The PP to urgently reform the law to be able to suspend Mas from office
CNA
Barcelona (CNA).- The candidate for the conservative
People's Party (PP) in the upcoming Catalan elections, Xavier García
Albiol, presented on Tuesday a proposal to reform the Spanish
Constitutional Court (TC) Law and make sure that its rulings are adhered
to by civil servants and politicians. García Albiol admitted that the
plan is especially designed to stop Catalan President Artur Mas’ push
for independence, which unionists say is unconstitutional. “It’s a clear
message to those who want to break Catalonia away from the rest of
Spain: the joke is over”, he warned. The reform will be passed urgently
by the Spanish Parliament this month, and will set in place the
mechanisms and resources needed to take action against those who don’t
obey the Constitutional Court’s decisions. Civil servants or politicians
that ignore rulings may face fines or even suspension from office.
The goal of the PP is to launch the reform as a matter of urgency
and to do it before the end of the current Spanish term. Mariano Rajoy’s
party has an outright majority in the Spanish Parliament, so the Law
will be passed without any problems. Albiol stated that this amendment
to the Constitutional Law will work as a barrier to dissuade “anybody
from declaring Catalonia’s independence”.
The PP was especially outraged by the 9th of November
consultation in 2014, which the conservatives considered illegal and
unconstitutional. The formal consultation was suspended by the Spanish
Constitutional Court, but Catalan President Artur Mas went ahead with a
“participatory process” in order to allow citizens to have their say in
an informal and non-binding vote. Even this participatory process was
later described as unconstitutional and Mas is in fact already facing
legal prosecution for his actions that day.
With the reform presented on Tuesday, the Constitutional Court will
have the power to fine and even suspend those public servants,
politicians and authorities who don’t comply with its rulings. The
spokesman of the PP in the Spanish Congress, Rafael Hernando, pointed
out that from now on “some people will have to bear in mind that their
decisions won’t come without consequences”. As such, the initiative aims
to ensure "respect for the rulings of the TC”. "Some institutions have
for several years contempt shown for the rulings”, he regretted, adding
that “this must end”. “When the rules are not enough to guarantee
compliance with the law and the rulings of the TC, it becomes necessary
to adapt the rules”, he stated. The bill will be presented in the
Spanish Congress on the 29th of September, only two days after the Catalan election on the 27th,
considered by many as a ‘de facto’ referendum on independence. The PP
expects the Law to be passed during the approval of the budget, planned
for mid-October.
Albiol wants UDC and the Catalan Socialist Party to join the initiative
Albiol wants to extend the proposal to other members of the Catalan
Parliament, especially to the former coalition partners of Artur Mas,
the Christian Democrats of UDC, who recently left the Catalan
President’s coalition over their differences regarding the issue of
independence. “I want to ask UDC to support the initiative if they are
really against a unilateral declaration of independence”, Albiol stated.
Regarding the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) Albiol said that now is the
time for them to show how “coherent” their position is in regard to
Catalonia’s push for independence from Spain.
“Catalonia is not a joke”
The Catalan Government spokeswoman described the TC’s reform plan as a decision taken because of the election on the 27th
of September, and regretted that it only adds more “repression, threats
and fear” to the debate. Neus Munté replied to Albiol in a press
conference in Barcelona, saying that “Catalonia is not a joke” and that
the Spanish Government has actually repeatedly failed to obey rulings by
the Constitutional Court.
Munté described the conservative People’s Party’s proposal to reform
the TC Law as an “electoral move” and predicted that this modification
could actually be declared as “unconstitutional” by the same
Constitutional Court that it aims to reform.
Furthermore, Munté found it “surprising” that the PP appeared to be
so concerned about disobeying court rulings. To make her point, she
listed eleven rulings from the last eight years regarding social
services which the Spanish government hadn’t complied to. “It is Spain
who fails to comply with the rulings and are neglecting social services,
and behind them, people in need, those who suffer the consequences of
this”, she stated regretfully.
After Xavier García Albiol stated that “the joke is over”, Munté
replied that “Catalonia is not a joke” nor is it simply “the will of the
Catalan government and [the] many political and social organisations”
that defend Catalonia’s right to vote and decide its political future.
