Three ways to resolve Spain’s Catalonia crisis

The relationship between Catalonia and the rest of Spain has become a serious institutional crisis and it must be resolved as soon as possible. As of now, the situation is dangerously ambiguous, with both Carles Puigdemont, the regional president of Catalonia, and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy seemingly refusing to back down. Puigdemont announced last week that he seeks dialogue — but that seems difficult in the current state.

There is much blame to go around. Some of it belongs to the pro-independence faction in Catalonia’s regional parliament, which chose to disregard the law and schedule an independence referendum for Oct. 1. But the central government in Madrid deserves much of the blame for the crisis, too. Incapable of negotiating with Catalans, it delegated the matter to the judicial branch, which issued an order forbidding the referendum, an order that ultimately led to the police’s use of excessive force against voters.

In addition to its illegality and the violence, there is another problem with the October 1 referendum: its low turnout. Even according to the statistics reported by the Catalan government, only just over 40% of eligible voters took part in the vote. A minority cannot be allowed to impose its opinion upon the rest of Catalonia.

This state of affairs is not sustainable. In recent days, the matter of independence has divided Catalans, distanced us from the European Union and frightened away banks and businesses. A resolution is necessary.

The Socialist Party of Catalonia, which I lead, has a plan to move forward. We refuse to choose between paralysis and secessionism. We do not want to see a minority — or even a slim majority — of Catalans impose their views on the rest of the population on this issue.

Instead, we want an agreement that can mobilize the support of a much broader majority: the majority that wants more autonomy, improved finances and the transformation of Spain into a federal state that acknowledges its multinational, multicultural and multilingual nature. And we want this new agreement to be subjected to the democratic process of a majority vote.

This new agreement, which should culminate in federal constitutional reform, must address several objectives.

First, that Catalonia is a nation . that exists within Spain must be recognized. Spain is a nation of nations whose sovereignty is determined by all the

The separatist movement in Catalonia has proved that it is reckless; the majority of people here don’t want to waste time in pointless disputes

communities in the Spanish nation. Our Constitution should reflect that.

Second, the Catalan government should have exclusive jurisdiction over issues like language, education and culture. The Spanish state should guarantee that it will defend and encourage the use of all of Spain’s languages.

Finally, Spain should have an equitable and socially responsible funding system in which those regions that contribute more do not receive less money per capita for public services. The federal financing system should function as an alliance between the Catalonia tax office and the federal tax administration.

Though the situation remains tense, dialogue is not impossible. Rajoy has agreed that constitutional reform is necessary. But the independence movement in Catalonia is still acting irresponsibly by threatening a unilateral declaration of independence, something that could lead Madrid to suspend the Catalan government’s autonomous status.

That is why in addition to these constitutional principles, there is a more immediate action to be taken: new elections for the Catalan Parliament. The separatist movement in Catalonia has proved that it is reckless; the majority of people here don’t want to waste time in pointless disputes. A new Parliament will be much better equipped to negotiate with Madrid and move the situation forward.

This is the proposal I present, along with an ambitious program aimed at reigniting the economic and industrial sectors, reducing inequality, improving administrative efficiency and making Catalonia’s institutions more democratic. In my programme, citizens and their concerns always come first, and public policies are always conceived as joint efforts with municipalities.

I want to see a return to efficiency — and to sanity. I want our proud, pragmatic Catalan spirit back. I want us to get back our desire for broad consensus and to reject strategies that seek to impose one group’s ideas over another’s. I want collaboration and strategic agreements on nationwide issues. We must take better advantage of our energies and channel them toward our objectives of economic and social progress. — Miquel Iceta is the first secretary of the Socialist Party of Catalonia. This essay was translated by Kristina Cordero from the Spanish.) New York Times Syndicate