Rajoy’s centralist proposals put Catalan forces on guard

Madrid (ACN).- On Monday, the leader of the People’s Party (PP) and winner of the Spanish Elections, Mariano Rajoy asked the Spanish Parliament for their backing for him to become the next Prime Minister. In the first day of the two-day parliamentary debate, Rajoy addressed the plenary and announced the main points of his government programme. With a speech focused on the economy, Rajoy offered an overview of his main policies, but without entering into details. Throughout the PP leader’s speech, there were several messages emphasising Spain’s unity, announcing homogenisation measures and a potential recentralisation of some powers. Rajoy talked about redefining public powers and reforming public administrations, on the basis of “one power, one administration”. He linked this to austerity to reduce redundancies and save money.

The Catalan parties with representation at the Spanish Parliament reacted with caution. It is the case of the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition ‘Convergència i Unió’ (CiU), the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) –which is part of the Spanish Socialist Party–, the Catalan Green Socialist and Communist Coalition ‘Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds – Esquerra Unida I Alternativa’ (ICV-EUiA), and the Left-Wing Catalan Independence Party ‘Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya’ (ERC). They believe in the principle of avoiding redundancies, but they fear that the Autonomous Communities might loose more powers, benefiting a re-centralisation of the Spanish State. Furthermore, Rajoy talked about “guaranteeing common services for all Spanish citizens” and “ensuring market unity”. For the aforementioned Catalan parties, those principles could be translated into a homogenisation of Spain, the problem being not on the principle but on how it is done. CiU, PSC, ERC, and ICV-EUiA fear that Rajoy could use the the activation of an economic recovery, the reduction in unemployment and balancing public finances as excuses to recentralise Spain and trim Catalonia’s self-government.

All the Catalan Parties, except for the Catalan branch of the People’s Party (Mariano Rajoy’s party), agree that Rajoy’s speech had a tone of re-centralisation. They also pointed out that Catalonia was not mentioned in the speech of the candidate to become Prime Minister.

The Spokesperson for CiU, Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida, said that Rajoy had not even mentioned “Spain’s plurality and diversity”. He condemned the idea of “a recentralisation”. Duran asked Rajoy about the €759 million the Spanish Government promised to pay Catalonia in 2011, and to which it is legally entitled. Rajoy stated he will study the issue and the state of the Spanish finances, and if Catalonia is right, he will pay the funds. However, it is unlikely this will happen before the end of 2011.

The PSC coordinator in the Spanish Parliament and Senate, Francesc Vallès, said he was worried about Mariano Rajoy’s speech. Vallès said that Rajoy had “shown a very big and sharp scissors that will bring a worrying amount of budget cuts in Welfare policies.”

The Spokesperson for ICV-EUiA, Joan Coscubiela, claimed that Rajoy’s words were “an attempt to camouflage the budget cuts in Welfare Policies”. He also wanted to insist on the “recentralisation process” that appears the PP is determined to carry out.

Alfred Bosch, Spokesperson for ERC, said that with his speech, “Rajoy has given more arguments for Catalonia to abandon Spain”. Bosch stressed Rajoy’s re-centralisation and said, “we do not fit into a state like that”.