“What we are doing is not a joke, it is something really serious and
very democratic”, she added.
Munté predicted that the PP’s reform will be framed as
unconstitutional because it may allow the suspension of leaders and
authorities without a final resolution, which is a “clear violation of
the right to defence”. She also assured that the Catalan government
won’t change its plans and insisted that they don’t feel they are the
target of this reform.
and to do it before the end of the current Spanish term. Mariano Rajoy’s
party has an outright majority in the Spanish Parliament, so the Law
will be passed without any problems. Albiol stated that this amendment
to the Constitutional Law will work as a barrier to dissuade “anybody
from declaring Catalonia’s independence”.
The PP was especially outraged by the 9th of November
consultation in 2014, which the conservatives considered illegal and
unconstitutional. The formal consultation was suspended by the Spanish
Constitutional Court, but Catalan President Artur Mas went ahead with a
“participatory process” in order to allow citizens to have their say in
an informal and non-binding vote. Even this participatory process was
later described as unconstitutional and Mas is in fact already facing
legal prosecution for his actions that day.
With the reform presented on Tuesday, the Constitutional Court will
have the power to fine and even suspend those public servants,
politicians and authorities who don’t comply with its rulings. The
spokesman of the PP in the Spanish Congress, Rafael Hernando, pointed
out that from now on “some people will have to bear in mind that their
decisions won’t come without consequences”. As such, the initiative aims
to ensure "respect for the rulings of the TC”. "Some institutions have
for several years contempt shown for the rulings”, he regretted, adding
that “this must end”. “When the rules are not enough to guarantee
compliance with the law and the rulings of the TC, it becomes necessary
to adapt the rules”, he stated. The bill will be presented in the
Spanish Congress on the 29th of September, only two days after the Catalan election on the 27th,
considered by many as a ‘de facto’ referendum on independence. The PP
expects the Law to be passed during the approval of the budget, planned
for mid-October.
Albiol wants UDC and the Catalan Socialist Party to join the initiative
Albiol wants to extend the proposal to other members of the Catalan
Parliament, especially to the former coalition partners of Artur Mas,
the Christian Democrats of UDC, who recently left the Catalan
President’s coalition over their differences regarding the issue of
independence. “I want to ask UDC to support the initiative if they are
really against a unilateral declaration of independence”, Albiol stated.
Regarding the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) Albiol said that now is the
time for them to show how “coherent” their position is in regard to
Catalonia’s push for independence from Spain.
“Catalonia is not a joke”
The Catalan Government spokeswoman described the TC’s reform plan as a decision taken because of the election on the 27th
of September, and regretted that it only adds more “repression, threats
and fear” to the debate. Neus Munté replied to Albiol in a press
conference in Barcelona, saying that “Catalonia is not a joke” and that
the Spanish Government has actually repeatedly failed to obey rulings by
the Constitutional Court.
Munté described the conservative People’s Party’s proposal to reform
the TC Law as an “electoral move” and predicted that this modification
could actually be declared as “unconstitutional” by the same
Constitutional Court that it aims to reform.
Furthermore, Munté found it “surprising” that the PP appeared to be
so concerned about disobeying court rulings. To make her point, she
listed eleven rulings from the last eight years regarding social
services which the Spanish government hadn’t complied to. “It is Spain
who fails to comply with the rulings and are neglecting social services,
and behind them, people in need, those who suffer the consequences of
this”, she stated regretfully.
After Xavier García Albiol stated that “the joke is over”, Munté
replied that “Catalonia is not a joke” nor is it simply “the will of the
Catalan government and [the] many political and social organisations”
that defend Catalonia’s right to vote and decide its political future.
“What we are doing is not a joke, it is something really serious and
very democratic”, she added.
Munté predicted that the PP’s reform will be framed as
unconstitutional because it may allow the suspension of leaders and
authorities without a final resolution, which is a “clear violation of
the right to defence”. She also assured that the Catalan government
won’t change its plans and insisted that they don’t feel they are the
target of this reform.
More on
Artur Mas, Catalan Sovereignity, Constitutional Court, Neus Munté, PP, PPC, Spanish Government, Xavier García Albiol
PP's candidate for Catalan elections, Xavier Garcia Albiol, presented a reform to be able to suspend Mas from office
