Puigdemont to Sánchez: independence road map is “unalterable”

Barcelona“No” to Catalonia’s separatist road map, but an invitation to dialogue in order to renew “the playing field” shared by Catalonia and the Spanish State. Such was the message given by the PSOE’s Secretary General Pedro Sánchez to Catalan president Carles Puigdemont at their meeting on Tuesday. During the get-together, Sánchez also argued that dialogue is easier when there is a government for change in Spain. Puigdemont stated that the independence road map is “unalterable” because it is “legal, legitimate and validated at the polls”. Nevertheless, both parties agreed to keep the communication lines open with a view to discussing pressing matters to do with Catalonia’s self-rule.

“We do not agree with the separatist road map. It is illegal, unilateral and most Catalans do not support it. I believe that a majority of Catalans have not embraced separatism, actually. Most of them said they wanted a political change at the polls on December 20. Once again, I call on the political parties that advocate a change to come together”, said Sánchez, who also rejected the idea of a referendum on the political future of Catalonia. “They want to vote in order to break”, said the PSOE leader. President Puigdemont made a case for a consultation during their private meeting.

In contrast, Sánchez argued for a federal reform of the Spanish Constitution and claimed that he is open to discussing certain aspects of Catalonia’s self-rule. He remarked that “a new, unstrained phase has begun”. Specifically, the Spanish socialist leader spoke about a better financial deal for Catalans, boosting the Mediterranean railway corridor, activating the bilateral commission between Madrid and Barcelona and aiming for “a fair share of the public deficit cap”.

Pedro Sánchez added that this new friendly phase, which he claimed had begun at the Tuesday meeting, would be further aided by a PSOE, Podemos and Ciudadanos coalition government in Madrid and remarked that he would welcome a meeting with Pablo Iglesias at his earliest convenience. Since Sánchez was in Catalonia, where the regional Podemos chapter (En Comú Podem) won the Spanish elections last December, he appealed to Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias by saying that many of his voters cannot understand why he won’t allow a new government for change and, instead, keeps Mariano Rajoy in office.

Even though the recent Spanish investiture debate was at the back of everyone’s mind during the meeting, Sánchez and Catalan government spokesperson Neus Munté both stated that a hypothetical support by the Catalan MPs in Madrid (Democràcia i Llibertat and ERC) to a Spanish government led by Sánchez was not discussed “at all”.

Sánchez also spoke about the warning he received from Ciudadanos last Monday and he replied that, even though he and Rivera oppose a referendum in Catalonia, they both agree that only dialogue can break the political deadlock. Therefore, he made a case for his meeting with Puigdemont and even encouraged other political leaders to follow on his footsteps, including caretaker president Mariano Rajoy.

Sectarian divide, November 9 and the Catalan language

During the meeting, Puigdemont mention his “disappointment” with Sánchez, following the latter’s reference to an alleged “sectarian divide” in Catalonia. In a recent parliamentary debate in Madrid, Sánchez had stated that this was a consequence of the Catalan independence process. Puigdemont also asked the PSOE leader to “take a stand” on the “political trial” against several Catalan ministers for staging a non-binding independence vote on November 9, 2014. The case will now be tried in Spain’s High Court. Sánchez made no comments on the matter.

Neus Munté insisted that it is “a priority” for Catalan-medium teaching to “be left out” of any political agreement in Madrid with a view to forming a coalition government. According to Munté, Sánchez denied that his agreement with Ciudadanos would have any effect on Catalonia’s Catalan-medium teaching, which might upset Albert Rivera’s party (1).

Parlon’s role

Núria Parlon, the Catalan socialist party’s first vice secretary and mayor of Santa Coloma de Gramenet, admitted that the PSC “missed out on the debate” when it stopped arguing for Catalonia’s right to decide. Speaking on Spanish radio network Onda Cero, Parlon recalled how the PSC had initially endorsed Catalonia’s right to decide its future: “we have always favoured a referendum in Catalonia, but our pact with Ciudadanos means this is now out of the question. This time the PSOE has made it a priority to lead the next Spanish government”.

“It would be a mistake to close off any avenues and set deadlines for the process of finding a good fit for Catalonia within Spain. We will need plenty of discussion and dialogue within the PSC and the PSOE, as well as with the other parties. We have given up on Catalonia’s right to decide —and that makes the debate poorer— to embrace a broader consultation”, she claimed.

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(1) N.T. Unionist politician Albert Rivera is the Catalan leader of Ciudadanos, a Spanish party that strongly opposes Catalan-medium teaching in Catalan schools.