Catalonia threatens instant secession if
Spain prevents an independence vote:
Spain’s
Attorney General José Manuel Maza is set to examine the legality of a plan
outlined by the regional government of Catalonia to activate immediate
secession from Spain if the central government in Madrid stops it from holding
a vote on independence – something it is planning on doing in September or
October of this year.
The independence mechanism is detailed in a secret draft version of legislation being prepared by the Generalitat, the Catalan regional government, and to which EL PAÍS has had access.
The text ignore issues of enormous importance including if Catalonia would be an EU member
Speaking about the document on Spanish national broadcaster TVE, Maza described the text as “surprising” and “strange” in a country governed by “the rule of law,” but refused be drawn on legal issues related to the document, saying he had not yet had time to study the draft. He said however, that he would meet with fellow prosecutors on Monday to examine its legal status.
The document aims to work as a provisional Catalan Constitution that, according to the text, would be in place during the two-month period that the parliament would have to begin a process that would culminate in the “parliamentary republic” of Catalonia.
“If the Spanish state effectively impedes the holding of a referendum, this law will enter into effect in a complete and immediate manner when the [regional] parliament has verified such an impediment,” the draft legislation reads.
Catalonia has been on a collision course with the Popular Party (PP) government in Madrid for months now, due to its insistence on holding an official vote on its future. The central government is fiercely opposed to any such referendum, or indeed independence for the northeastern region, and already maneuvered to prevent such a plebiscite from taking place in November 2014. However, officials in the regional government still organized a vote – albeit an unofficial one the result of which was not recognized by international observers – which saw citizens vote in favor of a breakaway from the rest of Spain.
The independence mechanism is detailed in a secret draft version of legislation being prepared by the Generalitat, the Catalan regional government, and to which EL PAÍS has had access.
The text ignore issues of enormous importance including if Catalonia would be an EU member
Speaking about the document on Spanish national broadcaster TVE, Maza described the text as “surprising” and “strange” in a country governed by “the rule of law,” but refused be drawn on legal issues related to the document, saying he had not yet had time to study the draft. He said however, that he would meet with fellow prosecutors on Monday to examine its legal status.
The document aims to work as a provisional Catalan Constitution that, according to the text, would be in place during the two-month period that the parliament would have to begin a process that would culminate in the “parliamentary republic” of Catalonia.
“If the Spanish state effectively impedes the holding of a referendum, this law will enter into effect in a complete and immediate manner when the [regional] parliament has verified such an impediment,” the draft legislation reads.
Catalonia has been on a collision course with the Popular Party (PP) government in Madrid for months now, due to its insistence on holding an official vote on its future. The central government is fiercely opposed to any such referendum, or indeed independence for the northeastern region, and already maneuvered to prevent such a plebiscite from taking place in November 2014. However, officials in the regional government still organized a vote – albeit an unofficial one the result of which was not recognized by international observers – which saw citizens vote in favor of a breakaway from the rest of Spain.
I think the huge list of secessionist
movements across Europe has to do with two things.
First, the EU. Since the EU is now the true governing power, the regional
governments see no reason to tolerate the national governments divvying out the
goodies. Catalunyans see no reason to let Madrid have the first crack at
everything.
Second, NATO. Because the national governments have farmed out their militaries to the USA, they have considerably less power over the regional governments than they did prior to WWII. Put those two things together, and it means both the carrot and the stick have been removed as incentives for inter-regional unity.
Neither of these two reasons apply to the USA, but even so, if the much older unions of Great Britain and Spain are being shattered, what are the chances that the imperial US union, which was imposed by force 150 years ago, is going to survive for much longer, especially now that 80 million foreigners are culturally enriching it?
Second, NATO. Because the national governments have farmed out their militaries to the USA, they have considerably less power over the regional governments than they did prior to WWII. Put those two things together, and it means both the carrot and the stick have been removed as incentives for inter-regional unity.
Neither of these two reasons apply to the USA, but even so, if the much older unions of Great Britain and Spain are being shattered, what are the chances that the imperial US union, which was imposed by force 150 years ago, is going to survive for much longer, especially now that 80 million foreigners are culturally enriching it?
