The Catalan National Assembly held its political event in Barcelona following the XIV Ordinary General Assembly under the slogan “We are independence. We are action. We are Assemblea,” which served to conclude the mandate of the Board that has led the organisation since 2024 through to the elections to be held from April 14 to 18.
Under the slogan “We are independence. We are action. We are Assemblea,” on Saturday, February 21, Assemblea held a political event at the Ateneu Barcelonès to publicly close the XIV Ordinary General Assembly (OGA), which was held online from February 6 to 9. This event was also one of the last political acts of the current Board, which began its leadership of the organisation in May 2024 and will conclude in April 2026, when elections will be held from April 14 to 18.
In front of a full audience, several coordinators and board members gave speeches to conclude their political journey: they detailed the work done during this mandate, outlined the organisation’s future strategic guidelines, campaigns and actions, described future challenges for the independence movement, and introduced the new membership campaign “To Be There or Not To Be There.”
The president of the Catalan National Assembly, Lluís Llach, denounced the political strategy of the pro-independence parties: “the practice of autonomism will never lead you to control this country’s institutions.” He added: “it whitewashes the Spanish government, impoverishes the Catalan issue in all international chancelleries, and gives the Spanish State — whether right-wing or left — the opportunity to dismantle the Catalan national framework.” Llach emphasised the role the Assemblea must play: “Assemblea will be there to encourage Catalans to participate, to collaborate, to register and to fight with us.”
The Coordinator of the Policy Committee, Josep Vila, stressed the organisation’s political strategy: “Our message inconveniences because we want the parties to put independence at the centre of their strategy again, and it is our job to denounce it when they do not.”
Rosa Caballero, the Communications Coordinator, presented the spot for the membership campaign “To Be There or Not To Be There” and explained the meaning of the slogan: “Being there means being involved, being there means acting. And today, being there means becoming a member of Assemblea.”
Board member Anna Ariño also spoke to explain the upcoming campaign “In Health in Catalan,” which denounces the violation of Catalans’ language rights at healthcare centres.
International Committee member, Ariadna Heinz, highlighted key achievements over the last months, including speaking at the UN Human Rights Council and organising an international symposium in Barcelona, as well as the reactivation of several Foreign Assemblies, “which are progressively becoming more involved in spreading the Catalan struggle”.
Finally, Pau Pacheco, Co-President of the Assembly of Youth of Catalonia, presented this organisation linked to the ANC: “We are a youth organisation that is just starting out, full of energy and enthusiasm.” He added: “The youth are here. We care about language, culture, land and the future that awaits us.