Spanish Government suggests limited constitutional reform to strengthen its own powers but not Catalonia's
CNA
Barcelona (ACN).- The Spanish Minister of Justice, Rafael
Català, proposed this week "to study a constitutional reform" that is
very far from making any concession to Catalan claims and meet them
halfway. In fact, it seems that the Spanish Government's real intentions
are to consolidate the recentralisation of powers and cultural
homogenisation undertaken in the last few years that have trimmed
Catalonia's self-rule and attacked Catalan culture and language. The
Spanish Justice Minister stated this week that he is ready to discuss a
limited reform of Spain's Constitution that would not affect its core
aspects – such as Spain's territorial model – and which would apparently
only address secondary matters, such as the prevalence of men over
women in the Crown's succession or the definition of the Spanish
Government's exclusive powers. The aim is to better define government
levels and who does what, which would put an end to the possibility of
the Spanish Government delegating greater powers to the Autonomous
Communities, a decentralisation trend that started with the Transition
from dictatorship to democracy in the late 1970s and early 1980s. In
addition, he also talked about eliminating additional and transitional
dispositions included in the Constitution's text referring to how
territories become an Autonomous Community, as according to him there is
no need for it any longer. However, these dispositions are the only
place where the "historical rights" of some specific territories are
recognised in the Constitution and their elimination without recognising
them elsewhere would undermine recognition of Catalonia's historical
nationhood. Therefore, Català's reform would not be a series of minor
amendments but in fact would strengthen Spain's recentralisation and the
concept of the Spanish nation as the only one existing within Spain.
In the context of the current debate on Catalonia's independence,
the reform that the Spanish Government says it "would study" for the
first time – which does not mean it will ultimately undertake it –
represents continuing with its unilateral no-to-everything attitude
regarding the claims expressed democratically and en masse by Catalan
citizens. 80% of Catalans are in favour of holding a self-determination
vote and support for full independence has been hovering between roughly
40% and 55% for the past three years. In addition, around 75% of
Catalans also want to grant Catalonia's self-government institutions
greater powers (ranging from greater fiscal powers to full
independence), while less than 5% of Catalans want to reduce Catalonia's
powers of self-rule.
However, the constitutional reform envisaged by the Spanish
Government and the governing People's Party (PP) would not grant
Catalonia greater powers, neither would it address its chronically
underfinanced public institutions, protect Catalan culture and language
from Spanish nationalism's homogenisation attempts, nor recognise
Catalonia's nationhood status and its right to self-determination. On
the contrary, the Justice Minister explicitly ruled out a federalisation
of Spain and criticised the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) for their
vague proposal on this issue.
No real third way initiatives launched during the last 3 years
In fact, in the last two years, despite the fact that tension
regarding Catalonia-Spain relations has been increasing and that the
Catalan Parliament elections called for this coming 27 September are to
be transformed into a 'de facto' referendum on independence, not a
single specific and detailed proposal has been made by any Madrid-based
or Barcelona-based politician to better fit Catalonia within Spain,
despite this issue having been on the table since September 2012. In
contrast to Scotland's case, there has not been a "better together"
campaign or even any type of attempt to seduce Catalan citizens with
detailed proposals about in which way they could feel more comfortable
within Spain. There have only been vague initiatives to launch a
constitutional reform and to create a truly federal system within Spain,
recognising Catalonia's "specificities" but without acknowledging its
right to self-determination nor its nationhood status.
The Spanish Government and the PP have been blocking any broad constitutional reform
On top of this, the Spanish Government and the PP have during the
past two years been ruling out a broad constitutional reform that would
transform Spain into a truly federal country. Now, the Justice Minister
opens the door for the first time to a limited constitutional reform but
which would go precisely against making any concession to the Catalan
claims. Therefore, it seems that this reform aims to allow the Spanish
Government win the current conflict by K.O. and rules out a third way
between Catalonia's full independence and the current 'status quo'. The
indirect effect is that, ironically, the Spanish Government's proposal
strengthens the plebiscite nature of the forthcoming Catalan elections
as they make such a third way more uncertain.
