OFFICIALS in the Spanish region of Catalonia say they are ready to set out on their road map to independence, although they concede they may need another vote to confirm the end of the process.
The news came after the region’s new secessionist leader, Carles Puigdemont, said his government would not make a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain, and acknowledged that sufficient public support for a break from Madrid was still lacking.
Puigdemont took office as regional president earlier this week as head of the nationalist coalition Junts pel Si (Together for Yes), ending months of in-fighting among separatist factions.
This gave renewed vigour to the push for the north-eastern region, Spain’s wealthiest, to secede a campaign that is fiercely opposed by the main national parties.
Pro-independence leaders have previously spoken of an 18-month road map to their goal, but Puigdemont appeared to acknowledge in an interview with Catalan station TV3 that this was unrealistic.
“Do we have sufficient strength to declare independence for Catalonia with this parliament? Still no,” he said in his first interview since taking office.
Albert Royo-Mariné, secretary general of the Public Diplomacy Council of Catalonia, told The National: “We think we have a mandate to start the process towards independence but not to conclude it. We’ll need an extra vote to confirm the whole process at the end.
“It means that we’ll start implementing the motion passed last November 9 - new laws on Catalan social security, legal transition to independence and Catalan tax authority, as well as the start of a participatory process to design the new constitution.”
Developments in Catalonia are happening in a fraught national political scene, which sees Spain without a government following an inconclusive election last month.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative People’s Party won most seats, but lost its outright majority in parliament and, unless a coalition can be formed, Spain is likely to go to the polls again.
Royo-Mariné added: “We’ll see how Rajoy reacts, but he has already threatened to suspend our autonomy if we implement the motion.
“The mandate to start the process is clear. The outcome of the Catalan election offered 48 per cent for and 39 per cent against independence. If Madrid does not agree, they should let us organise a proper referendum now.
“We have a commitment before our people and we’ll honour it, and we are always ready to hold a necessary democratic dialogue with Madrid.”
Even so, that might be easier said than done.
“A constitutional court ruling in 2010 effectively stripped Catalonia of its autonomy,” Royo-Mariné told The National last year.
“Every time we tried to pass a new law in our competencies, the government can simply challenge it before the court and it is automatically suspended.”
He added that financial restrictions imposed by Spain effectively stopped Catalonia running its own affairs.
“As for the restrictions on spending, they remain in force,” he said yesterday.
“President Puigdemont has stressed his will to have a dialogue with the Spanish government and with the main Spanish parties.”
Last week, King Felipe of Spain refused to meet the new president of the Catalan Parliament, Carme Forcadell, to officially communicate Puigdemont’s investiture, and neither did Rajoy call to congratulate him after he was sworn in.
Royo-Mariné said this departure from protocol was a snub that evidenced Madrid’s lack of interest.
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