Politics

Catalonia constituted today the first Parliament with a pro-independence majority amongst its members. Number two of cross-party list 'Junts Pel Sí' ('Together for Yes'), Carme Forcadell has been elected the 8th President of the Parliament (since the chamber was restored after Franco's dictatorship), and is the second woman to hold the charge, after her predecessor Núria de Gispert. "This 11th term of office, is the last from the autonomic period" stated Forcadell during her taking office speech and emphasised that the chamber will turn from a "regional limited Parliament" into a "national and sovereign" one. Forcadell, former president of Catalan National Assembly (ANC), the grass-roots association responsible for the massive rallies on Catalonia's National Day in 2012, 2013 and 2014, obtained 77 votes from 'Junts Pel Sí', radical left pro-independence CUP and half of the members of alternative left coalition 'Catalunya Sí que es Pot'. 57 MPs voted blank and there was 1 invalid ballot.

Current Catalan President, Artur Mas stated this Friday that "the public tender system of the Catalan Government is flawless. There are no mistakes nor possibilities to influence it in a partisan or personal way", regarding the accusations of bad practice in relation to assessing public contracts. Mas appeared before the Parliament to comment on the recent phase of the 'Petrum' anti-corruption operation, which investigates whether companies paid a 3% commission to the party foundation 'CatDem' in exchange for public contracts. "The CatDem did receive contributions from companies, it is legal, public and specified in many documents" stated President Mas "if we don't like the legal system, we must change it rather than criminalise it" and added that "other parties' foundations have also received commissions from these companies". Mas also slammed the Spanish Guardia Civil searches as "a show" that pursues "hurting rather than investigating".

The Spanish People's Party promoted a resolution this Wednesday during the European People's Party (EPP) Statutory Congress in Madrid to guarantee that the party won't recognise the legality of secessionist processes in EU. "Any self-proclaimed sovereignty process aimed at unilaterally declaring the secession of territories forming part of Member States is beyond the realms of legality and, therefore, will not be recognized as legal by the other Member States" reads the text. The resolution was approved by simple majority and all 16 MEPs from Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU) voted against the resolution. "We support a position which is balanced between autonomies' rights and territories' integrity" stated CSU's spokesman at the EPP meeting, Reinhold Bocklet. "We don't like to be involved in Spain's internal problems" he concluded. Other groups also voted against the resolutions and there were many abstentions, in a Statutory Congress that was attended by 14 Heads of Member States.    

The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker assured that he is for a "unified Europe" and against facing "more divisions" in Europe. "We won't accept divisions in Europe anymore. We already suffered a lot during the Second World War, after the war and during the Cold War". Juncker made these statements this morning at an event in Madrid, just before attending the European People's Party meeting that will be held in the Spanish capital and that is set to pass a declaration in defence of the unity of the EU's Member States. Juncker emphasised that "Spain is not a compilation of divisions and compartments, but a coherent set" and took the chance to support Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's administration as head of the Spanish executive. 

The plenary session to constitute the new Catalan Parliament will be on the 26^th of October next. Current Catalan President, Artur Mas, having used up the maximum legal term for doing so, signed this Wednesday the decree which establishes the constitution of the new chamber. However, there are still some pending issues regarding the composition of the new Catalan Parliament. The negotiations between cross-party list 'Junts Pel Sí' and radical left pro-independence CUP regarding who will be President have yet to be concluded and the future composition of the Parliament's Bureau isn't clear either, as anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans, alternative-left coalition 'Catalunya Sí que es Pot', Catalan Socialist Party PSC and Catalan People's Party PPC demand that 'Junts Pel Sí' not have an absolute majority in the Bureau. 

Liberal party CDC headquarters have once again been searched by the Spanish Guardia Civil and the party's treasurer, Andreu Viloca, has been arrested. This Wednesday's actions are part of an ongoing investigation into alleged irregular financing of the party to find out whether companies paid a 3% commission to the CDC foundation in exchange for public contracts. In the first phase of the so-called operation 'Petrum', in July, Spanish police arrested Jordi Sumarroca, CEO of Teyco and son of one of the founders of CDC, Carles Sumarroca, and two other members of his family. The second phase already included a search of CDC headquarters. On Tuesday, the police also arrested 7 businessmen accused of having allegedly paid irregular commissions to the party in exchange for public contracts. Catalan President Artur Mas described these operations as "exaggerated" and assured that both CDC and the President himself are "big game targets" due to the pro-independence process in Catalonia.  

Left wing pro-independence ERC has proposed former president of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), Carme Forcadell, to be President of the Catalan Parliament. Forcadell, responsible for the massive rallies on Catalonia's National Day in 2012, 2013 and 2014, assured that she will try to make a Parliament "for everybody", referring to anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans, Catalan Socialist Party PSC and alternative left coalition 'Catalunya Sí que Es Pot'. "This is getting serious" stated 'Junts Pel Sí' top member Raül Romeva, who regarded Forcadell's candidacy as proof that the process "has already started". The agreement of cross-party list 'Junts Pel Sí' established that ERC would be in charge of choosing a candidate for President and Spokesperson of the Parliament, while liberal party CDC would designate the President of the Parliamentary group. 

The US Secretary of State, John Kerry insisted this Monday that the US is committed to maintaining its relationship with "a strong and unified Spain". Kerry repeated this Monday at a joint press conference with Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, José Manuel García Margallo, the statements made by US President Barack Obama last month during his meeting with Spanish King Philip VI. When asked how the US relationship with Spain will be after the 20^th of December Spanish elections, Kerry assured that the US will continue to collaborate in the economic and security related fields with the EU Member State. Kerry refused to comment on the possible fragmentation of the Spanish political panorama that many polls forecast after the elections and emphasised the US's respect for democracy.Kerry's official visit to Spain also included a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and with Spanish King Philip VI at 'Palacio de la Zarzuela', the Royal Family residence.

