Politics

Only 7% of the 200,000 Catalans living abroad voted in the 2012 Catalan elections and the figure isn’t likely to increase much in the upcoming 27-S elections. Spain’s Electoral Roll Office ignored the Catalan Government’s request to extend the postal vote for those living outside of Catalonia, with the Spanish body only extending it for those who lived in other parts of Spain, not overseas. With just a few days left before Election Day and amidst complaints of ballots arriving too late, confusing processes and the new ‘requested vote’ system seem to have deprived many voters abroad of their right to decide. 

Not only parties have taken an active role in this intensive electoral campaign: the banking sector, Spanish diplomacy, the European institutions, international leaders, businesspeople associations and even the sports and scientific fields have had their say. Some have softened their warnings, some have signed joint letters, but all of them have reinforced the historic element of the upcoming 27-S elections. Whatever the situation may be, what is certain is that the moment is exceptional and that the elections are being closely watched internationally.

Christian-Democrat Unió, the smaller party within the former governing coalition CiU, claims to be the alternative to the extreme positions that “have taken over Catalan politics”. “We regret that this campaign has been based on two extreme positions: the status quo and a breakaway” stated Unió’s Secretary General and now candidate for President in the upcoming 27-S elections, Ramon Espadaler. “We believe there’s a central position and that is reforming Spain’s Constitution” he said at a press conference at CNA headquarters. Unió’s differences with liberal party CDC regarding Catalonia’s push for independence caused the definitive separation of CiU after a 37-year alliance. “Now the party has its own voice” he emphasised. 

The cross-party ‘Junts Pel Sí’ (‘Together for Yes’) is a unitary list which gathers together, for the first time in history, members of Catalan civil society, such as the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) and Òmnium Cultural, and politicians from different ideological backgrounds that support independence. “What we are doing here is very strange but we are going through a very strange moment, extraordinary”, stated former Member of the European Parliament Raül Romeva, who tops the unitary list. “We have tried everything” to hold a self-determination vote, but using the parliamentary elections “is the last resort”, stated Catalan President Artur Mas, who comes fourth on the list.Their plan is to declare independence within 18 months of the 27-S elections “if the majority is there”, which many polls forecast it will be. “This is for real, we are ready to do it” stated Romeva and added that they are “aware of the risks but also very aware of the enormous opportunities”. 

The European Commission attributed to a “human mistake” the differences between the two answers, one in English and one in Spanish, to the same parliamentarian question regarding Catalonia’s push for independence. “We are an organisation of 35,000 people. It is normal that human mistakes do happen” stated EC spokeswoman Mina Andreeva and said that the only assertive version was the English one. “The Commission is an independent authority. Nobody can manipulate it” she emphasised, insisting that the EC’s position in respect to a hypothetical independent territory in the EU has always been clear and the same “since 2012”. Three Catalan MEP’s have sent a joint letter to EC president Jean-Claude Juncker urging him to open a full investigation “to clarify this political scandal”

EC clarified this Wednesday that Brussels didn’t authorise any official answer regarding a hypothetical Unilateral Declaration of Independence in Catalonia. This clarification arrives after the confusion surrounding the two different answers in English and in Spanish given to the same question from PP Member of the European Parliament Santiago Fisas. “The English version is the one agreed to by President Juncker” stated EC spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud. The answer said “it is not for the Commission to express a position on questions of internal organisation related to the constitutional arrangements of a particular Member State”. The Spanish version stated that “the determination of the territory of a Member State is established by its National Constitution and not by an autonomous parliament’s decision contrary to that Constitution”. The Catalan Government called for an enquiry on the alleged manipulation and defined the Spanish text as “extremely disturbing”.

The Bank of Spain Govenror, Luis Maria Linde, corrected his previous statement and admitted that “freezing bank accounts” if Catalonia becomes an independent country is a very “improbable, almost impossible” situation. Linde’s clarification comes after his statements last week assuring that Catalonia would face a ‘corralito’ in the event of independence. He added this Wednesday that he wasn’t “that worried” about this possibility nor is “anybody else in Europe”. Following Linde’s warning, a group of six prestigious economists asked for the Governor’s resignation and recalled that Linde’s task should be “promoting financial stability” rather than “influencing thevoters’ decisions”.

Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation José Manuel García-Margallo stated this Wednesday that Catalans would not be able to maintain their Spanish nationality or European citizenship in the case of independence. “Catalan people cannot expect to maintain certain attributes and not others” he insisted. Margallo called the Catalans’ idea some sort of “joke” and cited Latin American countries’ independence from Spain and Algeria’s independence as examples. He made such statement after Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, failed to defend the idea that Catalans will lose Spanish nationality (because the Spanish Constitution allows them to keep it as they are Spanish by origin). Referring to this, Catalan President Artur Mas stated that “Spain’s threats turn against them like a boomerang”.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy ran out of arguments this Tuesday when he tried to claim that Catalans would lose their Spanish nationality in the event of Catalonia’s independence. In an interview with Spanish radio station Onda Cero, Rajoy failed to answer when the Spanish journalist Carlos Alsina told him that Spanish nationality “can’t be removed” and that even if Catalonia were to become an independent country, Catalan citizens would keep both their Spanish and European nationality. Rajoy concluded by saying that “such a disquisition was a dead-end”. Catalan Government spokeswoman, Neus Munté, stated that Rajoy exposed himself and made clear that “he doesn’t know the Constitution that they mention and exhibit everywhere”.

Swiss MPs from five different parties lamented this Tuesday that “Spain’s position seems to be doing the opposite of the international procedures expected from democratic countries” as their “constant vetoes have ended all the legal possibilities for Catalonia”.Swiss representatives from all the parties, except from the RL, which may join the proposal later, have asked their government if they can “mediate between Madrid and Barcelona”. “Considering Switzerland’s neutrality and democratic tradition, would the Federal Council propose our country’s good manners to ensure mediation between Madrid and Barcelona?” MPs asked the Swiss executive. 

Scientists of international recognition, such as oncologist Joan Massagué and assisted reproduction expert Anna Veiga, have shown their support for pro-independence unitary candidacy “Junts Pel Sí” (‘Together For Yes’). More than 10 professionals have signed a document entitled ‘A good opportunity for our science’ in which they assure that ‘Junts Pel Sí’ “is the best option to maintain the good work and the consensus achieved through many years” and will “increase the resources that science requires and provide the state structures to guarantee the consolidation and growth of the research system”. The text also describes Spain’s way of working in the scientific field as “old-fashioned”.

Anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans (C’s) is the youngest party with representation in the Catalan parliament. Founded in 2006, their support has increased dramatically in every election and most of the polls forecast that they will be the second force in the upcoming 27-S elections. Their position regarding Catalonia’s independence is open opposition and they call for reform of the Spanish Constitution. “I’ll do everything in my hands to avoid Catalonia’s independence” assured C’s candidate Inés Arrimadas at a press conference held this Tuesday at CNA headquarters. “We don’t want to think of the reactions to a hypothetical victory of pro-independence forces. We want to beat them, we want to win the Catalan elections” she stated. According to Arrimadas, Ciutadans is the only party which understands the real problems of the citizens “and independence is not a priority for them”. “We focus on the services, not on the institutions” she added.  

The Bank of Spain Governor, Luis María Linde, stated this Monday that if Catalonia becomes independent there’s a risk of frozen bank accounts, also known as ‘corralito’, and pointed out Greece and Argentina as recent examples. Linde also stated that an independent Catalonia will “automatically” be outside of the Eurozone. President Mas has described the statements as “irresponsible, immoral and indecent” and accused Linde of behaving like “a PP candidate”. Mas accused the Spanish institutions of “intoxicating” Catalan citizens in order to maintain their “status quo and their power”. The Catalan President also denied the possibility of a ‘corralito’, because Spain is not interested in damaging the Catalan economy.  

The Catalan Socialist Party (PSC), the Catalan branch of Spanish Socialist Party PSOE is against Catalonia’s independence. “I hope and I wish that pro-independence forces won’t get an absolute majority in the upcoming elections” stated Miquel Iceta, a consolidated member of PSC whom has been chosen to run for President in the upcoming 27-S elections. Iceta has come in for the previous candidate, Pere Navarro, whom got the worst result for PSC in any Catalan elections; only 20 seats from the 135 which compose the Catalan Parliament. PSC’s support in Catalonia has decreased dramatically since 2006 and the party has faced many crises and changes in its leadership, both in Catalonia and in Spain. Many parties have attributed this decline to the lack of independence of the PSC and have claimed that their policies are directed by their mother party PSOE.

European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis assured this Friday that Brussels’ intention “is not to influence votes in member states and regions”, referring to the upcoming 27-S Catalan elections, and outlined that they are “a choice of voters”. Dombrovskis comments came after European Commission spokesman Margarities Schinas warned on Thursday that in the event of becoming an independent state, Catalonia “will become a third country and may apply to become a member of the EU”. Dombrovskis, former Prime Minister of Latvia and European Commissioner for the Euro and Social Dialogue recalled that the European Commission “does not normally comment on party politics in member states or their regions”. “We are ready to work with democratically elected or appointed authorities of member states”, he emphasised