Andorra celebrates 25 years of its constitution

The small independent principality of Andorra, next to Catalonia in the Pyrenees mountains, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its constitution, which was approved by referendum in March 1993. Although the actual anniversary of the vote’s ratification took place on Wednesday, the country known for its ski resorts and its status as a tax-haven has planned events commemorating its Magna Carta that will last for days to come, and will involve many different parts of Andorran society.Andorra has many commercial and cultural links with Catalonia, and in fact, its only official language is Catalan.

The commemorative events began on Wednesday with a speech by Vicenç Mateu, the General Syndic (speaker) of Andorra’s legislative body, the General Council. The anniversary events will now continue with talks, concerts, round-table debates, children’s shows, receptions and even the minting of a commemorative Andorran coin. Andorra is now negotiating its relationship with the European Union, and Mateu compared the significance of the eventual agreement with the EU to the adoption of the constitution 25 years ago.

Andorra’s constitution is made up of 107 articles, among which are rules allowing, for example, same-sex marriage on the one hand, while another prohibits abortions. Since its adoption, the articles have been subject to continuous modification in order to bring them more in-line with those of the European Union, and it is this that is at the heart of the current talks with the EU.