Catalonia at the crossroads. Or taking the wrong Direction? Cover Image

Katalánsko na rozcestí. Nebo na scestí?
Catalonia at the crossroads. Or taking the wrong Direction?

Author(s): Veronika Bílková
Subject(s): Politics, International Law, Present Times (2010 - today)
Published by: Ústav mezinárodních vztahů
Keywords: Carles Puigdemont; Catalan independence;
Summary/Abstract: On Friday, October 27, 2017, the Autonomous Community of Catalonia advanced to the long-awaited and very dreadful declaration of independence from Spain. It did so by approving the Declaration of Independence published by Catalan Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont on 10 October, two weeks earlier, but the document remained aside and served as a tool of pressure on the Spanish government. Rubikon has now been exceeded, and the Catalan Parliament has formally accepted the declaration. This was a very tight majority of 70 votes in the 135-ballot institution (10 MPs voted against, two absent, the rest of the party not taking part in the protest). The result clearly shows that significant dividing lines are currently not only between Spain and Catalonia, but also inside Catalan society itself.The Catalan question is very complex. It has political, economic, social, historical, cultural, legal and emotional aspects. This reflection is further analyzed only by the penultimate category; therefore, it contemplates the legal aspects of the declaration of Catalan independence. When reading a reflection, it must be borne in mind that law (both national and international) is just one of the pieces of a complex mosaic that, although it has an effect on the resulting picture, does not determine it in itself. In the case of Catalonia, this is all the more true that the law leaves many issues concerning the emergence of new states and the secession of part of the state territory deliberately vague so as not to conclude the path of different political agreements.

  • Page Count: 4
  • Publication Year: 2017
  • Language: Czech