catalan way

Spanish Finance Minister Cristóbal Montoro warned that Catalonia will have access to the 3,034 million euros from the Spanish Liquidity Point (FLA) after the control extra measures imposed by the Spanish executive "are accomplished". Last Friday, the Spanish government announced specific control measures for Catalonia "to guarantee" that the FLA's money "won’t fund pro-independence whims". According to Montoro, the Catalan government "shouldn't distract the attention" and should correctly administer the citizens’ money. In order to increase the control over Catalonia's finances, Montoro announced that the Bank of Spain, the Comptroller General's Office and the National Institute of Statistics will investigate the 1,300 million euros that Spain's executive believes wasn't properly accounted for last year.

The Spanish government will impose special conditions on Catalonia when transferring funds from the Spanish Liquidity Point (FLA). The aim is to guarantee the “transparency” and “the legal compliance of the payments” as well as “make sure that the funds are destined for the planned activities”, stated Spanish vice-president Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría this Friday. She justified these “specific and additional controls” due to “Catalonia’s singularity” and “the non-fulfilment of its obligations”. Catalonia is set to receive 3,034 million euros from the FLA, which will be subject to these new measures. Current Catalan Finance Minister, Andreu Mas-Colell, responded that the transferring of FLA funds “shouldn’t be conditioned” to whether the Spanish government “likes the Catalan politics or not”. He added that the “dramatisation” of the announcement is part of the 20-D electoral campaign.

Radical left pro-independence CUP have repeatedly insisted that they won't instate Mas as Catalan President. However, this Thursday, for the first time since the negotiations with cross-party list 'Junts Pel Sï' began, CUP didn't urge their pro-independence partner to propose an alternative candidate for president. The radical left party did remind everyone that they are still waiting for "a new proposal" from 'Junts Pel Sí' which would have to contain "substantial changes" regarding "the what, the how and the when" but didn't specify anything about who will have to lead the new government. CUP assured that once they receive the new proposal they will put it to vote amongst their members in an extraordinary assembly, probably to be held on the 29^th of November, once they have completed an internal consultation process with all the territorial factions. 

Catalan exports were worth more than 15,500 million euros in the third quarter, representing a record 5% increase over the same period last year. From January to September, the amount of sales abroad by Catalan companies was worth 47,567 million euros, 6.29% more than in the same period last year. The leading sector in terms of exports during the first nine months of the year was the chemical sector, which was worth 12,662 million euros and increased by 6.1% compared to the same period last year. Capital goods came second in the ranking, totalling 8,015 million euros. However, the sector which grew the most was the automobile industry, increasing by 16% in comparison to the first nine months of 2014. In Spain as a whole, exports grew by 4.4% from January to September and also set a historic figure.

A number of different associations met this Wednesday with current Catalan President, Artur Mas, and current Catalan Minister for Social Affairs, Neus Munté, to coordinate on the hosting of refugees. "Catalonia is ready" stated Munté, although she admitted that the Spanish Government haven't told them yet "the number of refugees nor the approximate date of their arrival". In any case, the Catalan institutions and collaborative organisations will be able to host initially between 2,000 and 5,000 people. "These people are living a daily 'Paris'" stated Munté, referring to the refugees escaping military conflicts. She also emphasised that the terrorist attacks in Paris "haven't changed" the government plans in terms of hosting refugees "on the contrary, they have made us more aware of how important it is to work together". 

Employers’ association CECOT's president, Antoni Abad, warned of the economic "instability" that political "stagnation" may cause and expressed his "wish" for Catalonia to constitute a new government "as soon as possible". "We can't continue like this" he stated "98% of CECOT associates refuse the status quo". Abad made these statements this Wednesday at a meeting with Parliament's President, Carme Forcadell, whom in turn assured that she is "hopeful" regarding pro-independence forces 'Junts Pel Sí' and CUP’s negotiations. Abad also asked the government to "facilitate" growth of the Catalan business sector and improve its funding system. CECOT's president also confirmed to Forcadell that Catalonia's economy is recovering in terms of employment and internationalisation capability.

Current Catalan Minister for Home Affairs, Jordi Jané, warned that the jihadist threat in Catalonia is "grave" and insisted that the Government is "offering its hand" and is "willing to collaborate with everyone" in order to fight terrorism. Although he called on citizens to "carry on with their normal lives" Jané announced some measures partly due to the terrorist attacks in Paris. In the short term, the controlling of road access to the main Catalan cities is to be reinforced, as is the level of surveillance in public spaces. In the longer term, Jané announced a protocol to "detect in time the Islamic radicalisation phenomenon" at school and "avoid allowing a terrorism that wants to change mind-sets" to spread. The protocol has already been designed and will be launched shortly. The aim is to work closely with the education community to identify which pupils are more likely to radicalise. 

Catalan human towers, ‘Castellers’, celebrated Monday their fifth anniversary of their recognition by UNESCO as an element of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The ‘Castellers’ community had been awaiting the committee’s decision for years, as the candidature was first submitted in 2007. “The number of ‘Castellers’ groups has increased by 30% in the last five years, totalling 97 groups all over Catalonia”, stated ‘Castellers’ Groups Coordination president Maria Cortès, “our goal is not to reach 100 groups, but to make higher, stronger and safer ‘castells’ each time”. Cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’s top member, Raül Romeva, also attended the event, as he is also a member of a group of Castellers. “Castellers teach us that things must be done well, in an organised way and to add to each other, as everybody has their role” he declared in an interview, probably in reference to the negotiations between pro-independence forces ‘Junts Pel Sí’ and CUP.

