Rajoy may take the processing of the laws to start Catalonia’s disconnection from Spain before the court

Barcelona (CNA).- The current Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, announced that if Spain’s legal services find evidence that the three laws which would prepare Catalonia for its disconnection process from Spain “could contradict what it is said in the Constitution, the Spanish government will act as it has done up to now”, warned Rajoy. “The government is temporary, but the State, the Constitution and the laws are still in force” he added. Rajoy also announced that the Spanish executive will approve this Friday a conflict of jurisdiction to be presented to the Spanish Constitutional Court regarding the creation of the new Catalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs. In the same vein, Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) leader Pedro Sánchez admitted to being “deeply worried” about “the steps that the pro-independence movement is taking in Catalonia”. However, he reprimanded Rajoy for his announcement and urged him to “call and agree on the actions to be taken” from now on. 

The current Spanish government “will defend against these attacks against Spain’s unity” warned Rajoy and emphasised that “the government is temporary, but the State, the Constitution and the laws are still in force”. Thus, he wanted to make clear that the processing of the three laws which would guarantee the necessary framework for Catalonia to start its “disconnection” process from Spain won’t go unnoticed. Rajoy’s announcement comes less than 24 hours after the two main pro-independence forces in the Parliament, cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’ and radical left CUP, handed over an application to start creating the three laws: one on social measures, a second on the Catalan tax office and a third on the legal transition. Such an action, according to CUP MP Benet Salellas, shows the Parliament’s will to “start working” on the pro-independence proposal approved by the Parliament on the 9^th of November. He recalled that this document established that within 30 days of the new government being constituted the debate on these laws could be started.

Rajoy’s executive also wanted to show their power despite the fact that their spell in government is likely to end soon. Thus, the current Spanish Prime Minister announced that a conflict of jurisdiction regarding the creation of the new Catalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs will be presented to the Spanish Constitutional Court.

PSOE: “From now on [Rajoy] will have to call”

PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez highlighted that Rajoy is nowadays “just the current Prime Minister” and reminded him that Spain’s King Philip VI requested him and not Rajoy to try to form government. “I urge Rajoy to, from now on, call in order to agree on the actions to be taken” he stated. Even so, Sánchez admitted that PSOE’s reaction to the Parliament’s processing of these three laws would probably be the same.

He expressed PSOE’s “rejection of” and “deep concerns” regarding the steps that the pro-independence movement is taking in Catalonia”. Sánchez assured before the media that PSOE “has always defended the diversity of a united Spain” and that they therefore say to the pro-independence movement in Catalonia “this is not the path, Catalonia can’t be left outside the law nor break the Constitution and the democratic legality”. “I’m convinced that with the Constitution and the laws by our side, we will be able to find political solutions to this crisis of coexistence that is currently been fostered by the pro-independence movement”, he stated.

PSOE and Ciutadans agree on “Spain’s unity”

Anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans’ leader, Albet Rivera, showed his full support for Rajoy’s announcement. Rivera, who met with Pedro Sánchez this Thursday, assured that “there are no fissures amongst the constitutionalist parties” when it comes to Spain’s unity. “I told Pedro Sánchez that Ciutadans, the People’s Party and PSOE must stick together on this issue, especially since there have been attempts to try to break the democratic legality” he stated right after his meeting with Sánchez. In response, PSOE’s leader thanked Rivera for his “good predisposition” and assured that there are “common spaces” in which PSOE and Ciutadans “could get along well”.

The referendum in Catalonia in the spotlight of the negotiations

Although Rivera called for leaving the vetoes behind and negotiating with as many parties as possible, he insisted that it is not possible to agree with alternative left Podemos when it comes to “territorial integrity”. “I can’t see a Podemos that stops being Podemos and stops asking for a referendum in Catalonia” he stated. In an interview with Catalan radio this Thursday, ‘En Comú Podem’ leader Xavier Domènech opened the door to a possible agreement with PSOE and assured that the referendum “is not a red line”. In response, Sánchez assured that PSOE also want Catalans to vote, but to do so on a new Constitution. “It is important that we all defend solutions which respect the laws and the Constitution” he insisted.

Sánchez to dialogue with the Catalan parties in the Spanish Parliament

PSOE’s leader expressed his commitment to meeting with the Catalan parties in the Spanish Parliament, left wing pro-independence ERC and ‘Democràcia i Llibertat’ (‘Democracy and Freedom’), the coalition made up of former Catalan governing party liberal CDC and other representatives of Catalan nationalism. However, he emphasised that “dialogue doesn’t mean agreement, it doesn’t mean negotiating”. “The parliamentary groups which represent Catalans deserve all my respect and we will sit with them to tell them “no”” he concluded.