Catalan Government: “Spanish Constitution can’t be understood as a Criminal Code”

Barcelona (CNA).- The Catalan Government Spokeswoman, Neus Munté commented this Tuesday on the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) decision to suspend Catalonia’s roadmap towards independence, which was ratified last week by the Parliament. She stated that the TC should be “a referee” in charge of settling “the constitutionality of the laws” rather than “an executor court”. Munté also warned the Spanish state that the Constitution “can’t be understood as a Criminal Code” and assured that the Catalan Government will continue to “obey the democratic mandate of the 27-S Elections”. The Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont and the members of the Catalan Government received this Tuesday the TC’s notice which warns them of the consequences of starting the pro-independence roadmap. 

“We understand the TC as a referee with the legitimate function of settling the constitutionality of the laws and regulations” stated Munté, “but under no circumstance can [it] be regarded as an executor court, nor can the Constitution be understood as a penal code”, she added. The Catalan Government’s spokeswoman also lamented that “there are references to this subject too often” in relation to the possibility of applying criminal charges to the Parliament’s President, Carme Forcadell, as Spain’s executive urged the TC to consider. In this vein, Munté felt that the Spanish Government expected the TC “to go further” from what it has resolved so far. 

Asked about whether the Government will obey the TC’s resolution, Munté insisted on the Catalan executive’s will to continue obeying “the democratic mandate of the 27-S Elections and those resolutions which emerge from the Parliament, endorsed by the majority of MPs which backed the pro-independence roadmap”. “We continue working and walking”, stated Munté and added that Catalonia’s roadmap “is moving forward and at a very good pace” and that the Government’s intention is “to keep it like this”.

Upcoming challenges on the agenda

This Tuesday’s was the last Government meeting until the 30^th of August and the Catalan President is due to start his holidays next Monday. Regarding the meetings that he committed to having with p-independence radical left CUP in order to discuss the upcoming vote of confidence that Puigdemont will submit himself to on the 28^th of September, Munté didn’t specify anything. “Of course there are contacts and there will be further meetings with different political forces, not only with CUP” she stated, but nuanced that “there isn’t any negotiation” at the moment.