Video: @salvadorilla / X
"In our home, hate has no place"
Catalan President Salvador Illa used the 2026 Diada Nacional address to condemn xenophobic rhetoric and warn that "in our home, there is no room for hate." Speaking from the Palau de la Generalitat on Thursday evening, Illa denounced the rise of far-right groups including Vox and Aliança Catalana, urging Catalans to remain united as "one single people." The message comes hours after disturbances at Fossar de les Moreres, a traditional Diada gathering site, where Aliança Catalana's presence sparked tensions. Illa stressed that Catalonia "cannot allow anything or anyone to endanger the coexistence of the country," and reaffirmed the nation's commitment to diversity.
"No one is more Catalan than anyone else. We are all Catalonia,"
Illa highlighted the contributions of people from Andalusia, Extremadura, Morocco, and Colombia, praising Catalonia’s "admirable capacity" to integrate newcomers as full-fledged Catalans. He insisted that identity is not a matter of birthplace but of shared belonging.
Unity, legacy and global responsibility
Drawing on the legacy of former President Josep Tarradellas, Illa recalled the 1976 Diada demonstration in Sant Boi de Llobregat as a foundational moment of unity during the democratic transition. He called for renewing that spirit to tackle current challenges in education, infrastructure, housing and financing.
"If everyone limits themselves to their own interest, Catalonia loses. If we all think and act for the country as a whole, Catalonia wins,"
Illa also referenced his recent trip to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on 3 September 2026. He reiterated Catalonia’s solidarity with Ukraine, noting that Kyiv’s fight is not only for its own sovereignty but for the values of the entire European Union. The Generalitat has signed cooperation agreements with the Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk and Lviv, and Illa pledged to position Catalonia’s economy as a contributor to Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Illa closed by urging Catalans not to be self-absorbed, but to "look up" and engage with global challenges, from war and displacement to artificial intelligence, with ambition and solidarity. "Catalonia must be the vanguard for the rest of the countries in Europe and the world," he said.
Primary sources: govern.cat, eb.gencat.cat. Reported by en.ara.cat, rtve.es, ground.news, Catalan News, diplomacynews.com, cope.es, ukrinform.net, infobae.com, Ara Cat.
