Catalonia Independence in Focus Agains for

For or against a new independence referendum for Catalonia?

Larn the ropes

What is the electric current status of Catalonia?

Catalonia is a region located in the northeast of Spain, on the border of France and Principality of andorra. This region gathers xv% of the Spanish population and concentrates twenty% of the GDP. Its upper-case letter is Barcelona, ​​and it is besides the 6th most populated territory in the European Union.

Catalonia was granted an autonomous status in the Spanish Constitution of 1978 and in the organic laws dating from 1979 and 2006. These documents recognize Catalonia as a Generality – an autonomous region within the Castilian State. This statute gives it substantial autonomy, allowing it, among other things, to form its own parliament and to elect a president (caput of government) and an executive council. Catalan is recognized every bit an official language just similar Spanish.

Where did the separatist motion come up from?

The first separatist movements date back to the 17th century, when the Catalan population revolted against Castilian troops in 1640. The War of the Spanish Succession followed (1701-1714) during which the Catalan army fought against Bourbon Male monarch Philippe V to defend the merits of the Habsburg Crown on the throne of Espana. The defeat of the Catalans on September 11, 1714 resulted in the loss of their constitutions and their institutional system as the Principality of Catalonia. This day has become the national vacation of Catalonia since 1886. These movements resurfaced in the 19th century as the region was experiencing stiff industrialization. Economic development has favored the cultural renewal of Catalonia and a return of linguistic and nationalist demands.

The independence movement was strengthened when the Spanish Constitutional Court annulled xiv articles of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia in 2006. Equally this decision changed considerably the condition of the region, information technology spurred the Catalan people's unrest. The reference to a Catalan nation became unconstitutional.

In September 2015, the legislative elections in Catalonia ended with a pro-independence majority in power. Carles Puigdemont, who promised to organize a referendum on the independence of the region, was elected president of the Generalitat of Catalonia in January 2016. Since so, tensions between Catalonia and Spain accept connected to grow and the Spanish regime are trying to preclude the vote from taking identify.

Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, The Atlantic

Why are we talking almost a new referendum?

On Nov nine, 2014, a first plebiscite on the independence of Catalonia was organized past the nationalist parties in the region. Under article 2 of the Constitution, the referendum is accounted unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. This article recognizes "nationalities and regions" the correct to "claim autonomy", just sovereignty belongs to the Spanish people lonely, because the Spanish nation is an "indissoluble unit".

Once once again, the October 2017 referendum was suspended by the Constitutional Courtroom and violently suppressed by the Castilian law enforcement agencies, reinforcing independence demands. While the Catalan Parliament voted Spain'southward declaration of independence, the Spanish Senate jointly granted boggling powers over Catalonia to the President of the Spanish government, Mariano Rajoy. The leaders of the independence movement, including Carles Puigdemont, fled to Belgium in order to avert criminal repression.

In May 2019, Carles Puigdemont, still sued in Espana and a refugee in Belgium, was elected representative in the European Parliament. All the same, he was denied access to the European Parliament and the allocation of his MEP badge. The names of the Catalan representatives were not on the listing transmitted by the Spanish authorities since they had non traveled to Spain to have the oath. Post-obit these events, ten,000 Catalans expressed their dissatisfaction in front of the European Parliament, during the constitutive plenary session on July ii.

Sources: EURACTIV, Ouest-France, Euronews, Constitution of 1978

Choose your side

The idea behind the Rift is simple: for each topic of debate, we provide you with an expertise based on a pro-con approach, written by competent and legitimate experts. We want to assist y'all make your ain opinion, and guide you on first steps to borough appointment.

What is your opinion earlier reading the commodity?

FOR

The right of people to self determination is a cardinal principle in international police

Elisenda Paluzie

Chair, Catalan National Assembly and Economics Professor at the University of Barcelona

Catalan National Assembly

The right to cocky-conclusion is established in Article 1 of the Lease of the United nations, likewise as at the International Covenant on Ceremonious and Political Rights. Article 93 of the 1978 Spanish Constitution establishes that Spain must human action in a manner that complies with the content of international treaties signed by Spain, including the in a higher place. In this sense, it is also of import to point out that the organization of referendums in Kingdom of spain is not illegal, including the organization of independence referendums, as was stated by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in June 2019.

