The CiU proposes an independent Catalan state within the EU by 2020

Barcelona (ACN).- Last weekend, the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU) presented its electoral programme, which proposes creating “state structures” and clearly points towards Europe. “If we want a leading Catalonia in Europe, we need a state structure, which we do not have”, stated CiU’s leader and President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, who is running for re-election. CiU’s electoral programme talks about creating “state structures” but it does not openly mention the word “independence”; however, it is the closest a CiU electoral programme has ever been to supporting an independent Catalonia. In fact, the programme is validated by the massive demonstration of September 11^th claiming for Catalonia’s independence from Spain, which gathered around 1.5 million people in Barcelona, according to local police. Following this demonstration, CiU and particularly the Catalan President, Artur Mas, openly defended Catalonia’s need to have its own state within the European Union. Not surprisingly, this claim has been included in the programme for the next Catalan election, which were called for a month ago by Mas, after the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy turned down the proposal for a specific fiscal agreement to improve Catalonia’s funding scheme (in line with the fiscal models from the Basque Country and Navarra). Mas presented the CiU programme, which places “the best Europe” as its reference.

CiU’s electoral programme proposes the creation of “state structures” in order to have a Catalan state within the EU by 2020. In fact, the document uses the EU as a constant reference, even with its title ‘Catalonia 2020’, in line with the EU’s strategy for competitiveness. The Catalan President and CiU’s candidate for the next elections, Artur Mas, explained that one of the programme’s main axes is “having the best Europe as a reference”. We want to be stuck with Europe. If we were to choose a partner, Europe would be our current marriage choice”, stated Mas. In order to do this, the “red line” is Catalonia’s “right to decide” on its own future and consequently the organisation of a self-determination vote to allow Catalan citizens to directly express their opinion on the issue.

The need for Catalonia’s own state

“If we want a leading Catalonia in Europe, we need a state structure, which we do not have”, stated Mas. “We do not have a welcoming state that defends us”, emphasised Mas, talking about Spain. “We have tried to have it” for the last three decades, but Spain has refused to change and defend Catalonia’s interests, explained Mas. Therefore, now Catalans “want what the rest of strong European nations have”; a state. Mas insisted that this state would be built following absolute democratic principles, around a large majority. “The people need to win this through democracy in its purest state. And we will do it. They will try to impede it, but we will do it”, he stated. This Catalan state would have “the best Europe” as its reference, following Europe’s successes: fostering “the best quality of living and an absolute respect for human rights”.

The recovery from the economic crisis is “the first priority”

Beyond Catalonia’s self-determination process and the independence vote, CiU’s electoral programme and “country project” have made “recovering from the economic crisis, reactivating the economy and creating jobs, the first priority”, stated Jordi Baiget, who is coordinating the drafting of the electoral programme, together with Ramon Espadaler. This is, according to CiU leaders, the main axis of the electoral programme for the next four years. In addition, they propose improving education levels, fostering research, reducing the number of people at risk of social exclusion, strengthening the prevention of health risk, improving pensions “to the extent allowed by employment levels”, increasing security, creating new companies, having “well-balanced public finances and a deficit tending to zero”, a fairer taxation “in order to reduce the individual pressure and increase revenue”, reducing fiscal fraud by half and promoting the presence of Catalan institutions worldwide.

Espadaler underlined that CiU’s proposals are “specific and transparent”. “We could have gone with more ambiguous proposals, but we decided to draft an engaged and concrete programme, acknowledging that this electoral campaign will focus on CiU and President Mas”, added Espadaler. “We know that what we are managing, what will come, will be difficult”, both from a national and socio-economic perspective, indicated Espadaler. However, CiU is “not scared”, as “we believe in this country. This is CiU’s benchmark”, concluded Espadaler.