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GUEST COLUMN: Catalonia referendum and challenges to EU

SPAIN-CATALONIA-POLITICS-PARLIAMENT-REFERENDUM-INDEPENDENCE Catalans are aghast at double standards of the EU that permitted Scottish referendum for self-determination to happen, but refuses to give the same rights to Catalonia | File

EU's conspicuous silence over Catalan issue exposes its hypocrisy and double standards

The data provided by the Catalan authorities suggests that 90 per cent of the 2.2-million people that participated in the referendum have voted in favour of the Spanish province’s independence. The central government of Spain, declaring the independence unconstitutional, forcibly closed more than 1,300 polling stations and used widespread violence to subvert the referendum that might deliver a serious blow to the country’s territorial integrity. The European Union's conspicuous silence over the brutal violence, which the Spanish authorities resorted to disrupt the controversial referendum, exposed the Union’s hypocrisy and double standards about proclamation of democracy and civil rights.

While the European Commission’s representative Margaritisa Skhurasa declared the referendum “illegal”, the head of specially constituted international parliamentary delegation to oversee Catalonia referendum Dimitri Rupel, a citizen of Slovenia, confirmed on the day of voting in Barcelona, the Catalan capital, that the referendum was prepared and conducted in accordance with the existing laws of Spain, which means it is not the Catalan authority but the central government of Spain that resorted to anti-constitutional steps in its brazen attempt to foil the referendum.

arunmohanty Arun Mohanty

The Spanish government took unprecedented steps like forcibly closing polling stations, arresting Catalan officials, and confiscating and destroying ballot papers to disrupt the referendum. Nearly 900 people have been injured as a result of brutal violence perpetrated by the central government police forces. The left-leaning mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, demanding the resignation of Spanish Prime Minister, has called the EU to condemn the unprecedented violence used by the government forces.

Madrid, perhaps, had calculated that Catalan authorities and people would back-track from the referendum in the face of pressure and resistance from central authorities like in the past. However, their expectations have been belied, and now nobody knows how to resolve the impasse. The head of the Catalan government, Carles Puigdemont, immediately after the declaration of preliminary results of the referendum, said the attempt by the central government to subvert the referendum through use of brutal force is now the key argument in favour of independence of the province, and necessary documents for this purpose would soon be presented to the regional parliament for ratification of referendum results. He has passionately called the EU member states to recognise the right of Catalan people for self-determination, stressing that Catalonia issue has already ceased to be an internal issue of Spain.

This call is finding some response with the British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn asking British Prime Minister Theresa May to demand from Spain an end to the violent oppression in Catalonia. This is apart from Belgium Prime Minister Sharl Mishel emphasising that violence against ordinary citizens is not acceptable.

From a constitutional point of view, the situation is quite confusing as 90 per cent Catalans had voted in favour of the country’s territorial integrity in a referendum held by the central government in 1978. However, the central government had then subsequently blocked all attempts made by the Catalans to work out a legally binding mechanism for bilateral relationship between the federal centre and the province. In 2010, Spain’s constitutional court denounced the agreement for expanding Catalan autonomy reached in 2006, between the central government and the regional authorities. Catalan proposal to expand its financial autonomy was also blocked in a similar manner in 2012, triggering separatist, nationalist movements in the province. Catalonia, with 7.5 million population, accounts for one-sixth of Spain’s population and one-fifth of gross output—equivalent of Portugal’s GDP. It is also the country’s manufacturing and financial sector hub, has spearheaded Spanish economic development ever since industrial revolution. Catalans argue that they are a separate nation with their own history, culture, language and should have more say in financial matters.

It is evident that the referendum has made the restoration of pre-referendum status of bilateral relationship between Madrid and Barcelona next to impossible. This means the EU has to do a lot of churning and re-thinking regarding its principles. Catalan developments are being keenly observed by many rebellious regions of Italy and France affected by the virus of separatism.

Catalans are aghast at double standards of the EU that permitted Scottish referendum for self-determination to happen, but refuses to give the same rights to Catalonia. Indeed, the EU, after recognising Kosovo’s independence from Belgrade for political expediency, has opened a Pandora’s box in the continent that would spur separatism in many European countries leading to possible disintegration of the Union.

(The author is a professor at School of International Studies, JNU)

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