Andorra's Espot Rejects Combining EU Referendum with Elections

Andorra's head of government, Xavier Espot, has insisted that the referendum on the association agreement with the European Union must remain entirely separate from the general elections, whether held before or after the vote.

Speaking to reporters from Altaveu after the Santa Anna Ball during Escaldes-Engordany's main festival, Espot addressed the electoral calendar amid delays in finalizing the agreement's legal nature. He suggested the elections will follow their standard timeline, with no significant advancement, describing it as proceeding "more or less" as scheduled.

The head of government explicitly rejected combining the referendum with the elections. "It will all depend on whether the referendum can be held before the elections or not. And if not, I think what will have to be done is the referendum afterward and not mix it with the elections," he said.

Espot acknowledged the delays in processing the EU pact but stressed the need to keep the processes decoupled, despite the issue's centrality to Andorra's future. He noted the topic will pervade the election campaign regardless. "It is evident that this issue, whether the referendum takes place before or after, will be omnipresent in the elections, as it should be, because it is one of the major challenges we face as a country," he said.

He called on political parties to act responsibly with a long-term perspective. "I hope everyone makes a sufficient effort of responsibility to look ahead and realize that this is not an issue for the next elections, but that we are playing for Andorra's future, for many years ahead." Espot appeared emotional, remarking it was likely his last such celebration in office, adding that failure to form a new government by then would signal problems.