massive demonstration

The day after Catalonia’s National Day and the 1.6 million strong human chain supporting independence from Spain, Catalan parties reacted to the massive demonstration. The President of the Catalan Government and leader of the governing Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU), Artur Mas, re-affirmed yesterday his “commitment” to organising a referendum on self-determination for 2014. The Left-Wing Catalan Independence Party (ERC) declared its intention to work with other parties and civil society organisations on having the question and exact date for the vote ready within the next two months in order to call it in 2014. The Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) asked the other parties to put forward their projects for the day after the referendum.

However, the Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister, José Manuel García Margallo, recognised the “success” of the demonstration. Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, had stated that there was “a silent majority” who “stayed at home” and did not participate in the 1.6 million strong demonstration, since Catalonia has 7.5 million inhabitants. She also insisted in holding “a dialogue within the Constitution”, which means completely rejecting a self-determination vote. The Catalan Minister for the Presidency, Francesc Homs, considered that the Spanish Government emphasising that there was a “silent majority” was an “absurd” statement. Homs added that, if the Spanish Government really wanted to count how many people are against Catalonia’s independence, the best thing is holding a democratic vote on the issue.

This Wednesday, an extreme right-wing Spanish nationalist group interrupted the institutional celebration of Catalonia’s National Day at the Catalan Government delegation in Madrid. The Fascist group assaulted the delegation and attacked some of those present causing five minor injuries, including a 4-year old girl. As the Catalan Government’s representative was about to make his speech, some 15 members of an extreme-right wing group entered the centre shouting “make no mistake, Catalonia is Spain”. The group was carrying Nazi flags as well as flags of the Falange – the party of Franco. One camera operator was taken to hospital with a dislocation. No arrests have been made by the Spanish Police.

The ‘Catalan Way towards independence’ has achieved significant coverage throughout the world as numerous media outlets focus on the impact and scale of Catalonia’s historic 400 km human chain, gathering 1.6 million people. The world’s major newspapers and news agencies have published articles detailing the events of the ‘Catalan Way’ human chain. The Associated Press revealed how there was “a festive mood” and that an “estimated 1 million people took part”, before the official figures were released. Meanwhile, the BBC spoke of a “huge human chain”. The Guardian documented the success of the human chain that ran all the way from “the border with neighbouring France to the region of Valencia”.

The civil society platform that organised the colossal ‘Catalan Way towards independence’ demanded a self-determination referendum to be held in 2014 and not at a later stage. The festive demonstration was a great success, gathering more participants than last year’s 1.5 million strong rally, which was also organised on Catalonia’s National Day. Most of the Catalan Government Ministers took part in the human chain, but neither the President of Catalonia, Artur Mas, nor the Chairperson of the Catalan Parliament took part. However, they did both gave their personal support to the peaceful demonstration. Many folkloric performances and festive celebrations were carried out throughout the non-interrupted human chain. 500,000 citizens held hands in the city of Barcelona alone, and a total of 1.6 million Catalans participated in the rally, according to the Catalan Police.

The CNA provides a range of images from this Wednesday’s ‘Catalan Way towards independence’, the 400-kilometre human chain that spanned Catalonia from north to south. The demonstration gathered 1.6 million people and called for an independent Catalonia from Spain. The ‘Catalan Way’ has been organised by the grass-roots organisation the Catalan National Assembly. It was organised after the success of last year’s peaceful demonstration that bought 1.5 million people to the streets of Barcelona. Catalans seek to hold a referendum on whether Catalonia should remain part of Spain. Opinion polls reveal that over 50% of Catalans would vote to leave Spain if the vote were to take place.

On Wednesday, the 400 kilometre ‘Catalan Way’ human chain, which calls for an independent Catalonia, passes through FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium and into its stands. The Vice President of the sports club, Carles Vilarrubí, stated that Barça “always has its doors open to FC Barcelona fans and Catalans who want to express themselves”. He stated this following the flower offering that took place at the statue of Rafael Casanova during Catalonia’s National Day. Along with Vilarrubí, Barça’s delegation was headed by first team coach, Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, defender Gerard Piqué as well as other first team players, technical staff and players from other sections.

