Catalan President to Spanish PM: "set a day and a time" to talk and present a Constitutional reform

Barcelona (ACN).- The day after the Spanish Parliament's debate about Catalonia's self-determination vote, the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, asked the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, to "set a day and a time" to start talking about a negotiated way out to the current political situation. Yesterday Catalan representatives explicitly asked for the same thing in Madrid, stressing their offer "to talk about everything", including the organisation of a self-determination vote. In addition, in the Government control session at the Catalan Parliament, Mas urged the People's Party (PP) – which runs the Spanish Executive – to present the Constitutional reform that Rajoy mentioned on Tuesday during Wednesday's debate. The Catalan President also deplored the fact that a reform of the Spanish Constitution had been fast-tracked in 2011 following instructions from Germany, but now there is no reform following the demands from Catalonia. The Secretary General of the PP, María Dolores de Cospedal, answered Mas by saying that he is the one who has to present such a reform since he is the one who wants to change the current legal framework.

The Catalan President also insisted that the self-determination process carries on despite yesterday’s negative answer, and that alternative legal frameworks will be used at Catalan and international level to allow citizens to vote on November 9^th. This is the date agreed by a majority of Catalan parties in December 2013, when they also decided the exact question wording. In yesterday's debate, some Catalan representatives said that this time and exact question could be discussed. However, what is not for discussion is Catalonia's national status and its right to self-determination. The preferred option is to hold the vote in such a way as has been previously agreed with Spanish authorities. However, if Spanish authorities refuse to even talk about it and block any negotiation on the issue, the majority in Catalan society will not accept this obstructionist strategy and will find other legal frameworks to express their will peacefully and democratically. This was the demoractic mandate from the last Catalan elections, where almost 80% were for parties supporting the right to self-determination and the organisation of a legal vote.

The day after the big debate in the Spanish Parliament about Catalonia's right to hold a self-determination vote, the Catalan President was asked about it during the regular control session at the Catalan Parliament. The Catalan leader of the PP, Alícia Sánchez-Camacho, criticised Artur Mas for not having participated in yesterday's debate and not being the one to put forward the Catalan demands. Mas had refused to attend the Madrid debate since the self-determination process is not his personal plan but a plural process backed by many political parties, trade unions, business associations and NGOs. In addition, the specific motion debated at the Spanish Parliament was a bill sent by the Catalan Parliament and approved by almost two-thirds of the Chamber asking to exceptionally transfer to the Catalan Government the powers to organise a self-determination referendum in Catalonia. The petition was clearly rejected by 86% of the Spanish Parliament. Catalan representatives, using a thorough legal argumentation, argued that a self-determination vote did fit into the Constitution and therefore it was not a legal but a political problem. "It is a matter of political will", they stated in Madrid on numerous occasions.

The PP asks Mas "to rectify"

Sánchez-Camacho told Mas to "note down" yesterday's result and "rectify and call Mr. Rajoy to start a loyal, sincere and democratic dialogue within the Constitution framework". The PP Catalan leader asked Mas to "respect democracy and the Constitution", pointing out that he is President of Catalonia thanks to this law. She also lamented the "painful process that Catalan citizens who feel Spanish are going through". "You are making us feel as strangers in our own land", she added.

Mas replied that the PP is "afraid of a referendum" because they think they will lose it. In addition, he repeated once again that he is willing to meet with Rajoy. "If the problem is the phone, I have no problem in making the call, although the phone also works in the other direction", he said. In this vein, the Catalan President publicly asked Rajoy "to set a day and a time" to starting talking. The same thing has been requested on many occasions by Catalan representatives speaking before the Spanish Parliament.

Mas asks the PP to present a Constitutional reform

The Catalan President also asked Rajoy and the PP to put forward their own reform of the Constitution, since they believe this text does not allow for holding a self-determination vote. According to the interpretation of the legal text, backed by many experts including 'fathers' of the Constitution – such as Miquel Roca and Herrero de Miñón – a non-binding consultation vote would be possible. After this vote, which would be used to find out the opinion of the Catalan people, political negotiations could start. However, the PP is insisting that the Constitution does not allow such a vote in any possible way. In this vein, Rajoy said yesterday that the only way is making a Constitutional reform. On Thursday, Mas asked Rajoy to present such a reform.

In addition, Mas lamented the fact that the Spanish Constitution cannot be reformed following the demand from a large majority of Catalan society although reform was fast-tracked in 2011 following the demands from foreign powers.  "Has Constitutional reform to be first German, then Catalan?" wondered Mas. The Catalan President was referring to the words of the former President of the Madrid Region, Esperanza Aguirre – which leads the regional PP –, when Barcelona-based company Gas Natural was about to buy Madrid-based Endesa. Back then, Spanish nationalism was frontally opposed to this business operation and after a few months, the German company E-on also bid. Then, Aguirre said "first German then Catalan" referring to Endesa's ownership.

The PP will not put forward the Constitutional Reform

The PP's Secretary General, Maria Dolores de Cospedal, told Mas in reply that they are not willing to put forward a Constitutional Reform. Instead, Cospedal stressed that it is Mas' job to start such a process. "If Mr. Mas wants a Constitutional Reform, he has to present it himself", she said. Furthermore, she criticised the Catalan President's "attitude" of asking Rajoy to set a day and a time, since Mas was absent from yesterday's debate. Cospedal insisted that the Spanish PM made it very clear that he was open to talk, but only about things which fit within the Constitution.