I give the English version; the original text can be found here. The video of the address can be seen here and (with a simultaneous translation) here.
I will post my thoughts on the Catalonia situation in a few days.
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I present myself before this Parliament at
your own request to present the results of the referendum held on October 1, and
to explain the political consequences that arise. I am aware, as surely many of
you also are, that today I also present myself before the people of Catalonia
and many other people who have fixed their attention on what is happening today
in this room.
We live in an exceptional moment, of
historical dimensions. Its consequences and effects go far beyond our country
and it has become clear that, far from being a domestic and internal affair, we
have, as so often, had to listen to
those who neglected their responsibility by not wanting to know what was
happening. Catalonia is a European affair.
From my appearance do not expect threats, nor
blackmail, nor insults. The moment is serious enough that we all accept part of
the responsibility that belongs to us in the imperative need to de-escalate
tension and to not contribute, either with word or gesture, to increasing it.
On the contrary, I want to address the whole of the population; Those who have
mobilised on October 1 and 3, to those who did it on Saturday in the
demonstration advocating for the dialogue and those who did it massively on Sunday
in defence of the unity of Spain. And those who have not mobilised in any of
these announcements. Everyone, with our differences and discrepancies, in what
we understand and in what we do not understand, we form one people and we
must continue to do it together, come what may, because that is how the history
of the peoples seeking their future is made.
We will never agree on everything, as is
evident. But we do understand, because we have already shown it many times,
that the way forward can only be democracy and peace. That means respect for
what you think differently and find how to make collective aspirations
possible, with the benefit that this requires a great deal of dialogue and
empathy.
But what I will explain to you today is not a personal decision, nor
anybody's obsession: it is the result of October 1, by the will of the
Government that I preside over having maintained its commitment to convene,
organise and carry out a referendum on self-determination, and of course the
analysis of the later events that we have shared within the Government. Today
we are here to talk about the results of October 1 in Parliament and that’s
what we will do.
We are here because on October 1 just gone,
Catalonia carried out the referendum on self-determination. It did it in not
just difficult, but extreme conditions: It is the first time in the history of
European democracies that a polling day has unfolded in the midst of violent
police attacks against the voters queuing to deposit their ballot. From 8 in
the morning until the closing time of the schools, the police and the Civil
Guard hit defenseless people and forced emergency services to attend more than
800 people. We all saw it, so did a world frightened by the images that were being received.
The goal was not only to confiscate ballot
boxes and ballots. The goal was to provoke generalised panic and that people,
seeing images of indiscriminate police violence, would stay home and give up
their voting rights. But the political leaders of this ignominy missed their
target. 2,286,217 citizens overcame fear, left home and voted.
We do not know how many tried it without
success, but we do know that forcibly closed schools represent a census of 770,000
more people.
More than two million two hundred thousand
Catalans could vote because they overcame fear, and also because when they
arrived at their school they found ballot boxes, envelopes, ballots, tables and a reliable and operational census. The police operations and records of
the weeks before, in search of ballots and ballot boxes, did not prevent the
referendum. The arrests of senior officials and civil servants also did not
stop the referendum. Wire-taps, surveillance, computer attacks, the closing of 140
websites, tampering with mail, did not prevent the referendum. I repeat:
despite the effort and the resources devoted to fighting it, when the citizens
arrived at the polling stations, they found ballot boxes, envelopes, ballots,
tables, and a reliable and operational census.
So I want to give recognition to all the
people who made this logistic and political success possible. To the volunteers
who slept in the schools. The citizens who kept the ballot boxes at home. To
the printers that printed the ballots. Data professionals who devised and
developed the universal census system. To the workers of the Government. To the Yes voters of and the No voters, and to those who left their vote blank. To so many
anonymous people who gave their grain of sand to make it possible. And above
all, I want to send my affection, my solidarity and my warmth to all those
wounded and ill-treated by the police operation. The images will be recorded in
our memory forever. We will never forget it.
