“After two days of work in Pere Aragonés, Secretary General of Junts, national coordinator and candidate for the presidency of Jordi Sánchez and Esquerra Republicana, both sides have achieved a basic pact this weekend.” At 8 a.m., ERC and JxCat announced in a joint statement that they have reached an agreement to form government and to investigate Aragonès. At midday, both leaders appeared at a joint press conference, in which they reaffirmed their position.

Both Aragonese and Sánchez have apologized for the prolongation of the talks between Junts and ERC. Elections have been held for three months, it has been said that at times the talks are about to break, and in recent days there has also been talk of the possibility of holding new elections. But both have also agreed that the agreement is sound.

“We will have an independent majority government committed to progressive policies, which will work for the people and for the nation, and which will have the right to the amnesty of the prisoners and the right to self-determination,” said Aragonese, ensuring that the government will be “solid”. “They’re going to be saying what this government is going to fail, but they’re wrong and we’re going to prove it at the end of this legislature,” Sanchez said in the same vein. In the words of JxYes's Secretary General, the agreement allows work to be done with the "maximum perspective" of independence. The lehendakari has referred to the exiles and imprisoned, and has shown its commitment to the resolution of the political conflict in the Basque Country. Aragonés and Sánchez also announce that they will continue working with the Cup

The role of the Cup

The CUP Member Carles Riera was pleased with the agreement and wished to underline his party's contribution to the agreement reached between Junts and ERC, which last week, in the hottest days, re-sat at the same table at the initiative of ERC and Junts Cup: “We have helped in something.” Riera has ruled out that the Cup could enter the government for now, considering that there are disagreements on some aspects that are excessive. At the same time, it has called for the Cup not to reject the measures agreed with the ERC and for the results to be concrete. "We have to prepare ourselves so that the right to self-determination can be exercised in this legislature," said lehendakari. ERC member Joan Mena today accused ERC of "breaking the given word" and announced that the new government will not end the legislature if the possible agreement between ERC and Catalunya in Comú was broadcast last week. The ANC, which since the day after the elections has pressed for a government of the independence forces, has welcomed the agreement, but has called for clear policies for independence: "Repression against independence is permanent. We have to get the political initiative back.”

Ratification of militants and division of sections

The agreement reached by the leaders must now be approved by the bases of each party, which is expected to happen in the coming days. However, Sánchez explained that if JxYes’s bases oppose the agreement, the party members would vote in favour of the proclamation of Aragonese as Generalitat, even if they do not enter the government.

As for the distribution of the departments of the Generalitat, they will be in the hands of ERC: Interior; Culture; Education; Business and Employment; Feminisms and Equality; and Climate Action, Agriculture and Food. The joints shall correct: Economy and Finance; Infrastructure, Urbanism Agenda and Digitalization; Social Rights; Research and Universities; Justice; and Foreign Policy and Transparency.