Catalan demands of a referendum and the EU role, centre of debate at the UCL

London (ACN).- A hundred people gathered on Friday inside the Wilkins Old Refectory of University College London (UCL) in order to discuss “Self-Determination Processes in the EU”. The debate on the Catalan Case was co-organized by the European Institute of UCL and the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (Diplocat). Oxford Professor and Honorary Director General of the European Commission, Graham Avery, said that the EU “should not get in the way of the people in deciding about their future” but he admitted the situation in Catalonia was “less clear” than in Scotland. Professor Emeritus at the University of Edinburgh and former Judge in Court of Justice of European Communities, Sir David Edward, said it all depended on Madrid’s decision to accept or to reject the outcome of a referendum. 

The first part of the conference consisted in outlining the situation in Catalonia. Former British Consul General in Barcelona Geoff Cowling briefly accounted for Catalan History up to today’s demonstrations. He underlined the fact that certain members of the army had retaliated with violent threats at the possibility of independence. Cowling stated that the Catalan movement for independence was “from the bottom-up”, in opposition to Scotland, where the politicians had set the pace for the ordinary people.

Miquel Strubell, as the representative of the Catalan National Assembly, and Chairman of the Department for Multilingualism at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), devoted his presentation to recent-years public actions, such as protest marches or local referendums. He emphasized events such as the 11^th of September 2012 demonstration, and the human chain of September 2013. Meanwhile, journalist Xavier Vidal-Folch argued that “Scotland was no Catalonia, and that the UK was no Spain”. He added that according to him, finding the “Third Way” –a solution between full independence and the statuts quo- was “very difficult” but not impossible. “The Third Way is hard to reach, but Independence is even more difficult”, he said.

The European Union’s role

The second part of the University College London conference was dedicated to discussing the acceptance of a new Scottish or CatalanState within the EU. Director of the Constitutional Department of UCL Robert Hazell, Professor of Oxford Graham Avery, Professor of Politics and International Relations at Queen Mary University of London Montserrat Guibernau, and Distinguished Doctor at the University of Edinburgh and former Judge Sir David Edward all took part in the debate.

All the participants agreed to say that an independent Scotland within the EU would be more easily accepted than an independent CatalanState. Indeed, the British Government has stated they would accept the outcome of the Scottish Referendum, whatever it may be. “In Catalonia there is a fundamental difference, in the sense that there is a strong separatist movement, but it has yet to find an agreement with the National Authorities” said Oxford Professor Graham Avery. “If you cannot find a way to move the project forward with an agreement, it becomes difficult to see a positive resolution from an EU point of view”, he regretted.

In the same vein, University of Edinburgh Professor Sir David Edwards said it would be “extremely difficult or impossible” for the EU State Members to “negotiate with an independent Catalonia, if Spain had not recognized it as such”. Both Edwards and Avery believe that independence and acceptance in the EU could be negotiated during the 1 or 2 year period between a referendum and the official declaration of independence. Edward stated that in such a situation, it would be “fundamental” to see whether the independence of Catalonia would be recognized “not only by Spain, but by other countries around the world, within the EU or not”. Edwards admitted such a situation was unprecedented and that nobody could know “what the reaction would be”. “The only certainty is that there are many uncertainties”, agreed all the participants.

Professor at Queen Mary University of London Montserrat Guibernau, also intervened in the debate. She argued that the growing separatist sentiment in Catalonia could be linked to the democratization of the country. She explained the feeling was dominant for the generations born after the end of the dictatorship: “Young people wish to use their right to be consulted, and wonder why they are denied it”, she said. Guibernau argued that the failure to organize a referendum could result in the population becoming “greatly frustrated” and she urged the politicians to find an agreement to let the people decide for themselves.

Director of Constitutional Unit of UCL Robert Hazell explained that the UK recognized the right to Self-Determination of their nations. He added that even Conservative politicians like Margaret Thatcher had always defended the possibility of an independent ScottishState.

The internationalization of the process

The Secretary for Foreign and European Affairs of the Catalan Government, Roger Albinyana, explained on Friday that the London Conference could help “normalize the debate” outside of Catalonia. He added that for the Catalans it had become part of their daily lives, but for outsiders, such discussions were still unusual. Albinyana underlined the will of the “people of Catalonia to decide about their future through a referendum”. He argued that it was “political problems, and not legalities”, that stood in the way of the referendum. He then indicated that so far, each time the Catalan Government had tried negociating with Madrid, they had “come up against a brick wall”.

General Secretary of Diplocat, Albert Royo, launched the conference on Friday. The Public Diplomacy Council landed in London after a visit to Paris last June. Several other Catalan public figures attended the event back then, notably Muriel Casals, President of the Òmnium Cultural, a Barcelona based Cultural and Political Institute, and three European MEP: Ramon Tremosa, Maria Badia and Raül Romeva. They were joined by other distinguished scholers and journalists from other countries.

Events such as these are part of the Government’s Diplomatic Strategy to improve the world’s knowledge and understanding of Catalonia. By doing so, the Catalan Government is hoping for a positively influence on the International Public Opinion. The Catalan Diplomacy or Diplocat’s original purpose was to consolidate Catalonia’s image and reputation by exporting ideas, values, knowledge, and experience in relevant countries.