Resolution of the “Independence of Catalonia”

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In 2014, Catalonia had a referendum on the question of its independence. The turnout was too low for it to actually have any effect, and the question faded till it was brought back into the spotlight by the then president of the Catalan Generalitat (the regional government), Carles Puigdemont. At the time he was under scrutiny for misuse of government funds. He pushed for a referendum on independence. The Constitutional Court of Spain ruled that this was illegal, but he still held it in October 2017. In the referendum the separatists won with over 90% of votes, but less than half of Catalonia actually turned out to vote[1] (43%) due to the fact that it was illegal. It was specifically boycotted by the anti-independence movement and the police tried to stop people from voting. Subsequently, the Spanish Government took the decision to enact Article 155 of the Spanish constitution[2], which suspended the power of the Generalitat. The Spanish government then called for new regional elections which took place on the 21st of December, and although the separatists currently have the majority of the seats (47.0% as opposed to the unionists’ 43%), they lost the popular vote, and they don’t have enough seats to form a government without a coalition, which is seeming increasingly unlikely[3].

  1. Stating the fact that, due to Article 2[4] of the Spanish Constitution, the Catalan referendum for independence was illegal,
  2. Emphasizing the fact that the oppression of Catalonia by the Franco regime largely reinforced their cultural identity,
  3. Bearing in mind that hypothetically, an independent Catalonia could reapply to join the EU,
  4. Having considered whether the independence of Catalonia would be economically beneficial for the EU or Spain,
  5. Taking into account that Catalonia could demand independence from the UN,
  6. Bearing in mind that all member states need to agree unanimously for a new member to join the EU,
  7. Concerned about the way Spanish police forces handled the situation;
  8. Fully aware that if Luxembourg and the EU support the separation of Catalonia from Spain other separatist movements could follow,
  9. Aware of the fact that due to economic and historical reasons, secessionist movements in Catalonia have gained momentum,
  10. Uncertain about the stability of a possible independent Catalonia;

 

The Youth Parliament,

  1. Suggests that the EU act as an impartial mediator in the negotiations;
  2. Is confident that Catalonia will not be supported by the UN in its pursuit of independence;
  3. Condemns the Catalan regional government for exploiting cultural differences for political gain, as they already have a high level of autonomy;
  4. Encourages the EU not to let Catalonia join:
    1. Because of the accompanying risk of failure of the new state, and the costs this would entail;
    2. Because this would weaken the Union and encourage other separatist movements, e.g. Flanders and Wallonia;
    3. Because this could risk the integrity of the EU, since allowing Catalonia to join would cause an issue as it would go against the wishes of Spain and divide the EU;
  5. Reminds that the Catalan independence is not economically beneficial to the EU;
  6. Reaffirms that every member having to agree for a new state to enter is beneficial for the EU, as it supports the goal of the EU to stay united and follows the motto of the EU: “United in diversity”;
  7. Encourages that the degree of freedom enjoyed already by Catalonia be further advertised and explained to the inhabitants;
  8. Believes that Article 155 was necessary to minimize the damage because the situation was out of control, this allowed the situation to deescalate.

 

Overall, the Foreign Affairs Committee believes that the Independence of Catalonia is not something that Luxembourg or the EU should support, as it would not be beneficial for us and it would go against our principles. We firmly believe that Catalonia would be best off if it remained a part of Spain, and we doubt it’s economic viability and stability in the long term.

 

[1] http://www.govern.cat/pres_gov/govern/ca/monografics/303541/govern-trasllada-resultats-definitius-referendum-l1-doctubre-parlament-catalunya.html

[2] The Spanish Constitution  http://boe.es/legislacion/documentos/ConstitucionINGLES.pdf

[3] https://ig.ft.com/catalonia-poll-tracker/

[4] http://boe.es/legislacion/documentos/ConstitucionINGLES.pdf

 

 

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