Spain’s Catalonia region is in the process of ousting the country’s national police forces from its airports, despite the central government denying that such a move is happening.
On Wednesday, the president of the Catalonia region, Socialist and former health minister Salvador Illa, announced that negotiations would start in 2025 to transition policing of airports and water ports from the Civil Guard and National Police to the regional Catalan police, known as the Mossos d’Esquadra.
“We will call a Security Board meeting at the beginning of the year so that the Mossos d’Esquadra assume responsibility for ports and airports,” Illa said during a speech in the Catalan regional parliament.
This means that Spain’s exterior border in the region would effectively be under the control of the regional authorities instead of the national ones. The move is promoted and favored by the separatist movement in the region to give the impression of Catalonia being a sovereign entity apart from Spain. Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez has made an alarming number of concessions to Catalonia’s separatist movement since his weak socialist-led government relies on the support of Catalan independentists in Madrid. This is the latest move in his constant search for political self-preservation.
Illa’s announcement follows just two weeks after interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska had said such a change was not under consideration. Spanish media has been reporting, nevertheless, that forces within the Civil Guard and National Police have told journalists that indeed the transfer of competencies was already being planned.
Regional president Illa’s recent announcement also contradicts previous statements assuring the public that he would not “take Mossos off the street” to protect airports.
Voices in the Civil Guard and National Guard have warned that curtailing their presence and responsibilities in the region will only put the public at greater risk.
