HISTORICAL RIGHTS

by Dr. Joan Carretero,

President of Reagrupament Independentista (RCAT)

This magma we call Catalanism, which may include from Catalan cultural activism to a great deal of political independentism, has been working right from the beginning with two aims in mind, among others, which are clearly wrong from my point of view and have been, furthermore, a great loss of energy and an endless source of frustration.

The first one of them is the foolish aspiration to reform Spain. Catalanism has always been at the forefront of Spanish reformism, thinking that a democratic Spain, prosperous and homologous to the rest of Europe, member of democratic international institutions, would be the ideal and suitable frame for Catalonia’s recognition, with an autonomous, federal or confederal matching, whatever you may call it, comfortable enough in order to reach its national completeness.

Harsh reality, though, is telling us that Spain, whatever its situation will be, does not tolerate any part of its territory not being quite fully Spanish speaking or avoiding being strictly brought under its absolute rule. This type of Catalanism has always been dreaming in finding and having its own place within Spain, a place absolutely peculiar in terms of international standards: having its own national sport teams taking part in official worldwide competitions, claiming for Catalan language to be accepted as equal among the rest of the EU official languages, having official representatives in the European decision bodies, diplomatic delegations, taking hold of ” the key to its own safe”… a long list of dreams that could only lead to unpleasant and sour awakenings.

The second aim, equally wrong to my thinking, was pretending to invent and set up new modern political relations with Spain and forgetting simultaneously, too often, the scorn on our historical rights. The Spanish constitution takes into account the historical rights of some territories but certainly not those concerning to Catalonia.

Catalan representatives just ignored them completely and preferred not to include the claim for an autonomous treasury which was considered, incredibly, an old-fashioned thing. It is necessary to firmly and unceasingly claim for the devolution of our historical rights and sovereignty which are essential targets for those who struggle to get back their own state. All nations in Europe who have recently recovered their sovereignty did claim first for their historical rights. Scotland stands as the ultimate candidate and takes all its strength from what it was, and wants now to be again, in a democratic way. To us the abolishment of “Decret de Nova Planta” is a matter of vital importance in order to regain our national rights. We must not forget that the present Spanish constitution is just its more recent heir; that’s not an old tale for historians but another step towards national freedom.

Translation: JJTN

Note: First published in LA VEU DE REAGRUPAMENT, Num. 13 (March 2012)

The Yes vote to GOS fiscal measures upsets CDC troops

Former president Mr. Jordi Pujol, tries to calm down militants saying that economic discrimination justifies independence

Duran´s opinion prevails over Mas-Colell´s criticism regarding income tax rise

CiU vote for GOS (Government of Spain) anti-crisis measures has not been fully understood in Catalonia. Not even for a large number of CDC rank-and-file members, according to several CDC militants close to RCAT associates.

These members have started to press the party's leaders. They don't quite understand the yes vote, specially after voting against Mr. Mariano Rajoy´s election as President. And also after Mr. Andreu Mas-Colell, the Minister for Economy and Knowledge, categorical words opposing to those measures -that include a rise of the income tax. According to the Minister´s words, tax income rise risks to place Catalonia's fiscal burden at a suffocation level. In critics opinion "if they didn´t want to to vote against, they could have just abstained".

Having that in mind, it is quite obvious the motivation of former president Jordi Pujol's article posted in his website. Mr. Pujol would have written it to try to appease the unease of militants. In the piece, Mr. Pujol acknowledges that

" Catalonia as a country could be driven to unviability, (...) not because of the economic consequences of independence, but the impossibility – as a result of economic discrimination –of Catalonia to respond not only to the needs of wealth creation or the support for our language and culture, but also to build a truly bona fide society for all her citizens. This, as much or more than any other argument, would be a valid reason to opt for independence. "

However, some analysts consider that the yes vote can also be read having in mind the traditional tensions between CDC and UDC. And more specifically as a Mr. Duran's victory not only over Mr. Mas-Colell, but over the whole Catalan Government. Mr. Duran, as CiU´s top figure in Madrid, in this sense, would be setting the political line of the Government of the Generalitat, without paying the costs that entails to head a department.

