Spain to take the Catalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs before the court
CNA
Barcelona (CNA).- The Spanish Government approved this Friday the
presentation of a conflict of jurisdiction appeal before the Spanish
Constitutional Court (TC) regarding the creation of the new Catalan
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, led by former MEP and pro-independence
cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sï’ top member Raül Romeva. According to the
current Spanish vice president, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, and current
Spanish Minister for Justice, Rafael Catalá, the Spanish executive
considers the Catalan government to have exceeded the competences in
matters of foreign action specified in the Catalan Statute of Autonomy. Català
also asked for the suspension of the decree through which the new
Catalan Ministry was created, so that its competences and structure
would automatically be annulled. For his part, the
Catalan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Raül Romeva, assured that
Catalonia “has done, does and will continue to do foreign action” and
defended the “legitimacy” of the new department. In the same vein, the
Catalan government’s spokeswoman, Neus Munté, assessed Spain’s
announcement as typical of a “decadent” government.
After having presented an appeal against the creation of the
committee to study the Constitutive Process in the Parliament, the
Spanish executive approved this Friday taking the new Catalan Ministry
for Foreign Affair before the TC. Sáenz de Santamaria and Catalá
explained before the media that the Spanish executive believes that the
new department exceeds the competences in matters of foreign action
specified in the Catalan Statute of Autonomy and assured that the
Catalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs claims competences which belong
“exclusively” to the Spanish State.
During his investiture ceremony, Catalan President Carles Puigdemont
assured that the creation of the Catalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs
involved “the internationalisation of the Catalan process”. In response,
Sáenz de Santamaría wanted to emphasise that Catalonia’s Law on Foreign
Action was already taken before the court and ultimately suspended by
the TC. All this, according to the Spanish executives, justifies the
appeal presented against the new department.
Català explained that the conflict of jurisdiction claimed by the
Spanish executive is based on the fact that “international relations are
the exclusive realm of the Spanish State”, that “there is jurisprudence
on this subject” and that “the Autonomous Communities’ international
actions and those directed toward the EU which they aim to carry out
have to be coordinated with the Spanish Ministry”.
The Spanish Minister for Justice also wanted to emphasise that the
appeal to be presented to the TC will come with a request “to suspend
the decree” through which the Catalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs was
created. If the TC accepts the appeal and suspends the decree, its
competences and structure would automatically be annulled. Then, the
Catalan government would have to decide if “they modify the department
or abolish it”.
Romeva defends the “legitimacy” of his department
Catalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs Raül Romeva assured that
Catalonia “has done, does and will continue to do foreign action”. In
response to the Spanish executive decision, the former MEP and
pro-independence cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’ leader asked everyone
to “keep absolutely calm” and insisted on the democratic “legitimacy” of
his department. “What we are doing is absolutely within the
Constitution and the Statute of Autonomy” and “we have a legitimate
democratic mandate to do all this that we must do and need to do as a
country”.
On the same day as Spain decided to take the Catalan Ministry for
Foreign Affairs before the court, Romeva met with the US consul in
Barcelona, Marcos Mandojana. In January, Mandojana also requested a
meeting to get to know the new Parliament’s President, Carme Forcadell.
Munté: Spanish government “is quite frankly, just decadent”
In the same vein, Catalan government spokeswoman Neus Munté assured
that Catalonia will continue to carry out foreign action despite the
appeal of the Spanish government, which is “quite frankly, just
decadent”. “We will keep our commitment to keep on working as a
government on matters of foreign action, since it is a competence stated
in our Statute of Autonomy, because we have a solid trajectory and
because it is our duty”, stated Munté.
committee to study the Constitutive Process in the Parliament, the
Spanish executive approved this Friday taking the new Catalan Ministry
for Foreign Affair before the TC. Sáenz de Santamaria and Catalá
explained before the media that the Spanish executive believes that the
new department exceeds the competences in matters of foreign action
specified in the Catalan Statute of Autonomy and assured that the
Catalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs claims competences which belong
“exclusively” to the Spanish State.
During his investiture ceremony, Catalan President Carles Puigdemont
assured that the creation of the Catalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs
involved “the internationalisation of the Catalan process”. In response,
Sáenz de Santamaría wanted to emphasise that Catalonia’s Law on Foreign
Action was already taken before the court and ultimately suspended by
the TC. All this, according to the Spanish executives, justifies the
appeal presented against the new department.
Català explained that the conflict of jurisdiction claimed by the
Spanish executive is based on the fact that “international relations are
the exclusive realm of the Spanish State”, that “there is jurisprudence
on this subject” and that “the Autonomous Communities’ international
actions and those directed toward the EU which they aim to carry out
have to be coordinated with the Spanish Ministry”.
The Spanish Minister for Justice also wanted to emphasise that the
appeal to be presented to the TC will come with a request “to suspend
the decree” through which the Catalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs was
created. If the TC accepts the appeal and suspends the decree, its
competences and structure would automatically be annulled. Then, the
Catalan government would have to decide if “they modify the department
or abolish it”.
Romeva defends the “legitimacy” of his department
Catalan Ministry for Foreign Affairs Raül Romeva assured that
Catalonia “has done, does and will continue to do foreign action”. In
response to the Spanish executive decision, the former MEP and
pro-independence cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’ leader asked everyone
to “keep absolutely calm” and insisted on the democratic “legitimacy” of
his department. “What we are doing is absolutely within the
Constitution and the Statute of Autonomy” and “we have a legitimate
democratic mandate to do all this that we must do and need to do as a
country”.
On the same day as Spain decided to take the Catalan Ministry for
Foreign Affairs before the court, Romeva met with the US consul in
Barcelona, Marcos Mandojana. In January, Mandojana also requested a
meeting to get to know the new Parliament’s President, Carme Forcadell.
Munté: Spanish government “is quite frankly, just decadent”
In the same vein, Catalan government spokeswoman Neus Munté assured
that Catalonia will continue to carry out foreign action despite the
appeal of the Spanish government, which is “quite frankly, just
decadent”. “We will keep our commitment to keep on working as a
government on matters of foreign action, since it is a competence stated
in our Statute of Autonomy, because we have a solid trajectory and
because it is our duty”, stated Munté.
More on
Catalan Government
The Catalan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Raül Romeva (by ACN)