Taking all of the above into consideration, the Spanish Kingdom has no legal base of operations to deny the Catalan people their correct to self-decision. Nevertheless, the Spanish regime and courts have been qualifying a Catalan referendum as illegal and unconstitutional, although this is just a masquerade to deny the key rights of a national minority, while conducting a systematic campaign of repression against its members. This repression has included the criminalization of dissidence, censorship in media and internet, lawfare, law brutality, the disqualification of democratically elected public officials, equally well equally the jailing of political representatives and civil lodge leaders, including Ms Carme Forcadell and Mr Jordi Sànchez, the former Presidents of the organization I stand for. No less than 2,850 Catalan activists and elected representatives take suffered persecution past Spanish authorities since 2017.

Spain is becoming a rogue State for the sake of denying its national minorities the exercise of their right to cocky-decision.

During the 2017 Catalan independence referendum, the world witnessed the brutal action of the Castilian police against peaceful voters in polling stations. Repression continued afterwards, as numerous central human being rights of the Catalans have been violated as testified by international organizations such as Immunity International. Notwithstanding, the Spanish authorities have non complied with international law, nor with the recommendations of international organizations, nor by ceasing the violations of man rights. Espana is condign a rogue State for the sake of denying its national minorities the do of their right to self-conclusion.

Furthermore, during the last decade Catalan people and institutions have been suffering the consequences of centralizing policies by the Spanish state, which tries to digest both our culture and language while arresting all economic and political ability.

For all these reasons I believe that the Catalans, a people that has e'er expressed itself through peaceful means, has the right to make up one's mind its political time to come in a free and democratic manner.

AGAINST

Why Catalonia should vote "No" in any independence referendum

The campaign for Catalan independence rests on a simple proposition: as a affair of history, civilisation, linguistic communication, and contemporary political and economic realities, the 'Catalan nation' has the right to self-decision which it should practise by seceding from Spain and establishing an independent, autonomous state within the European union. It is difficult, however, to make a convincing example for an independence referendum, let alone a 'Yes' vote should one be held.

To brainstorm with, information technology is not articulate that Catalans constitute a 'nation' or a 'people' with a right to statehood. Catalonia certainly has a distinctive history, language and civilization. In the past it has also enjoyed varying degrees of autonomy from its more than powerful neighbours. But at that place has never been an independent Catalan state. Nor should there be now.

The right to national self-determination is a cornerstone of international law. But there is no international legal right to secede. Secession is only permitted every bit a last resort where a national minority suffers from the legacy of colonialism or the systematic and egregious violation of basic human rights. Europe has undergone various nation-state realignments since the end of the Common cold State of war. These include German reunification, the amicable divorce betwixt the Czechs and Slovaks, and the fragmentation of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. Brexit has also added momentum to the case for Scottish independence. Only, otherwise, the prerequisites for secession are not even shut to being satisfied anywhere on the continent, particularly in the European union.

The right to national self-determination is a cornerstone of international police force. But there is no international legal right to secede.

Bated from the hollow formal trappings of statehood, such every bit a flag, an anthem, parades and national holidays – and sparing, particularly the more prosperous sectors of Catalan society, from paying taxes to the Spanish exchequer – it is not even articulate what the benefits of independence would be. Catalan identity can already be freely expressed. Independence would not make information technology more complimentary. The costs of going it alone, at least in the short term, would as well be considerable for both Espana and Catalonia.

There is little or no support in Espana for Catalan independence. Nor is there a clear majority in favour in Catalonia itself. Elections and opinion polls there consistently prove the population divided roughly down the center. All things considered, the autonomous and rights-based approach must, therefore, exist to protect and arguably to strengthen, Catalan autonomy inside Spain rather than to seek an acrimonious divorce.

What is your stance later reading the commodity?

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Source: https://therift.eu/index.php/2020/11/16/new-independence-referendum-catalonia/