“No one” can simply ban a referendum on Catalan independence, says FT International Affairs Editor

Barcelona (ACN).- The International Affairs Editor at the Financial Times (FT), David Gardner, said in an interview with the CNA that Spain should offer Catalonia a “political and legal way” to decide on its constitutional future. Failing to do so could cause a “constitutional crisis” in Spain, which would add to the current economical and social problems and make the situation even more unstable. Gardner warned that “no one” can simply ban a democratic referendum in Catalonia, therefore suggesting that constitutional arrangements in Spain should be changed to accommodate Catalans’ desire to have their say.

Gardner admitted being surprised by the Spanish government’s negative reaction to the call for a referendum in Catalonia, saying no such a thing has happened in the UK with Scotland. “Almost all the British establishment is against independence for Scotland. But not a single serious person has ever raised their voice to say: ‘You cannot vote’”, he stated.

Gardner, who was the FT Spanish correspondent in the seventies and eighties and has lived in Barcelona, Madrid and the Basque Country, said that the political transition in the country was “incomplete”. “All political transitions are incomplete, they are so difficult in that they imply compromises that can never satisfy everyone”, he argued.

Part of the problem, according to him, is the so-called “coffee for everyone” policy, which means that all political power transferred to long established nations such as Catalonia and the Basque Country are usually transferred to other regions as well. “There is growing discontent in Catalonia and the Basque Country, the two regions for which the autonomous communities system was actually created. The model should be re-examined”, he said.

One of the most important issues of content between Madrid and Barcelona is the fiscal system. In September, the Spanish government rejected the Catalan petition for a new fiscal arrangement, therefore prompting President Artur Mas to call early elections and promise that a referendum on independence would be held. According to Gardner, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy could have offered some kind of new fiscal arrangement to Catalonia. If he didn’t it’s because he didn’t want to, he admitted. “There should still be some scope for negotiation of this issue”, he added.

Gardner argued that it is “unlikely” for Catalonia to declare independence unilaterally, adding that the political debate about its future “will take a long time”. In his opinion, the Catalan push for independence is “not completely understood” abroad, where everyone “was surprised” by it. Catalonia, he said, is usually portrayed in the international press as a region asking for more financial power. But this is not the only problem, he recognised.

This week, FT journalist David Gardner won the Ernest Udina Award from the European Journalists Association (APEC) in Barcelona. Discussing his award, APEC made reference to his “professionalism, independence, commitment and European spirit”.