We must recognise, and denounce, the State action
that has managed to introduce tension and restlessness in Catalan society. As
President of Catalonia, I am well aware that there are currently many worried,
distressed people, even scared of what is happening and what might happen
- people of all ideas and tendencies.
Gratuitous violence and the decision of some
companies to move their company headquarters - a decision, let me tell you,
more of a narrative for the markets with no real effects on our economy. (What
has real effects on our economy is the Catalan 16 billion euros that are
forced to change their headquarters every year). These are undoubtedly facts
that have blurred the environment. To all those people who are scared, I want
to send you a message of understanding and empathy, as well as serenity and
tranquillity: the Government of Catalonia will not divert a millionth of its
commitment to social and economic progress, democracy, dialogue, tolerance,
respect for differences and willingness to negotiate. As President I will
always act responsibly and taking into account the 7.5 million citizens of the
country.
I would like to explain where we are, and
above all why we are where we are.
That today everyone looks at us, and above all, that today everyone listens to
us, I think it's worthwhile to come back to explain.
Since the death of military dictator
Francisco Franco, Catalonia has contributed much to the consolidation of
Spanish democracy. Catalonia has been not only the economic engine of Spain,
but also a force for modernisation and stability. Catalonia believed that the
1978 Spanish Constitution could be a good starting point to guarantee its
self-government and its material progress. Catalonia was thoroughly involved in
the operation of returning Spain to European and international institutions
after 40 years of isolation and autocracy.
Over the years, however, it was seen that a new
institutional edifice emerged from the Transition, which in Catalonia was seen
as a starting point from which to evolve towards higher levels of democracy and
self-government, the hegemonic elites of the state
understood it not as a starting point, but as an arrival point. Over the years, the
system not only ceased to evolve in the direction desired by the people of Catalonia,
but began to consolidate.
In line with this finding, in 2005, a large majority,
88% of this Parliament - I repeat, a majority of 88% of this Parliament -
following the procedures set by the Constitution - repeat, in accordance with
the procedures established by the Constitution - approved a proposal for a new
Statute of Autonomy, and sent it to the Congress of Deputies. The Catalan
proposal unleashed a campaign of genuine Catalanophobia, tackled
irresponsibly by those who wanted to govern Spain at whatever cost.
The text that was finally submitted to a
referendum in 2006 was already very different from the initial proposal of the
Parliament of Catalonia, but nevertheless it was approved by the citizens who
went to vote. The participation was 47% of the census, and the votes favourable
to the Statute were 1,899,897. I would like to emphasise that this was 145,000
votes fewer than the Yes to independence on October 1.
The state, however, was not satisfied with that first cut. In 2010, four years after the entry into force of the
Statute, a Constitutional Court formed by magistrates elected by the two major
Spanish parties, PSOE and PP, issued a statement of faithless record that cut back the Statute for the second time, and modified the content that had already been
voted by the people in referendum.
This is worth remembering, and underlining.
Despite having followed the procedures set forth in the Constitution, despite
having behind 88% of the Parliament of Catalonia, and despite the popular vote
in a referendum, legal and agreed upon, the combined action of the Congress of
Deputies and the
And I should like to remind you, and
underline this, too: this unrecognisable text, doubly chopped back and not the one voted for by
the Catalans, is the law currently in force. This has been the result of previous attempts by Catalonia to modify their legal and political status through the
constitutional channels, that is, humiliation. But this is not all.
Since the ruling of
the Constitutional Tribunal against the Statute voted by the people, the Spanish political system
not only has not lifted a finger to try to reverse and repair the breach, but
has activated an aggressive and systematic program of re-centralisation. From
the point of view of self-government, the last seven years have been the worst
in the last forty years: continuous salami-slicing of powers through decrees,
laws and sentences; inattention and disinvestment in the basic system of
infrastructures of Catalonia, a key element of the economic progress of the
country; and a contempt for the language, culture and ways of life of our country.
