The Parliament declares the start of the independence process

Barcelona (CNA).- The roadmap to start building “an independent Catalan State in the form of a republic” has been approved this Monday by the Parliament. The proposal, presented by the main pro-independence forces with representation in the chamber, cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’and radical left CUP, establishes the “will to start the negotiations in order to make the democratic mandate of creating a new independent Catalan State effective” and communicate this to the Spanish State, the EU and the international community as a whole. “The process of democratic disconnection won’t be subject to Spanish institutions’decisions, particularly those from the Spanish Constitutional Court, which is regarded as discredited and without competences states the declaration’s text, which also urges the new government to “obey exclusively those mandates produced” by the Parliament. The declaration to start the independence process obtained the support of the 62 ‘Junts Pel Sí’ MPs and CUP’s 10 MPs, which together have 53% of the 135 seats in the chamber. All the other groups, anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans, Catalan Socialist Party PSC, Catalan People’s Party PPC and alternative left coalition ‘Catalunya Sí que es Pot’ voted against the declaration.

The pro-independence roadmap, which is divided into nine points, states that the democratic mandate obtained in the 27-S elections showed a majority of support “in votes and number of seats” to start a “constituent and non-subordinate process”. The process to create “an independent Catalan State in the form of a republic” will begin with a “constitutive process, participative, open, integrative and active, in order to set the basis for a future Catalan constitution”. The text also urges the new government to “obey exclusively those mandates produced” by the Parliament and states that “the process of democratic disconnection won’t be subject to Spanish institutions’ decisions, particularly those from the Spanish Constitutional Court, which is regarded as discredited and without competences”.

The document calls the new government to adopt the necessary measures to make such declarations effective and open the “process of democratic, massive, and pacific disconnection from the Spanish state” in order to allow “the citizens’empowerment on all levels”. It also bids to start within a maximum of 30 days the processing of the laws for the constituent process, social security and the creation of a Catalan public tax office.

The last point of the declaration states the “will to start the negotiations in order to make the democratic mandate of creating a new independent Catalan State effective” and this will therefore be communicated to the Spanish State, the EU and the international community as a whole.

The list of social measures attached also approved

The Parliament also approved the social measures attached to the pro-independence declaration. One of the list’s points establishes that the new Catalan State will welcome and facilitate the asylum of “the maximum possible number” of refugees, regardless of the Spanish Government’s decisions. Another measure aims to launch a law against “energetic poverty” in order to guarantee citizens’access to electricity and other supplies, especially for those at social risk. The same goes for healthcare, which they claim to be universal, regardless of the origin or legal situation of the patients. The added measures also include the re-negotiation of the Catalan government’s public debt.

PPC’s petitions “to abandon the pro-independence process” rejected

The Parliament also rejected the PPC’s petitions which urged the future government to “abandon the pro-independence process and the politics of separation and confrontation amongst the Catalans”. PPC’s petitions also emphasised that the Parliament’s activity must be subject “to the constitutional frame”. During his intervention in the Parliament, PPC’s leader Xavier García Albiol warned that Catalonia “wants to build a new wall”, referring to the 26^th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, which is commemorated today. “Mr. Mas, looking you in the eye, not you, not anybody, is going to take us off from Spain”stated Albiol. After the approval of the pro-independence declaration, members of the PPC displayed Spanish flags in the chamber. 

‘Catalunya Sí que es Pot’ referendum proposal doesn’t go through 

‘Catalunya Síque es Pot’had called for an agreed referendum with Spain. “This declaration is a cul-de-sac” stated ‘Catalunya Sí que es Pot’ representative Joan Coscubiela, and described the ‘Junts Pel Sí’and CUP negotiations as “a high-risk game” which has led to “paralysis” of the Parliament and the government. However, the ‘Catalunya Sí que es Pot’ referendum proposal has also been rejected by the Parliament.