Elections in Catalonia, 21st December 2017

Elections in Catalonia

   Last Thursday 21st December 2017 some 5 million 780,775 Catalan voters and citizens of the Generalitat de Catalunya or having their abode abroad were called upon to choose their MPs for the Catalan Parliament.

   The elections were called pursuant to article 155 of the 1978 Spanish constitution following the Unilateral Declaration of Independence of Catalonia proclaimed on 27th October 2017 by the sovereignist majority established by the elections of September 2015.

   As they did during the referendum of 1st October 2017, contested by the Spanish colonial power and by the Spanish-minded parties acting in Catalonia, an overwhelming majority of Catalan people went to the polls.

   In spite of all the efforts made by the supporters of the union of Catalonia with Spain, Catalan people renewed their confidence in the 3 parties supporting independence (Junts per Catalunya, ERC et CUP) giving them an absolute majority of seats and unambiguously disavowing Rajoy’s Partido Popular.

  The Partit de la Nacion Occitana welcomes this unquestionable result taking into account a high voter turnout.

  Once again the issue of the independence of Catalonia is going to be on the table.

  The Partit de la Nacion Occitana hopes that the independence supporters will manage to overcome their divergences to exercise power and thus thwart the gains made by the anti-independence Ciudadanos, now the first political force in the Catalan Parliament.

   A negotiated and peaceful outcome now depends on the Spanish government.

   It should not persist in the dead-end street of article 155 of the constitution.

   It should also release the jailed Catalan rulers and allow those who are exiled in Belgium to go back home without being threatened with prison.

  The EU does not seem willing yet to take account of the will of Catalan people.

  Nevertheless, it will have to face its responsibilities to urge the Spanish government to initiate a dialogue with Catalan independence supporters.   

22/12/2017

Elections in Catalonia, 21st December 2017