The deputy minister for Strategy and Communication of the Generalitat, Sergi Sabrià, announced his resignation this Thursday after being linked to the case of the defamation campaign against the former ERC candidate in Barcelona in the 2023 municipal elections, Ernest Maragall. Sabrià, one of the strong men of the party, has denied his involvement in the events and has defended his resignation to bring “tranquility”. “Today I leave the last of my responsibilities, but I am not guilty of anything,” he assured in an appearance before the eyes of a good part of the Government, with the vice president of the Catalan Executive Laura Vilagrà at the front; and Maragall himself. “I do it because it is the best contribution I can make to a project that is cracking. My departure helps to cover up the tension. Some have been looking for it for a long time,” he assured.
Sabrià’s name has been linked in recent days to that of the party’s former communications director, Tolo Moya, accused by Maragall himself of being behind the putting up of posters with images of the candidate himself and his brother Pasqual. [afectado de alzhéimer] and the message “Alzheimer’s out of Barcelona”. The Mossos arrested the perpetrators of the action and after learning of their relationship with members of the party, Maragall withdrew the complaint to avoid “further suffering”.
Sabrià himself has denied being behind that action: “I want it to be clear that I did not approve and would never approve an action like the one about Alzheimer’s. It goes beyond all limits. I had to act as a firefighter to put out fires that others created,” he said. The politician also pointed to Oriol Junqueras, assuring that he was informed of what happened, contrary to what the former president of the party said two days ago on social media. “When I found out, it was brought to the attention of the highest authorities,” Sabrià stressed. The former deputy minister for Strategy and Communication of the Government has stated that he did not personally pass on the information to Junqueras, but has fervently stressed that he knew about it.
His words have highlighted the rift that exists in the party, which is in the midst of restructuring after the latest electoral debacles, and he has indirectly criticised Junqueras’ intention to regain the leadership of the party in November. He has censured the “false accusations” that have been levelled against him and criticised the “ambition and personal desire” [por el veicepresidente del Govern] to control the organization to organize it to their liking.”
In any case, Sabrià has denied the existence of a parallel structure that acts at a distance from the official organs of the party: “It does not exist. What exists are various ways of campaigning, and some are closer to activism. Campaigns without a logo are common, everyone plays them, but it has nothing to do with the disgusting posters that appear. Everything is transparent, there is nothing hidden,” he stressed.
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Mariachis in front of Junts headquarters and “activism”
The former deputy minister for strategy and communication of the Executive has denied the existence of a parallel structure that acts at a distance from the official organs of the party: “It does not exist. What exists are various ways of campaigning, and some are closer to activism. Campaigns without a logo are common, everyone plays them, but it has nothing to do with the disgusting posters that appear. Everything is transparent, there is nothing hidden,” he stressed.
Regarding the aforementioned campaigns close to activism, Sabrià has admitted that the party was behind the sending of a group of mariachis to the headquarters of Junts in 2022 when they were considering their continuity within the Government; the putting up of posters with the slogan Free Junqueras; or a performance by people dressed as sardines days before the municipal elections in 2023 to denounce the situation of the Renfe Rodalies network. “Perhaps contemporary campaigns are not as nice as we would like, but everyone is playing this game,” Sabrià has justified himself.
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