Brussels, 26/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Spanish Constitutional Court has decreed that the declaration of sovereignty by the Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia, adopted in January 2013 by the regional parliament, is illegal. A referendum on the self-determination of this region is planned by Barcelona for this autumn and will not, however, contravene legal requirements.
The Spanish Constitutional Court delivered its ruling on Tuesday 25 March: the declaration of political and legal sovereignty of Catalonia is null and unconstitutional. Separate Catalan institutions from the Spanish central government will therefore not be allowed to be set up on this basis. The challenge to the region's declaration of sovereignty was submitted to the court by the Spanish People's Party, which is in government in the country.
Nonetheless, the Court's decision leaves a certain amount of room for interpretation with regard to whether the referendum on Catalonia's independence is planned for 9 November next should be held or not. An autonomous community is unable to organise a referendum on self-determination but the court recognises that Catalans “have the right to decide” as long as this right is exercised within the framework of the Spanish constitution.
The question of whether this referendum, called for by the president of Catalonia, Artur Mas, will be organised or not, therefore, remains uncertain. The head of the Spanish government and leader of the People's Party, Mariano Rajoy, has always been very hostile to this project. The Spanish Congress will hold a debate on 8 April next on the transfer of powers to a regional level, in an effort to organise this kind of referendum, as requested by the Catalan parliament. Mas expressed no surprise at the decision of the Constitutional Court and stated that the political process towards independence would continue. (MD)