USdA Demands EU Association Referendum by June, Slams Delay as Insult to Andorrans

Gabriel Ubach, general secretary of the Unió Sindical d’Andorra (USdA), has renewed calls for a referendum on the EU association agreement before summer, describing any delay as a "total insult" to citizens and questioning whether the deal truly represents Andorra's will or just that of Demòcrates per Andorra (DA).

In a 22 April statement, Ubach challenged the agreement's legitimacy, asking if it reflects "the accord of the Andorran people or the accord of DA." He criticised the negotiation process for focusing on technical details while sidestepping broader debate on major implications. Ubach questioned the value of joining the EU framework, pointing to unwanted elements within its freedoms: "If there are situations nobody wants in these European Union freedoms, what are we doing there? If we're not interested in all that, what do we have to do there?"

He also faulted the government for delivering a text that "can't move a single comma," urging greater transparency on its real consequences before any final step.

Earlier, on 20 April, Ubach confirmed the USdA's attendance at the State Pact meeting on 29 April, the day after French Co-Prince Emmanuel Macron's visit. He reiterated the union's unchanged position prioritising a referendum, with June as the absolute latest date and no guarantees yet secured. Any failure to hold it by then, he said, would result from DA's policies.

Ubach insisted the agreement's content is fixed, offering invited groups no scope for changes—"it's this or nothing," he stated, adding that rejection in a referendum would prompt the union to hold the government accountable. He summarised the choice bluntly as "eat it with potatoes or nothing at all."

Criticising the late inclusion of major economic groups—the Confederació Empresarial Andorrana (CEA), Empresa Familiar Andorrana (EFA), Cambra de Comerç, and Consell de Col·legis Professionals—Ubach said they should have joined earlier. He targeted the executive directly: "We have the Andorra that Xavier Espot wants," with DA policies "expelling citizens from Coll de Nargó downwards."

Despite the sharp tone, Ubach signalled openness to dialogue in the process's final phase, with the union ready to engage.

The key economic organisations remain awaiting final membership documentation. They intend individual reviews followed by a joint evaluation before deciding.