What I've summarised here in a few lines, has had a profound impact on Catalan society. To
this extent, many citizens, millions of citizens, have come to the rational
conclusion that the only way to guarantee the survival, not only of
self-government but of our values as a society, is for Catalonia to be constituted as a state The results of the last elections in the Parliament of
Catalonia bear witness.
In
addition, an even more important thing happened: in parallel to the formation
of the absolute majority in Parliament, there has been a broad and cross-societal consensus on the idea that the future of Catalonia, in any event, had to be
decided by the Catalans, democratically and peacefully, through a referendum.
In the most recent survey by an important Madrid newspaper (not
here, in Madrid) 82% of Catalans express it this way.
With the aim of
making this referendum possible, in recent years the Catalan institutions and
civil society have embarked on numerous initiatives before the Spanish government
and institutions. It is documented: up to 18 times, and in all possible
formats, it has been requested to open a dialogue to agree a referendum such as
that held in Scotland on September 18, 2014. A referendum with a date and a
question agreed between the two parties, in which the two sides could campaign
and expose their arguments, and in which the two parties would pledge to accept and to apply the result through a negotiation that protected the respective interests.
If this could have been done in one of the oldest, most consolidated and
exemplary democracies in the world, such as the United Kingdom, why could not
it be done in Spain as well?
The response to all
these initiatives has been a radical and absolute refusal, combined with the
police and judicial persecution of the Catalan authorities. Former President
Artur Mas and the Excellencies Joana Ortega and Irene Rigau, as well as the
Conseller of the President Francesc Homs, have been disqualified for having
promoted a non-binding participatory process with no legal effect on November
9, 2014. And not only disqualified, but fined arbitrarily and abusively: if they do
not deposit more than 5 million euros in the Spanish Court of Auditors, all of
their assets will be seized and they and their families may be affected.
In addition to these, the Bureau of this
Parliament and dozens of municipal elected officials have been called upon to
express their support for the right to decide and allow discussions about the
referendum. Complaints have been filed against the president and the
parliamentary board for not allowing the parliament to debate. The last
repressive wave against the Catalan institutions involved the arrest and
transfer to police departments of 16 officers and public servants of the
Government of Catalonia, who had to surrender themselves, without
being informed of the accusation that they were subject to. The world must also
know that the leaders of the organisations that have led the most massive – and,
at the same time, peaceful – demonstrations in the history of Europe are being
prosecuted for a crime of sedition that can result in up to 15 years in prison.
Those responsible have organised demonstrations that have been admired
throughout the world for their civility and absence of incidents.
This has been the
answer from the Spanish state to the Catalan demands, which have always been
expressed in a peaceful way and through the majorities obtained at the polls. For
years the people of Catalonia have been demanding the freedom to decide. It's
very simple. However, we have not found partners in the past nor are we finding
them in the present.
There is no institution of the State that is
open to talking about the majority demand of this Parliament and of Catalan
society. The last hope that could remain was that the monarch would exercise
the arbitrating and moderating role that the Constitution attributes to him,
but last week's speech confirmed the worst hypothesis.
(In Spanish...)
I
want to turn now to the citizens of the whole of the Spanish State who are
following with concern what is happening in Catalonia. I want to convey a message
of serenity and respect, a willingness to dialogue and political agreement, as
has always been our desire and our priority. I am aware of the information that
is given to them by most media and the narrative that has been put in place.
But I dare to ask for an effort, for the good of all; an effort to know and
recognise what has led us here and the reasons that have driven us. We are not
criminals, nor crazy, nor staging a coup, nor kidnappers: we are normal people who ask to
vote, and who have been willing to engage in any dialogue that was necessary to carry
it out in an agreed manner. We have nothing against Spain and the Spanish. On
the contrary, we want to understand better, and that is the majority desire
that exists in Catalonia. Because today, and for many years past, the relationship
hasn’t been working and nothing has been done to reverse a situation that has
become unsustainable. And a people can not be compelled, against its will, to
accept a status quo that it didn’t vote for and doesn’t want. The Constitution
is a democratic framework, but it is equally true that there is democracy
beyond the Constitution.
