Mas: Reforming the Spanish Constitution will lead Catalonia to a dead end

Paris (CNA).- Current Catalan President Artur Mas warned this Monday that Catalonia "won't get anything" from reforming the Spanish Constitution and added that it will "lead to frustration". He considered it "nonsense" that Catalonia "burns itself to flames by promoting a reform of the Spanish Constitution" as it "will lead us to a dead end once again". Mas stated this in response to Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) President, Francisco Pérez de los Cobos, who urged the Parliament to propose concrete modifications of the Spanish Constitution in order to launch their demands rather than doing so by breaking the law. "We know that the Parliament has the right to propose constitutional reforms" stated Mas "but now it is not about rights, it is about politics, real politics" he assured. Mas made these declarations in Paris, where he was attending the Paris Climate Change Conference.

"Let's not fool ourselves: unless the other 84% of the Spanish state openly supports a reform of the Constitution, it is nonsense that Catalonia, which represents a minority of 16%, burns itself to flames by making proposals that we know won't go any further" stated Mas in response to the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) President, Francisco Pérez de los Cobos, who suggested that the Parliament propose concrete modifications of the Spanish Constitution in order to launch their demands rather than doing so by breaking the law. "We know the Parliament has the right, according to the current Constitution, to propose constitutional reforms" admitted Mas "but now it is not about rights, it is about politics, real politics" he added. "Thank you for reminding us, we appreciate it" he said ironically.

According to Mas, the consideration "should be the other way around: if the main political forces of the Spanish State agree on reforming the Constitution, we invite them to explain it to us, to see what would this imply and how would it affect Catalonia".

Catalonia's push for independence goes ahead

Mas also referred to Catalonia's process towards independence and the current negotiations between the main pro-independence forces in the Parliament, cross-party list 'Junts Pel Sí' and radical left CUP. Following this, he admitted that "it is possible" that there will be "elections in March". "We hope not, but it is a possibility and if after the elections we achieve a greater, reinforced and more operative majority, much better" admitted Mas and emphasised his bid for "a neat democracy". "Do we have majorities? Let's go ahead then. If we don't have such majorities, then it means that Catalonia is not supporting the path we are following now" he stated. However, he insisted that he is for "following the current process" so that "Catalonia would be able to be constituted as a state".

Catalonia's leading role in environmental issues

Current Catalan President made these statements this Monday in Paris, where he was attending the Climate Change Conference. He was taking part in the workshop 'The Climate Group', one of the world's most important governments and companies' associations, which promotes solutions to climate change which are compatible with economic growth.

Mas insisted on Catalonia's leading role in environmental issues as the current Catalan government has a bill on climate change which "will be the first in Southern Europe on this subject" he assured. "We are taking this seriously" he stated and named the government's objective to reduce CO2 emissions to 40% by 2030 as an example.

Besides this bill, the Catalan government also presented the initiative 'Regions adapt', which focuses on the global temperature. The project, initiated together with Rio de Janeiro, has been supported by many "European and international regions" assured Mas and its goal is "to keep the rise in the global temperature to a minimum". Mas added that climate-related issues affect "sensitive sectors" in Catalonia such as agriculture, tourism and the construction sector.