The European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, warned that "any declaration made by members of the EU institutions" regarding Catalonia's independence "would be reflecting their personal view and not the official position of the institution". By stating this, O'Reilly answered a letter sent by Catalan MEPs from liberal CDC, left wing pro-independence ERC-NeCat, Christian Democrat UDC and Eco-Socialist ICV. In the letter, they expressed their concerns about the double version of EC president Jean-Claude Juncker's answer on Catalonia and the problems that many Catalans abroad faced to vote. O'Reilly admitted to being "up to date" on the double answer scandal but asked the MEPs to contact the EC first. Regarding the problems with the vote abroad, O'Reilly considered them a "national matter" and refused the meeting request "for the moment". 

Josep Ramon Bosch, former president of controversial Spanish unity association ‘Societat Civil Catalana’ has been called to court accused of threatening pro-independence Catalan figures via a false Facebook profile.  Using the name "Fèlix de Sant Serní de Tavèrnoles", Bosch allegedly sent numerous offensive messages and called for a boycott of many Catalan firms. According to lawyers' group 'Drets' these "hate speech messages constitute threat and abuse crimes as laid down in articles 169, 170, 205, 208 and 209 of the criminal code". Bosch, who quit the presidency of 'Societat Civil Catalana' right after the 27-S Catalan elections, will have to appear before the court on the 20^th of January next, in Manresa.

The Spanish Senate approved this Thursday the reform of the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) Law to be able to fine and suspend from office those public servants, politicians and authorities who don’t comply with its rulings. The reform proposal was announced a month ago by the People's Party (PP) leader in Catalonia, Xavier García Albiol, and was approved as a matter of urgency. Albiol stated that this amendment to the Constitutional Law will work as a barrier to dissuade “anybody from declaring Catalonia’s independence”. According to the Spanish executive, the new law will "guarantee" that the TC stops "those who want to break Spain" from doing so. The entire opposition has described the reform as "an electoral act" and accused the PP of "manipulating the Spanish justice system with political motivations". The reform was approved with 143 votes in favour, 80 against and 1 abstention and will become effective in the following days, once it is published in Spain's Official Journal (BOE). 

Catalan President, Artur Mas, appeared this Thursday before the court, after being summonsed by Catalonia's Supreme Court for organising the 9-N symbolic vote in 2014. "The success and international impact of the 9-N consultation is what motivated this lawsuit" he stated "this summons responds to the Spanish Government's anger rather than legal reasons". Mas arrived at Barcelona's Courthouse by foot and was joined by the 400 Catalan mayors from the Association of Municipalities for Independence (AMI) and the entire Catalan Government. Right in front of the Court, thousands of people displaying Catalan flags rallied around the President and openly showed their opposition to Catalonia's Supreme Court's decision to summons Mas, which has been regarded as a political decision. Mas appeared before the court two days after Catalan Minister for Education Irene Rigau and former vice-president Joana Ortega and right after attending the commemorative events for the 75^th anniversary of President Companys' execution. 

Citizens all across Catalonia expressed their opposition to Catalonia's Supreme Court's decision to summons President Artur Mas, Catalan Minister for Education Irene Rigau and former vice-president Joana Ortega for organising the 9-N symbolic vote. This Tuesday, after Rigau and Ortega appeared before the court, thousands of people gathered together in front of their respective town halls, showing their support for the summonsed and declaring themselves guilty for participating in the 9-N consultation. The protests were organised by Alliance for the Right to Self-Determination of Catalonia ('Pacte Nacional pel Dret a Decidir'), a group of 1,500 institutions, political parties, trade unions, business organisations, professional associations, NGOs, cultural organisations and political pressure groups that support the celebration of a referendum in Catalonia. 

The first two public figures summonsed by Catalonia's Supreme Court for organising the 9-N symbolic vote on independence in 2014, Catalan Minister for Education, Irene Rigau, and former vice-president Joana Ortega, have appeared before the court today. Outside Barcelona Courthouse, around 500 citizens, brought together by civil society associations such as pro-independence Catalan National Assembly, showed their support for both of the summonsed and openly expressed their opposition to Catalonia's Supreme Court's decision, which has been regarded as a political judgment against Catalonia's right to decide its political future. Members of pro-independence unitary list 'Junts Pel Sí', liberal party CDC, left wing pro-independence party ERC, radical left CUP, Christian-democrat 'Unió' and alternative left coalition 'Catalunya Sí que es Pot' also took part in the protests, which are considered "a direct attack on justice's independence" by Catalonia's Supreme Court. 

Nearly 4,000 Spanish unity supporters and extreme-right forces gathered this Monday in Barcelona’s ‘Plaça de Catalunya’to celebrate Spain’s National Day. Although this time neither the Spanish People’s Party (PP) nor anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans confirmed their attendance, the PP’s leader in Catalonia, Xavier Garcia Albiol, in the end took part in the rally, together with other PP members. With the slogan ‘Barcelona, capital city of Spanishness’, members of Falange –the fascist party of Franco, which is still legal in today’s Spain, groups opposing Catalonia’s independence and retired soldiers displayed Spanish flags, shouted ‘Catalonia is Spain’ and burnt pro-independence flags in the centre of the square. Spain’s National Day commemorates the day Columbus landed in America, in 1492. In Madrid there is a big army exhibition but in the last years the day has been regarded as opposition to Catalonia’s push for independence and other regions of Spain’s exaltation of Spanish nationalism and the denial of other regions autonomy, especially Catalonia and Basque Country.