CATALONIA -- Catalan News Agency - Norwegian and Catalan experts discuss Catalonia’s right to self-determination at Oslo University

Catalan News Agency - Norwegian and Catalan experts discuss Catalonia’s right to self-determination at Oslo University

Norwegian and Catalan experts discuss Catalonia’s right to self-determination at Oslo University

CNA

Barcelona (ACN).- On Thursday Universitetet i Oslo Oslo
(UiO) hosted a round table debate with Norwegian and Catalan academics,
journalists and economists to discuss the economic viability of an
independent Catalonia and how it would fit into the European framework,
whether in the European Union (EU) or the European Free Trade Area
(EFTA). This debate was part of the conference 'Self-Determination
Processes in the EU: the case of Catalonia', organised by the Public
Diplomacy Council of Catalonia (Diplocat) together with the University
of Oslo. The Diplocat – an organisation backed by the
Catalan Government, the four Provincial Councils, universities, chambers
of commerce, the main business-owner associations, trade unions, FC
Barcelona and other public and private institutions from Catalonia – is
organising a series of debates in European and Spanish universities on
Catalonia's self-determination demands. Founded in 1811, the University of Oslo is the oldest university in Norway and a leader in the field of research and education.

Thursday's conference day in Norway was opened by Benedicte Bull,
from the Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM) at UiO, and
Albert Royo, Secretary General of the Diplocat. Royo thanked the
University of Oslo for holding this conference in Norway, which he
characterised as an open-minded country committed to the values of peace
and democracy. A country, he added, “which also held a
self-determination referendum, in 1905.”

The conference continued with the participation of Øyvind Østerud,
Professor at the Department of Political Science at UiO, and Vicent
Partal, Journalist and Editor of the Vilaweb news portal, who
explained recent events in the Catalan self-determination process from
Norwegian and Catalan points of view. Østerudcompared the cases of
Catalonia and Scotland and made his bet that the Spanish Government will
end up accepting the referendum in Catalonia, as “the right arguments
are those of dignity and democracy”. Partal also referred to the UK and
pointed out that while the constitutions of neither the UK nor Canada
allow independence, both governments did understand that there was a
political problem and looked for a solution through dialogue. He also
said that Catalans are ready to discuss and negotiate about everything
except the right to vote, and firmly denied the existence of an
ethno-linguistic split in Catalonia.

Self-determination processes within the EU

The second round table debate dealt with the question of
self-determination processes within the EU. Chris Lord, Professor at the
ARENA Centre for European Studies at UiO, and Ivan Serrano, Researcher
in Secession and Creation of New States at the IN3-UOC research centre
of the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) took part. Lord claimed that
"consensual continuity of both Catalonia and Spain in the EU is in the
interest of everybody, as there are huge economic interests involved”
and mentioned the weakness of the Spanish banking system. According to
him, an independent Scotland could cause a precedent in the EU for
consensual continuity of both states. Serrano stated that international
law does not give a clear regulation of unilateral secession, “which is
the last option when no other solutions are given”. In his opinion, from
a normative point of view, a democratic state should allow the
possibility of discussing this kind of issue.

Finally, the last round table discussed the implications of these
political processes for small and medium-sized economies, and their
viability in Europe, within the EU or the EFTA. The participants
included Jaume Ventura, Professor at Barcelona's Pompeu Fabra University
(UPF) and the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics (GSE) as well as
Senior Researcher at CREI (UPF's Research Centre in International
Economy), who placed  the Scottish and Catalan political processes
within the global economy. He also explained the economic viability of
medium-sized economies with a foreseeable role in the EU or EFTA.
Another speaker was Øivind Bratberg, Post-Doctorate at the Department of
Political Science at UiO, who talked about the Scottish case. The third
speaker was Xavier Cuadras, Adjunct Professor at the Department of
Businesses and Economy at Pompeu Fabra University and Director of the
Escola Superior de Comerç Internacional (ESCI-UPF), who remarked that an
independent Catalonia would be completely viable from an economic point
of view.

Diplocat is organising a series of debates in prestigious European universities

This conference forms part of the series of conferences on
Catalonia’s “right to decide” or right to self-determination organised
by the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia in prestigious European
universities. The first event was held at Sciences Po Paris in June
2013, followed by subsequent events in London, Seville, Uppsala (Sweden), Toulouse (France), Lisbon, Utrecht, and Santiago de Compostela. Future conferences are planned for Berlin and Geneva.

The Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia is a public-private body
whose objective is to put Catalonia on the world stage, explaining its
situation and informing international public opinion so as to strengthen
Catalonia’s image and prestige abroad, whilst building links and
relationships between Catalonia’s citizens and institutions and those of
other countries. It is backed by the Catalan Government, the four
Provincial Councils, universities, chambers of commerce, the main
business-owner associations, main trade unions, FC Barcelona and other
public and private institutions from Catalonia.

More on

Albert Royo, Barcelona Province Council, Business Association, Catalan Government, Catalan Independence, Catalan Universities, Debate, Diplocat, Diplomacy, EFTA, EU Membership, European Union, Girona Province Council, Independence, Lleida Province Council, Norway, Oslo, Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia, Round Table, Self-Determination, Tarragona Province Council, Trade Unions, University

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An image of the debate held on Thursday at the University of Oslo (by Diplocat)

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Related links

http://www.catalannewsagency.com/politics/item/the-europe-of-integration-would-end-if-an-independent-catalonia-is-expelled-from-the-eu-states-the-catalan-government http://www.catalannewsagency.com/politics/item/sciences-po-professor-transition-solution-needed-so-catalans-are-not-excluded-from-the-eu
http://www.catalannewsagency.com/politics/item/self-determination-debate-in-seville-s-university-among-experts http://www.catalannewsagency.com/politics/item/catalan-demands-of-a-referendum-and-the-eu-role-centre-of-debate-at-the-ucl