The Parliament, the place where the people's political representatives carry out the functions of creating, controlling and advancing the actions of the nation's Government, plays a central role in the life of Catalonia. It holds debates and takes decisions that affect the everyday lives of all the people living in our country. But, for the health of democracy, of the country and of Parliament itself, our chamber needs to be very close to citizens, and the work that is carried out needs to be fully connected to the immediate reality and monitored by the citizens of Catalonia.

I believe in democracy and in the existence of a desire to cooperate and become involved in how our society is organised; a society, particular to our people, that forms part of our culture and in which, above all else, a sense of solidarity prevails, of a shared life together and the pursuit of peace and progress.

It would be good for the country for citizens to feel interested and involved in what is happening in the Parliament, because only then will we achieve maximum effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy.

Someone once said: «Catalonia will be digital or won't be». And it is evident we want Catalonia to be, in the fullest sense of the word. With this aim in mind, throughout this legislature we will promote the use of information and communication technologies in our actions and will reform the Regulations and operational procedures to achieve greater dynamism and open the doors to Catalan society and to every person that forms a part of it.

As President of the Parliament of Catalonia, I promise, with hope and conviction as well as with enthusiasm, to serve this institution with humility and dedication and to respect the plurality that is, today, the main message given to us by Catalan society and also a value arising from our country's richness of thought.

And I will seek to preserve the large amount of very good work carried out by my predecessors, as well as to create and promote change and improvement, making our chamber a modern parliament, a parliament of the twenty-first century. Only then will the Catalan legislature take on its rightful role, on the way to achieving a Catalonia where all people can live better and freer.

Ernest Benach i Pascual

President of the Parliament of Catalonia