Authored: RCAT Web Team

Translation: MA

WHAT IS REAGRUPAMENT?

Reagrupament Independentista (RCAT), is an association fully committed to Catalonia's Independence and Political Regeneration. Though we are not properly a political party, our project is to promote electoral options (local or national lists, coalitions, platforms, etc) to contest elections in order to form a majority at the Parliament of Catalonia willing to pass a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI).

RCAT considers that the only way to preserve and promote Catalonia as a nation, is to access to Independence, Statehood, EU and UN memberships. Under the Spanish rule, there is no future, but a more or less slowly process of minorisation, first, and elimination as a people, in the end.

During the last decades, the formation of new states has been a feature of World politics. It is the outcome of globalization and democratization. The new Catalan state, in this sense, will promote democracy and cultural diversity.

RCAT as an association was formed in 2009. Since then, four national assemblies have been celebrated. The I Assembly (october 2009) elected the National Executive. In the II Assembly (march 2010) a political roadmap was approved. In the III Assembly (july 2010), was decided to support an electoral list to contest to the parliamentarian elections. Finally, in the IV Assembly (June 2011), a new National Executive was elected and a reviewed Political Platform was approved.

Joan Carretero i Grau (1955) is the current President of the association. It was so elected in the I Assembly, and again in the IV Assembly. Professionally he is a Doctor working in the Catalan Health Service. He lives and works in Puigcerdà (Cerdanya). Politically, he is a former Puigcerdà Mayor (1995-2003) and a former Catalan Minister of Governance and Public Administration (2003-2006). He doesn't consider himself as a professional politician, but a professional in politics.

RCAT considers that support to Independence is ideologically transversal among the Catalan society. That implies that we can find pro-independence supporters of different ideological perspectives. In this sense, RCAT considers that these ideologically differences must be put aside until the Declaration of Independence. As a consequence, RCAT members come from a diversity of political spaces. We have decided to emphasize those values we share: the fight for Independence, the Political Regeneration and the ethics of Work.

In coherence with the principle of political transversality in the fight for Independence, RCAT has developed a political strategy consistent in building coalitions with other groups and political parties that also promote independence.

Unfortunately, a first offer to build such a coalition made by Mr. Joan Carretero to contest to 2010 Parliament of Catalonia election, was rejected by others groups. The lack of a Pro-Independence transversal list was severely punished by voters. The number of pro-Independence MPs fell from 21 to 14. This electoral outcome contrasted with the growing number of pro-Independence supporters showed in media and academic polls and surveys.

Things changed a little bit for 2011 Local election. RCAT members successfully built local coalitions with a number of other pro-Independence groups. In the National Capital, Barcelona, UnitsXBarcelona (UxB) list, a coalition including RCAT, ERC and DC, managed to gain 2 seats. In Girona, RCAT won 1 seat, in a list shared with CUP.

Totally, RCAT saw about 60 local candidates wining a seat. Numbers aside, what really mattered was that a first step to independentists unity had been done. Political analysts and journalists, in this sense, emphasized RCAT capacity to reach agreements with virtually all groups and parties that favour independence.

This experience was so positively valued that facilitated the formation of a new coalition to contest to 2011 Spanish Parliament elections. Now, the coalition was formed between RCAT, ERC (who had changed its leadership just days before), and Catalunya Sí (a citizens platform). Early polls gave to the coalition no representation at all. However, perspectives grew after the first electoral campaign week. Finally, the coalition managed to gain three seats at the Congreso de los Diputados chamber (2 in Barcelona, and 1 in Girona).

To sum up, however modest the outcomes have been, it is well evident that RCAT has been instrumental to reverse a negative trend. Now, the challenge to form a Pro-Independence unity coalition to contest next Parliament of Catalonia elections (scheduled, in principle, in 2014) is unavoidable. RCAT will do its best to make it happen.