by Ramon Tremosa i Balcells
Today, the Spanish government lives in democratic denial. Since the Catalan election from 2012 where 2/3 of the Catalan Parliament where elected with the mandate to celebrate a referendum on independence, more than 70% of the Catalan population (and even an 80% according to some polls) have consistently supported this political project; however, Primer Minister Rajoy has refused to negotiate it.
Would it be because it is against the law? Not at all. As a Law Experts Council explained, there are five constitutional ways in which Catalonia would be able to vote on independence. Rajoy could have allowed a referendum as Cameron did in Scotland, because the fundamental idea that gives legitimacy to the Constitution is its respect to democracy.
Taking the Constitution to the letter, some would think that's its article 8 giving the army the duty to protect the indivisibility of Spain should act to stop Catalonia to be independent, however that's unthinkable in 21st Century Europe, doesn't it?
In any case, the Spanish government has already chosen the undemocratic path of choosing over a certain interpretation of the law against listening to the will of the Catalan people. This is why the Constitutional Government (which is led by an ex-member of Rajoy's Partido Popular) has ruled suspending the non-binding referendum for 9th of November that was called using the Catalan consultation law.
In response, Artur Mas, President of Catalonia, has called for a symbolic vote on November 9th allowing every citizen to go to vote and choose which future for Catalonia they want. Spanish menaces to suspend this symbolic referendum as well are likely to grow in the coming days.
Moreover, Mas has also announced that the definitive vote will take place through a plebiscitary Catalan election with the intention to run under a unitary list in favour of independence.
Probably to be hold in the coming months, this Catalan election will act as a de facto referendum that will allow Catalans to decide if they want (or don't want) independence and in case of a YES victory, will give a clear mandate to declare independence from the Catalan Parliament with moral and international legitimacy. This would not be the first de facto referendum that Catalonia has lived (in 2012 the tension was high to know if Catalans indeed wanted to vote on independence, and the European elections gave wide support for pro-independence parties), but it will be the definitive one.
Is that the best possible outcome? I don't know. But, it is the most realistic and democratic one taking into account that the two main Spanish parties completely reject to have an agreed referendum on the independence of Catalonia following the recent British-Scottish example.
The rejection of the Spanish government to allow a referendum following the Cameron way brings Catalonia everyday closer to a Catalan election that will become, de facto, a referendum. Stay tuned, whatever Rajoy says, in 21st Century Europe, democracy cannot be forbid forever. Catalans want to vote to decide if independence is a good idea, and in the end, they will.
Today, the Spanish government lives in democratic denial. Since the Catalan election from 2012 where 2/3 of the Catalan Parliament where elected with the mandate to celebrate a referendum on independence, more than 70% of the Catalan population (and even an 80% according to some polls) have consistently supported this political project; however, Primer Minister Rajoy has refused to negotiate it.
Would it be because it is against the law? Not at all. As a Law Experts Council explained, there are five constitutional ways in which Catalonia would be able to vote on independence. Rajoy could have allowed a referendum as Cameron did in Scotland, because the fundamental idea that gives legitimacy to the Constitution is its respect to democracy.
Taking the Constitution to the letter, some would think that's its article 8 giving the army the duty to protect the indivisibility of Spain should act to stop Catalonia to be independent, however that's unthinkable in 21st Century Europe, doesn't it?
In any case, the Spanish government has already chosen the undemocratic path of choosing over a certain interpretation of the law against listening to the will of the Catalan people. This is why the Constitutional Government (which is led by an ex-member of Rajoy's Partido Popular) has ruled suspending the non-binding referendum for 9th of November that was called using the Catalan consultation law.
In response, Artur Mas, President of Catalonia, has called for a symbolic vote on November 9th allowing every citizen to go to vote and choose which future for Catalonia they want. Spanish menaces to suspend this symbolic referendum as well are likely to grow in the coming days.
Moreover, Mas has also announced that the definitive vote will take place through a plebiscitary Catalan election with the intention to run under a unitary list in favour of independence.
Probably to be hold in the coming months, this Catalan election will act as a de facto referendum that will allow Catalans to decide if they want (or don't want) independence and in case of a YES victory, will give a clear mandate to declare independence from the Catalan Parliament with moral and international legitimacy. This would not be the first de facto referendum that Catalonia has lived (in 2012 the tension was high to know if Catalans indeed wanted to vote on independence, and the European elections gave wide support for pro-independence parties), but it will be the definitive one.
Is that the best possible outcome? I don't know. But, it is the most realistic and democratic one taking into account that the two main Spanish parties completely reject to have an agreed referendum on the independence of Catalonia following the recent British-Scottish example.
The rejection of the Spanish government to allow a referendum following the Cameron way brings Catalonia everyday closer to a Catalan election that will become, de facto, a referendum. Stay tuned, whatever Rajoy says, in 21st Century Europe, democracy cannot be forbid forever. Catalans want to vote to decide if independence is a good idea, and in the end, they will.
1 comment:
Great reaading your blog post
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