German CDU think tank urges solving of Catalan issue before ‘it’s too late’

The Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation argues in a paper published on Thursday and signed by political analyst Wilhelm Hofmeister that the situation in Catalonia is a political challenge that cannot be solved only by appealing to existing constitutional laws and regulations.

The think tank of German chancellor Angela Merkel’s party, the CDU, lays out the Catalan government’s referendum plans and offers an analysis of the rising tension between Catalonia and Spain. The analysis of the CDU foundation links the growth of independence support to the "inequalities" between Catalonia and the Basque Country foreseen in the Constitution and politically accepted for decades. The paper criticizes Mariano Rajoy’s government for having refused negotiations with the autonomous authorities.

The think tank points out that these inequalities are no longer tolerated but sees constitutional reform as unlikely due to the People’s Party’s refusal to consider it. This is despite the fact that any reform would receive the support of the PSOE under Pedro Sánchez, and most likely the Podemos and even Ciudadanos parties.