The Catalan Government considers the reform as wanting to create confusion
The Catalan Minister for Public Administration, Meritxell Borràs,
expressed her doubts and those of the Catalan Government about the
reform suggested by the Spanish Justice Minister. Borràs feels that the
PP and the Spanish Government do not have "the firm will" to face a
reform that would satisfy the demands from the Catalan people. Instead,
the possibility of opening the door to a reform of Spain's Constitution
is more related to a strategy of creating confusion, she said.
Furthermore, she also underlined that the Spanish Government has blocked
many initiatives coming from Catalonia to find a better relationship,
such as the Economic Agreement, which was immediately rejected by the
Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, without providing an opportunity
to hold any negotiation.
the reform that the Spanish Government says it "would study" for the
first time – which does not mean it will ultimately undertake it –
represents continuing with its unilateral no-to-everything attitude
regarding the claims expressed democratically and en masse by Catalan
citizens. 80% of Catalans are in favour of holding a self-determination
vote and support for full independence has been hovering between roughly
40% and 55% for the past three years. In addition, around 75% of
Catalans also want to grant Catalonia's self-government institutions
greater powers (ranging from greater fiscal powers to full
independence), while less than 5% of Catalans want to reduce Catalonia's
powers of self-rule.
However, the constitutional reform envisaged by the Spanish
Government and the governing People's Party (PP) would not grant
Catalonia greater powers, neither would it address its chronically
underfinanced public institutions, protect Catalan culture and language
from Spanish nationalism's homogenisation attempts, nor recognise
Catalonia's nationhood status and its right to self-determination. On
the contrary, the Justice Minister explicitly ruled out a federalisation
of Spain and criticised the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) for their
vague proposal on this issue.
No real third way initiatives launched during the last 3 years
In fact, in the last two years, despite the fact that tension
regarding Catalonia-Spain relations has been increasing and that the
Catalan Parliament elections called for this coming 27 September are to
be transformed into a 'de facto' referendum on independence, not a
single specific and detailed proposal has been made by any Madrid-based
or Barcelona-based politician to better fit Catalonia within Spain,
despite this issue having been on the table since September 2012. In
contrast to Scotland's case, there has not been a "better together"
campaign or even any type of attempt to seduce Catalan citizens with
detailed proposals about in which way they could feel more comfortable
within Spain. There have only been vague initiatives to launch a
constitutional reform and to create a truly federal system within Spain,
recognising Catalonia's "specificities" but without acknowledging its
right to self-determination nor its nationhood status.
The Spanish Government and the PP have been blocking any broad constitutional reform
On top of this, the Spanish Government and the PP have during the
past two years been ruling out a broad constitutional reform that would
transform Spain into a truly federal country. Now, the Justice Minister
opens the door for the first time to a limited constitutional reform but
which would go precisely against making any concession to the Catalan
claims. Therefore, it seems that this reform aims to allow the Spanish
Government win the current conflict by K.O. and rules out a third way
between Catalonia's full independence and the current 'status quo'. The
indirect effect is that, ironically, the Spanish Government's proposal
strengthens the plebiscite nature of the forthcoming Catalan elections
as they make such a third way more uncertain.
The Catalan Government considers the reform as wanting to create confusion
The Catalan Minister for Public Administration, Meritxell Borràs,
expressed her doubts and those of the Catalan Government about the
reform suggested by the Spanish Justice Minister. Borràs feels that the
PP and the Spanish Government do not have "the firm will" to face a
reform that would satisfy the demands from the Catalan people. Instead,
the possibility of opening the door to a reform of Spain's Constitution
is more related to a strategy of creating confusion, she said.
Furthermore, she also underlined that the Spanish Government has blocked
many initiatives coming from Catalonia to find a better relationship,
such as the Economic Agreement, which was immediately rejected by the
Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, without providing an opportunity
to hold any negotiation.
More on
Catalan Elections, Catalan Government, Catalan Independence, Catalan Language, Centralism, Constitution, Constitutional Amendment, Constitutional Reform, Democracy, Fiscal Balances, Fiscal Deficit, Independence, Meritxell Borràs, PP, PSOE, Rafael Català, Recentralisation, Referendum, Self-Determination, Spanish Constitution, Spanish Government, Spanish Nationalism, Vote
The Spanish Minister for Justice, Rafael Català, a few days ago (by R. Pi de Cabanyes)