The Director of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, Gundega Michele, has stated that it is “marvellous” that the ‘Baltic Way’ “can help” Catalonia achieve independence. In an interview with the CNA, Michele also predicted that the Catalan human chain, which takes place this Wednesday afternoon, may be “more successful” than its Baltic equivalent thanks to new technologies than facilitate its organisation. The ‘Baltic Way’ took place in 1989 to claim independence from USSR for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Michele continued by stating that Catalans “should have the right to determine their future” and added that if a referendum cannot be held, a unilateral declaration of independence would be a “reasonable” solution.

This coming 11^th of September – which is Catalonia’s National Day – pro-independence supporters have organised a gigantic human chain called the ‘Catalan Way Towards Independence’ that will cross Catalonia from North to South stretching 400 km and passing through some of the main cities, such as Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona. After having organised the 1.5 million-strong demonstration of 2012, the civil society platform Catalan National Assembly is preparing a new massive demonstration that calls for independence from Spain. This year’s peculiar demonstration is inspired by the ‘Baltic Way’ of 1989, which gathered 2 million people forming a 670 km-long human chain crossing Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The ‘Baltic Way’ was organised exactly 24 years ago and issued a manifesto that read “a common European home can only by set up if all European nations are granted a free right to self-determination”.

In an interview with ACN, the Head of the EU Foreign Policy Unit of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Steven Blockmans argued that “the European Union or the United Nations could play this role” if “both parties, including Madrid, voluntarily accept it”. Besides, Blockmans explained that Catalonia’s and Scotland’s self-determination processes and the possibility that they become independent states “is being debated” in Brussels circles, and it is even mentioned “often”. In addition, he also stated that if Madrid agrees, “a summit would be enough” to take “the political decision” to allow an independent Catalonia to become an EU Member State.

“The United Nations respect self-determination processes” stated the Secretary General of the United Nations when he was asked about Catalonia’s and Scotland’s self-determination processes during his official visit to Andorra, a small independent country in the Pyrenees which has Catalan as its official language. Ban Ki-moon urged all the political leaders to talk and find a negotiated and peaceful solution. “All the pending issues among countries have to be solved via peaceful means and through dialogue, respecting the genuine will of the affected people”, he stated. As opposed to the United Kingdom’s Government, the Spanish Executive currently refuses to even talk about Catalonia’s self-determination claims, which are backed by November’s electoral results and recent opinion polls.

According to Catalan and Spanish Government sources, the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, and the President of the Catalan Executive, Artur Mas, secretly met this week in Madrid. They mainly talked about the deficit targets for 2013 and Catalonia’s self-determination process. It is the first time they have held a meeting in the last 6 months. On the first issue, they agreed on the need to relax the current 0.7% deficit objective, which would oblige the Catalan Government to carry out a budget adjustment of almost €4.5 billion. No specific figure has been decided on, but Mas said that it will be between 1.5% and 2%, depending on the European Union’s decision regarding Spain’s total deficit. Regarding the self-determination vote, they see things very differently and Rajoy continues to refuse to allow such a vote.

The ALDE and the Greens/EFA consider the statements made by Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Vice-President of the European Parliament and member of the People’s Party (PP), to be “a scandal”. Last week, three Catalan MEPs asked the EP President, Martin Schulz, either to push Vidal-Quadras to apologise or to adopt disciplinary measures against him. Schulz appealed to freedom of expression and said that Catalan voters should judge Vidal-Quadras, elected from a closed party list in a single Spanish constituency. Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE) and Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Greens/EFA) reject Schulz’s cold answer and ask for “a formal debate” on the issue. Now, Vidal-Quadras says he was being “ironical”.

“In exceptional times, exceptional decisions are needed”, stated the Catalan President, Artur Mas. After the 1.5 million strong independence demonstration on September 11th, the Spanish PM’s refusal to negotiate a fiscal agreement for Catalonia, and days of speculation, Mas called for elections. He announced the decision in the Catalan Parliament’s main annual debate, in which he stated that budget cuts will continue, although “austerity cannot be the only value”. He also accused the Spanish Government of being “disloyal” and imposing stricter deficit targets on the Autonomous Communities. Catalan nationalist parties are celebrating the call for elections for giving the people a say, while the rest accuse Mas of putting his party’s interest first by deviating attention away from the dramatic economic situation.

“Listen, and listen carefully. Do not get angry if you don’t like what you see. And put solutions on the table, if you have them”, the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas told Spain the day after the 1.5 million strong demonstration for Catalonia’s independence. He also stated he will work to create “state structures”. The Spanish Government refused to comment directly on the event, stating it should be analysed “coldly”. However, it said Spain and Catalonia should have other priorities.