29/10/2015. Artur Mas. The case for Catalonia’s independence is now overwhelming, thanks to the regional election results. Madrid must accept that this ‘problem’ won’t just disappear. The vote was the culmination of an incredible four years of mass citizen mobilisation.’

Benvolguts,

El president Mas ens ha sorprès molt agradablement avui amb dos articles a The Guardian i al Le Monde.

Els publiquem junts perquè toquen el mateix tema, en el mateix moment i amb la mateixa intenció. 

Sempre havíem demanat que hi hagués més projecció de Catalunya i la seva lluita per la independència a Europa.

També havíem demanat que Catalunya demanés formalment l'empara d'Europa o de la UE o dels EUA o de l'ONU o de la NATO, etc.

Avui sembla que la qüestió de l'empara comença a moure's, a formar part de les preocupacions del nostre executiu (en chantier que dirien els francesos) en l'article del Le Monde .

Els dos articles els anomenarem 1 i 2 (el del The Guardian no l'he trobat traduït).

1. Article d'Artur Mas al The Guardian.

The Catalan people have spoken. Will the Spanish government listen?

Artur Mas

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/05/catalan-people-spanish-government-catalonia-independence-election-madrid

The case for Catalonia’s independence is now overwhelming, thanks to the regional election results. Madrid must accept that this ‘problem’ won’t just disappear

 ‘The vote was the culmination of an incredible four years of mass citizen mobilisation.’ Photograph: Action Press/Rex Features

Monday 5 October 2015 11.30 BST

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On 27 September Catalonia’s voters went to the polls and with a record 77.4% turnout gave a win in every single electoral district to the political forces whose campaign promise was, if elected, that they would follow a “roadmap” towards Catalan independence from Spain. 
Pro-independence lists obtained 48% of the votes and 72 seats out of 135, whereas unionist lists got 39% of the votes and 52 seats.

These plebiscitary elections were the only way possible to give the Catalan people the vote on the political future they have long called for, after the Spanish government’s longstanding refusal to allow an independence referendum. The vote was the culmination of an incredible four years of mass citizen mobilisation. Our independence movement is not a sudden whim, not something dreamt up by a political party, or dominated by a single figure. It is the people who, on Catalonia’s national day, 11 September, come out year after year on to the streets in their millions, peacefully demonstrating with a smile, songs and flags to call for independence; for Catalonia to become a new state in Europe.

We produce 20% of Spain’s economic output, but receive only 10% of Spain’s government investments

Our citizens convinced the political parties, and this year the two main parties in favour of independence, Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC, centre) and the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), along with other socialist and Christian-democratic parties, joined together to form the coalition “Together for Yes”. The movement covers the political spectrum from left to right, and rather than just the usual politicians, it also includes key leaders from civil society groups crucial to the citizen mobilisation, as well as cultural figures and respected academics not usually involved in politics. The Candidacy of Popular Unity (CUP, left) also tripled their previous number of seats and together with them we have anabsolute majority in Catalonia’s parliament. That means a robust absolute majority of MPs are in favour of independence.

I am a Catalan. We have had an independent identity since the 11th century. We had a parliament before the United Kingdom did. We have had a president of the generalitat – Catalonia’s government – since 1359, and I am proud to be the 129th successor to that office. Our language, Catalan, has been prosecuted since 1714 and was banned during the 40-year Franco dictatorship; but it is now the ninth most spoken language in the EU, with more speakers than Swedish, Finnish, Danish or Greek. Our European vocation is strong.

Spain began its transition to democracy in 1975. In 1979 and 2006 some powers were devolved to Catalonia via a statute of autonomy, but in 2010 the deeply politicised constitutional court struck down crucial elements of the statute. In 2012 a better financial agreement between Catalonia and Spain was also refused, and a recentralisation of previously devolved powers began in earnest. Finally, Catalans began to think that they would be better off with the tools to manage their own finances and government outside Spain. It is natural for people whose rights are in danger to try to protect themselves within a state of their own.

Catalonia has 16% of Spain’s population. We produce 20% of Spain’s economic output and 25% of exports with a highly sophisticated industrial base, including global manufacturers – Catalonia’s €200bn economy is bigger than Finland’s – and yet we receive only 10% of Spain’s government investments. Nevertheless our foreign investment went up 400% in the first semester of 2015. Meanwhile Spain’s $1.1tn outstanding sovereign debt is equal to 100% of its GDP. If Catalonia leaves, that percentage will go even higher.

 Independence will require Catalonia’s left to reject austerity politics

Luke Stobart

Despite this, the Spanish government seems to think that if it pretends nothing is wrong, “the Catalonia problem” will just go away. However, what was once an internal matter for Spain to resolve has now taken on an international perspective, as foreign parliaments and even governments wonder why, despite our calls for dialogue, Madrid refuses to sit down and talk. My last meeting with President Rajoy was 14 months ago. We have requested a dialogue over and over again. Our hands are extended, yet the fist in Madrid is never unclenched.

The people who turned out in historic numbers to vote on 27 September for pro-independence clearly want to live in their own country, a free country. As Oliver Wendell Holmes said: “One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation ever more.” We will administer our victory with a sense of concord towards Spain, towards Europe and towards the world. Is Spain now willing to accept the democratic decision of the Catalan people? Or will it persevere in its intransigence?

Artur Mas

2. Artur Mas demana a Europa que intervingui en el procés, amb un article a Le Monde

http://www.vilaweb.cat/noticies/artur-mas-demana-a-europa-que-intervingui-en-el-proces-en-un-article-a-le-monde/

 Dijous  29.10.2015  12:53

El president de la Generalitat en funcions,

Artur Mas, ha publicat un article al diari Le Monde, en què demana a la UE que s’impliqui en el procés català cap a la independència:

‘Estem convençuts que, dialogant constructivament amb les institucions afectades a Espanya, Europa i més enllà, podrem obtenir un resultat negociat beneficiós per a totes les parts’, diu. I critica la ‘intransigència’ de l’estat espanyol, que dificulta que es creï un clima de diàleg.

Assegura que el 27-S els catalans van donar ‘un mandat democràtic clar per a començar un procés polític responsable i negociat que acabarà amb la creació d’un estat català independent’. ‘Com a demòcrates, hem d’honorar el mandat electoral que se’ns ha donat’, diu, i explica que el parlament farà una declaració solemne per marcar l’inici del procés polític.

Segons el president de la Generalitat en funcions, la victòria del sí és ‘inequívoca, per més que el govern espanyol hagi suggerit que els partidaris de la independència han perdut’.

Mas lamenta que el govern de Mariano Rajoy vulgui interpretar els resultats de les eleccions com un referèndum després d’haver refusar que se’n fes un, com a Escòcia o al Quebec.

‘Si el govern espanyol vol comptar els vots, ho pot fer molt fàcilment: el president espanyol Mariano Rajoy només ha de seguir l’exemple de David Cameron, que admira tant, i autoritzar l’organització d’un referèndum legal’, diu. ‘Mentre això no sigui possible, continuarem la nostra via actual. Com a demòcrates, hem d’honorar el mandat electoral que se’ns ha encomanat’, remarca.

Mas explica que el full de ruta inclou un ‘calendari de transició de divuit mesos, durant els quals el govern de Catalunya concebrà i construirà les estructures nacionals necessàries perquè Catalunya pugui funcionar com a estat’. El president de la Generalitat en funcions diu que el nou país serà ‘semblant a Àustria i Dinamarca en mida, població i PIB’. ‘Serà un soci fiable i responsable’, afegeix, i defensa el caràcter europeu del moviment independentista català.

Joan A. Forès

Reflexions