The Catalan National Assembly (ANC), the civil society association responsible for the last years’ massive pro-independence rallies in Catalonia, urged cross-party list 'Junts Pel Sí' and radical left CUP to reach an agreement by the 27^th of November. As stated in the ANC's document entitled "Let's do the Catalan Republic" such an agreement has to be "without exclusions, with the conviction that nobody is extra in this process of national transition, on the contrary; we must add new adhesions". The ANC's president, Jordi Sànchez, called for a "strong government" and urged the pro-independence forces to "show responsibility". Sànchez admitted that none of the agents involved aim to call new elections but reach a "good and quick" agreement, otherwise the "risk of erosion of the 72 pro-independence MPs" will be higher.

For the first time in the Parliament's history, a candidate for President hasn't obtained a majority in the second round. This Thursday, 73 MPs from the 135 in the Catalan chamber refused to re-elect current President Artur Mas, which is exactly the same result that the candidate got in the first round of the investiture debate. The only MPs who supported Mas' candidacy were the 62 of the pro-independence cross-party list, 'Junts Pel Sí'. Their partner in the roadmap towards independence, radical left CUP, repeated their 'no' to Mas, as they repeatedly announced they would. In the following weeks, the parliamentary groups will hold meetings to choose an alternative candidate, but if one is not chosen before the 10^th of January, the Parliament will have to call elections again.

The Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) unanimously approved the appeal presented by the Spanish Government to suspend the Parliament's declaration of independence. The TC will now apply article 161.2 of the Spanish Constitution, which establishes the automatic suspension of any resolution appealed by the Spanish Government, and suspend the declaration, initially for five months. The approved appeal also warns Parliament’s President, Carme Forcadell, current President Artur Mas and all the members of the executive and Parliament's Bureau that those who won't adhere to the TC's resolutions could be fined or suspended. In this vein, Spain's public prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday that all the police bodies in Spain, including the Catalan Police, had been urged to investigate and denounce the possible "sedition crimes" committed in Catalonia.

All the groups in the Parliament, but ‘Junts Pel Sí', voted this Tuesday against Artur Mas' candidacy for re-election. "We can't be satisfied, we can't be happy with this 'no'" stated Mas, openly referring to the other pro-independence force in the Parliament besides 'Junts Pel Sí', radical left CUP. "I'll be back on Thursday, for the second phase of the vote" he assured. The current president presented this past Monday his roadmap to start building a new Catalan State and highlighted the need to reach an agreement and elect a new government in order to "start the journey" and guarantee that "the process won't be stuck". However, all the Catalan MPs, except for those from cross-party list 'Junts Pel Sí' lamented Mas' "lack of self-criticism" and pointed to the corruption scandals affecting his party, liberal CDC, as a reason to pass him over for the presidency.

‘Barcelona Catalonia Culture Week’, the first Catalan cultural week organised in Shanghai awoke the interest of 73,000 people. Coinciding with the 10^th anniversary of the Catalan Society ‘Casal Català de Xangai’ and 15 years since the twinning of Barcelona and Shanghai, China’s financial capital hosted more than 30 activities to present Catalonia’s cultural heritage to the local audience. International icons such as surrealist painter Salvador Dalíand architect Antoni Gaudíwere the centre of some of the art exhibitions. Another key point of the programme was the participation of ‘Castellers de Vilafranca’, whom displayed Catalan human towers all around the city. “This initiative introduces Catalonia to China’s collective imagination”stated the Catalan Institute of China’s President, Alexis Roig, and is the result of “a joint effort from civil society, companies and the Catalan institutions”. 

A month and a half after the 27-S elections, and using up all the deadlines, the Parliament held this Monday the first session of the instatement debate. So far, the only candidate to lead the new government is Artur Mas, the current President and number four in winning cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’. However, the other pro-independence force in the Parliament, radical left CUP, has repeatedly insisted that they won’t instate Mas as President. Without the support of CUP’s 10 MPs, Mas won’t be re-elected, at least not in the first round. “Freedom is beyond ideologies and parties” he stated during his speech before Parliament. “We must orientate the sails in the correct direction in order to use the wind that we received from the 27-S elections”stated Mas, clearly referring to CUP’s position. “We can’t be stuck in the harbour, not after receiving the support to start the journey”. 

The Parliament approved this Monday the agreed declaration to start building “an independent Catalan State in the form of a republic”. The proposal, presented by the main pro-independence forces in the Parliament, cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’ and radical left CUP, obtained the support of 72 MPs from the 135 composing the Parliament (the 62 ‘Junts Pel Sí’ MPs and CUP’s 10 MPs). All the other groups, anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans, Catalan Socialist Party PSC, Catalan People’s Party PPC and alternative left coalition ‘Catalunya Sí que es Pot’ voted against the declaration. “The process of democratic disconnection won’t be subject to Spanish institutions’ decisions, particularly those from the Spanish Constitutional Court, which is regarded as discredited and without competences” states the declaration’s text, which also urges the new government to “obey exclusively those mandates produced” by the Parliament.