Catalonia moves Southern Africa delegation from Pretoria to Johannesburg for 'strategic reasons'

The government has moved its delegation to Southern Africa from the South African capital, Pretoria, to Johannesburg, for "strategic, institutional, demographic and economic reasons."  

Catalonia has a delegate assigned to the region, but there is not yet an office. The executive has decided in the end that it will be based in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city. 

No date has been given for the opening of the office, which will also cover Angola and Mozambique. 

The government approved changes to the decree that regulates the network of delegates abroad on Tuesday morning. 

As well as moving its Southern African delegation, the changes also detailed the expansion of the scope of the government delegation in North Africa, which will now include Libya and Egypt. 

Similarly, the office in Southeast Europe will now incorporate representation in Greece. 

With these latest changes, the Government says that it wants to "reinforce its commitment to the Mediterranean as a natural area for Catalan foreign action," as well as covering all countries in the European Union. 

Foreign action plan 

Catalan delegation offices, which are part of Catalonia's foreign action plan, have been a source of controversy as some believe only Spain should have the authority to implement such programs. Yet, the Catalan government insists they have a right to have them – other autonomous communities in Spain do – and keep on expanding their network. 

Most of the offices were forced to close when the Spanish government imposed direct rule in Catalonia by invoking Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution following the failed 2017 independence bid. 

The Catalan government began to reopen some of these offices in 2018 when direct rule was lifted, but not without objection from the Spanish authorities who argue Catalonia is overstepping its role as a political entity within Spain.