Riba tells Montaner his salary “does not depend on the association agreement”

Landry Riba, Secretary of State for Relations with the European Union, has responded to criticism from Carine Montaner, president of Andorra Endavant, who questioned his neutrality in the debate over the EU association agreement and linked his interest in the deal to his salary.

In a post on X, Riba said Andorran politics had traditionally stood out for its conduct and respect in public debate. “Politics here stood out for being different from that of our neighbours. Public debate has always been marked by respect,” he wrote.

The Secretary of State called it “unacceptable” that Montaner accused him of abuse of office. “I am a career civil servant and have a vocation for public service,” he added, denying that his pay depended on the association agreement: “My salary does not depend on the AA.”

The customs agreement is at the heart of the dispute

Riba’s response follows an exchange of comments about what could happen to the customs agreement between Andorra and the European Union if the Principality rejected the association agreement.

A 🇦🇩 la política destacava per diferenciar-se de la del nostre entorn. En l’esgrima pública sempre ha imperat el respecte. Acusar-me de prevaricar com fa @carinemontaner és inadmissible. Soc funcionari de carrera i tinc vocació de servei públic. El meu salari no depén de l'AA. https://t.co/EGCYgO3mOi

— landry riba (@LandryRiba) October 28, 2026

The dispute intensified after Alfons Clavera argued that the customs agreement would not automatically disappear if voters rejected the association deal. 

Riba shared several documents in response: two news articles and an excerpt from a European report discussing the possibility of renegotiating the customs regime if Andorra were to join the single market.

Montaner criticised the Secretary of State for not addressing an Andorra Endavant post setting out the party’s reasons for believing the customs agreement could not continue to operate without the association agreement.

“Mr Riba, have you seen our post about the work of the parliamentary office and the arguments behind our view that the customs agreement would not operate if we did not have an association agreement?” she asked.

The party leader also linked Riba’s interest in the deal to his salary. “Mr Riba is the person most interested in having an association agreement so that he can keep his salary,” she said. In the same remarks, she said she was “tired of politics of fear” and questioned the Secretary of State’s neutrality.

Riba defends his conduct

In his response, Riba rejected the suggestion that his position in the debate was shaped by his personal circumstances and emphasised that he is a career civil servant. He also called for respect in political debate, as the exchange has focused attention on accusations about institutional neutrality and the possible consequences of rejecting the association agreement.

La Veu Lliure reported that the documents shared by Riba did not establish that the current customs agreement would automatically end if Andorra rejected the association agreement. The report cited discusses possible renegotiation linked to joining the single market—a different scenario from the immediate termination of the current regime.