A New Spanish Civil War Coming ?

 Catalonia Drafts Declaration of Sovereignty, Announces Vote of Independence, Seeks Self-Determination in 2014



    The Catalan Parliament proclaimed that Catalonia is "legal and sovereign political subject" in the vote will mark the formal start of the independence process and solemnly opened by the President of the Generalitat, Artur Mas . The Catalan House will vote on the first floor of the legislature, scheduled for the 23th, the statement called sovereignty of Catalonia, first step to call the query for self-determination in 2014.

    Convergence and Union and Republican Left (ERC) yesterday closed a first draft of the text, they sent groups to a greater or lesser extent, defending the right to decide: Partit dels Socialistes (PSC), Initiative for Catalonia (ICV-EUiA ) , and d'Unitat Popular Bid (CUP ). The text is open to nuances, but CiU and ERC, a parliamentary majority, will not accept major changes.

    The resolution does not set the date of the consultation, although both parties in the legislature signed agreement, have signed a commitment to hold the vote in 2014. Without the permission of the Government, the referendum is unconstitutional, so the claims and makes clear that it will look for any possible legal formula to perform: "They used all existing legal frameworks to implement the strengthening of democracy and the right to decide. "

    The statement, a text of six points with a long preamble emphasizes that the Catalan government will dialogue with the state, but also makes clear that no agreement will be asked to help "the European institutions and the international community as a whole." From the query performed, CiU and ERC agree to be "scrupulously democratic" pluralism and ensuring citizens' access to all information.

    This will be the fourth time that the Parliament proclaims the right to self-determination of Catalonia. But it will be the first to clearly set this right is specified in a query to proclaim independence. It is the first step in the process sovereigntist, to continue in the first half of this year with the creation of the Catalan Council of National Transition , designed to protect the process, and the opening of negotiations with the Spanish government to convene a referendum.

Declaration of Independence

Here is a translated version of the Declaration of Independence as listed in El Pais.

    "Declaration of Sovereignty of the Catalan people"

    "According to the democratically expressed will of the people of Catalonia, the Catalan Parliament agrees to declare the democratic sovereignty of the people of Catalonia as a political and legal, initiating the process to make the exercise of the right to decide how implementation of the right to self-determination of peoples, and to enforce the will of Catalonia form a new state within the European framework in accordance with the following principles:

    1. Sovereignty. The people of Catalonia have, for reasons of democratic legitimacy, political subject matter of legal and sovereign.

    2. Democratic legitimacy. The process of exercising the right to decide will scrupulously democratic, especially ensuring the plurality of choices and respect for all, through deliberation and dialogue within Catalan society with the aim that the pronouncement where the end result is the majority expression of the popular will.

    3. Transparency. Shall be provided all the tools necessary for the whole population and Catalan society has all the information and knowledge necessary for the exercise of the right to decide and encourage its participation in the process.

    4. Dialogue. Was bet on dialogue and negotiation with the Spanish government, the European institutions and the international community as a whole.

    5. Europe. Was defend and promote the founding principles of the European Union, particularly the fundamental rights of citizens, democracy, commitment to the welfare state, solidarity between the different territories of the Union and the commitment to economic progress, social and cultural.

    6. Legality. Was used all existing legal frameworks to implement the strengthening of democracy and the right to choose. "

Commitment to the Welfare State

Not sure if this is a translation issue but I could not help but laugh at the phrase in point number 5 promising a "commitment to the welfare state".