CATALONIA -- The Catalan Way towards independence | catalan views

The Catalan Way towards independence | catalan views

The Catalan Way towards independence

By Carme Forcadell on Wed, 11/09/2013 - 10:10

More on:

• demonstration

• independence

• self-determination

The Catalan National Assembly (ANC) is a wide-reaching and inclusive
civil society organisation that brings together people from the right,
from the left and from the centre; people of various political parties,
and people who have never been involved in politics. However, they all
share the same wish that Catalonia will become a new state in Europe.

Last year we organised the largest demonstration in our history and
one of the biggest in Europe, which had the slogan ‘Catalonia, a new
state of Europe’. It was a demonstration that showed the world our
desire for freedom and our will to become an independent state. This
year, we have gone a step further and organised the ‘Catalan way towards
independence’, which will span  - from north to south - the
400-kilometre length of our country, creating a human chain, so as to
continue showing the world our desire for sovereignty and liberty.

Since 1714, Catalonia has been part of Spain, as we lost the Spanish
War of Succession (1701-1715), which was fought between the Crown of
Castile and the Crown of Aragon in an international conflict that
involved many European states. While Castile supported Philip of
Bourbon, Catalonia gave its support to Archduke Charles of Austria,
because he offered guarantees to respect Catalonia’s constitutions and
freedoms, as opposed to the Bourbon pretender.

For 300 years, we have had a state imposed on us as a result of a
military defeat, but we have never given up our sovereignty. We have
been part of a state that has economically plundered us and that has
endeavoured to erase our language and identity. In spite of serious
difficulties, we have been able to survive and preserve our culture.

Now, through democracy and for the first time in history, we can
restore the national and civil liberties that we lost by the use of
military force. We can do so because in the 21^st century and
within the European Union, national liberation conflicts are resolved
through dialogue, reason, justice and democracy.

Catalans want to peacefully and democratically decide our future. We
want our place in History as a free country. We want to exercise the
right to self-determination because we are a sovereign people, as the
Parliament of Catalonia recognised on the 23^rd of January. We want to build a country that is fairer, more democratic, more prosperous and freer.

Why can the Scottish exercise their right to self-determination
through a referendum agreed with the United Kingdom, but not the
Catalans? The only reason is that the United Kingdom is a democratic
state and Spain is not. It is impossible to explain - and it is even
harder to justify - this grievance. The right to self-determination is a
human right recognised by the United Nations Charter, and the European
Union cannot allow this injustice within its borders; it cannot deny a
people their own right to exist, in spite of the intolerance of the
Spanish State.

 

by Carme Forcadell Lluís

Chairperson of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC)