Parliament urges EU to be ‘space of understanding, dialogue, and mediation’

The Catalan parliament has approved a motion denouncing “those European governments, including that of Spain, which with some of their actions violate individual and collective freedoms, putting democracy, the rule of law, and therefore the European project at risk.”

Votes in favour of this particular motion came from the pro-independence parties Junts per Catalunya (JxCat), Esquerra Republicana (ERC), and the CUP, as well as Catalunya en Comú (CatECP) which is against an independent Catalonia.

Denouncing the refugee crisis

“The humanitarian crisis of refugees” is also denounced in point four of the five point text. It calls on Europe to be a “space of understanding, dialogue, and mediation.”

“Fundamental rights have been breached in the acceptance of people seeking refuge,” the document reads. “Catalonia reaffirms its commitment to the receiving of refugees despite not having the full powers (to do so.)”

“Founded to overcome totalitarianism”

The first point in the text affirms the Catalan parliament’s dedication to complying “with the objectives upon which the European Union was founded to overcome totalitarianism and to extend democracy throughout the continent and the world.”

It highlights how the EU was created as a space in which human rights, both individual and collective, should be respected. Within the EU, it pointed out, “political conflicts are solved with political tools and in a civic, peaceful, and democratic” way. “Europe must also be a space for understanding, dialogue and mediation,” it goes on to say.

“A cause of freedom”

In addition, it is also argued that the Catalan cause “can contribute to the regeneration of the European Union, since it is a cause of freedom that opens up new challenges to which it must adapt, so that this great pact of values continues to be effective and meaningful.”

All of the points in the proposed text put forward by JxCat received support from a diverse ideological base, with the radical CUP voting against three out of the five motions in the text. Indeed, each point in the document was ultimately passed by the parliament.

Diverse support

The point which generated the most unifying consensus was one defending the understanding and promotion of European languages as heritage, asserting that multilingualism “enriches” people. All parliamentary groups voted in favour of it, save Ciutadans (Cs) although it was later clarified by their spokesman, Carlos Carrizosa, that they had intended to cast their ballot in favour but made a mistake in the vote. Ciutadans voted against four out of the five motions contained in the document.