(In Catalan...)
Ladies and gentlemen, with the results of the
referendum on October 1st, Catalonia has gained the right to be an independent
State, and gained the right to be heard and respected.
I have to say that today we are listened to
and respected beyond our borders. Yes to independence has won an absolute
majority vote, and two years later it has won a referendum under many blows of
the truncheon. The ballot boxes, the only language that we understand, say yes
to independence. And this is the way I am committed to travelling.
As is known, the Referendum Law establishes
that, two days after the proclamation of the official results, and in the event
that the Yes vote is larger than the No
vote, Parliament (and I quote the law) "will hold an ordinary session to make
a formal declaration of the independence of Catalonia, its effects and to agree
the beginning of the constituent process".
There is a before October 1 and an after
October 1, and we have achieved what we committed to at the beginning of the
legislature.
Having arrived at this historical moment, and
as president of the Generalitat, I take the liberty to present the results of
the referendum before the Parliament and our fellow citizens, the mandate that
Catalonia should become an independent state in the form of a republic.
That is what is to be done today. For
responsibility and respect.
And with the same solemnity, both the
Government and I myself propose that Parliament suspend the effects of the
declaration of independence so that in the coming weeks we may undertake a
dialogue without which one can’t arrive at an agreed solution.
We firmly believe that the moment calls not
only for a de-escalation of tension, but above all for a clear will committed
to advancing the demands of the people of Catalonia following the results of on
October 1; results that it’s essential we take into account, in the stage of dialogue
that we are willing to open.
It is known that from the very day after the referendum, different initiatives for mediation, dialogue and negotiation have
been put in place at the national, state and international levels. Some of
these are public and others are not yet. They are all very serious, and they
were difficult to imagine just for a while. Calls to dialogue and non-violence
have been heard from every corner of the planet; the statement yesterday of the
group of eight Nobel Peace Prize laureates; the statement by The Elders (of
whom former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is the most prominent member), comprising
personalities of great global importance; the positioning of presidents and
prime ministers from European countries, European political leaders ... there
is a call for dialogue that runs through Europe, because Europe already feels called
to account about the effects that may result in a bad resolution of this
conflict. All these voices deserve to be listened to. And all, without
exception, have asked us to open a period of opportunity for dialogue with the
Spanish state.
Today is also about doing this. For
responsibility and respect.
I end by appealing to everyone's
responsibility. To the citizens of Catalonia, I ask that they continue to express themselves as they have done so far, with freedom and with respect for those
who think differently. To companies and economic actors, I ask that they
continue generating wealth and not fall into the temptation to use their power
to overwhelm the population. To the political forces, I ask you to contribute
with your words and actions to lowering the tension. I also ask the same of the
media.
To the Spanish government, I ask of you that
you listen, no longer to us if you do not want to, but to those who advocate
mediation and to the international community, and the millions of citizens from
all over Spain who ask that you renounce repression and imposition. In the
European Union, I ask that you be thoroughly involved, and guard the founding
values of the Union.
Today, the Government of Catalonia makes a
gesture of responsibility and generosity, and re-extends its hand in dialogue.
I am convinced that if tomorrow everyone acts with the same responsibility, and
complies with their obligations, the conflict between Catalonia and the Spanish
state can be solved and resolved resolutely, with respect for the will of the
citizens.
For us, it will not stand still. Because we
want to be faithful to our long history, to all who have suffered and have
sacrificed themselves, and because we want a worthy future for our children,
for all those people who want to make Catalonia their land of welcome and hope.
Thank you very much.
Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó President of the Generalitat
of Catalonia
