa said, "but it would be a serious mistake to blame renewable and clean energy, a mistake with no technical basis." On the contrary, he insisted, "renewables are the solution."

He concluded by stating that Catalonia will not make the mistake of falling behind in the transition to renewable energy.

Opposition criticism

Illa faced criticism from the other parliamentary groups, particularly over government communication during the blackout.

The biggest opposition party, pro-independence Junts, criticized Illa's response as "complacent and lacking self-criticism."

"Why did it take nearly four hours for the first public statement? Why didn’t you appear until eight hours later?" Junts' Albert Batet asked Illa.

The other major pro-independence party, Esquerra Republicana (ERC), criticized the Catalan government for being "in the dark for hours" during the power outage.

ERC's Josep Maria Jové said Illa knows the government handled it "badly" and that it is "unacceptable" to be "disconnected" for so long.

Following criticism from the opposition, Illa said he took "full responsibility" for the government's communication strategy on the day of the blackout.

He accepted and expressed support for the parliamentary inquiry proposed by ERC to examine the recent power outage and Catalonia's broader energy policy.