The DOGC, still under Rajoy’s control, published on Monday the decree of creation, appointment and determination in the area of competence of the departments of the Administration of the Government of Catalonia, but not the appointment of councilors.The Spanish government has approved the decree.
The decree specifies that there will be thirteen councillors and vice-presidents, two of whom will have a change of name: The Department of External Action, Institutional Relations and Transparency (hereinafter External Affairs, Institutional Relations and Transparency) and the Department of Digital Policies and Public Administration (now Governance, Public Administrations and Housing).
A letter from the Government of Catalonia to Spain made a direct reference to the names of Jordi Turull, Josep Rull, Antoni Comín and Lluís Puig. In response to the letter, the Spanish government said it had not authorized the publication of the directors’ appointments, as this could lead to “feasibility problems”. The Madrid letter recalls that the agreement to form the Government “requires the authorization of the Spanish Government”, without which the appointments would have no value and effect.
On Sunday afternoon the president of Catalonia, Quim Torra, said that it was clear that Spain “will not break the law” and that on Monday the DOGC would publish not only the creation and structural decree of the Catalan government, but all this together with the appointments of councilors. On the other hand, during his appearance in Villafranca del Penedès, the Toro said that on Friday, just on the day that the appointment of councilors is scheduled, “the 155th will be definitively annulled”.
On Monday morning, Quim Torra visited Jordi Turull and Josep Rulle, prisoners in Estremera, and reported that they both expressed their willingness to be counselors. At noon he was to visit with Carme Forcadell, former president of the Catalan Parliament, and Dolors Bassa, former counselor in the Halcalá-Meco prison. In the afternoon, visit Jordi Sánchez and Jordi Cuixart in the Soto del Real prison.
On the other hand, contrary to what was initially said, which was said to invalidate Article 155 when forming the Government in Catalonia, the Spanish Government still maintains Article 155 in force. This compromises the approval of the Spanish government’s budgets for 2018, as the PNV said it would not accept them until the aforementioned article was cancelled.