Constitutional changes can stabilise Catalonia
How the demand for separation is handled by Spain will have implications for other such movements in Europe
The immediate crisis in Barcelona is averted, at least for the moment. After a disputed referendum, the Catalan president Carles Puigdemont signed the declaration of independence. However, it has been suspended for a few weeks to open a ‘period of dialogue’ with Madrid. It seems that the European elite have prevailed over Catalan leaders. So far Madrid has shown no indication of any compromise with an administration, which they feel has broken the law by organising an ‘illegal’ referendum.
In the coming weeks and months, how the Catalan issue unfolds and is resolved will have serious implications for many other separatist movements in Europe and around the world. These include the Basque country (Spain); Flanders in Belgium; Padania and Sardinia in Italy and of course Scotland in the UK. The possible destabilisation effect of an independent Catalonia will be felt throughout Europe. Kosovo and Crimea were more or less a continuation of the process of disintegration of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. Still it has not stopped the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic from criticising the EU for its ‘hypocrisy’ in dealing Kosovo and Catalonia differently. The national sovereignty and territorial integrity of an established constitutional state are at stake. The EU and major European countries have taken a more ‘balanced’ view of Catalonia compared to their earlier positions on other independent movements.
The way the situation is unfolding in Catalonia shows that efforts are being made behind the scenes to find some compromise. The official representative of the Spanish government in Catalonia has already apologised for the use of violence by the police. The main bargaining will be on the possibility of a legally binding referendum or further autonomy. Already Catalonia has its own government, presidency, parliament, flag and anthem. Both Catalan and Spanish are official languages in Catalonia. Catalonia has international representation in Brussels, London and Washington. It also has a significant tax autonomy and powers to manage its education as well as health care systems. It has its own police force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, which at the moment is bound to respect central government instructions.
The Spanish government may be willing to grant more autonomy. But there are no easy answers. In the past, more autonomy has resolved some movements in the world. However, in many cases it has also led to further erosion of central authority. In Catalonia a long period of negotiation between Barcelona and Madrid is predicted. Some constitutional changes and participation of the EU may stabilise the situation in the coming years.
Gulshan Sachdeva is Jean Monnet Chair & Director, Europe Area Studies Programme at JNU The views expressed are personal