Diversity of Gazes

About the author of this article for Help Catalonia

Montserrat Tura

Minister of Justice of Catalonia (2006-2010)
Minister of Home Affairs of Catalonia (2003-2006)
Mayoress of Mollet del Vallès (1997-2003)

On the first anniversary of the unforgettable demonstration of July 10th, 2010, I would like to remember the diversity of demonstrators I saw while walking down Barcelona's Gran Via and the adjacent streets up to Plaça Tetuan better than the crowd at Passeig de Gràcia. Entire families showing their disagreement and anger against the current law that allows the Spanish Constitutional Court to modify the writing of the Estatut (the Catalan Constitution) even after its ratification by universal suffrage in referendum.

In the long walk up to Plaça Tetuan, after the header broke up, the diversity of gazes and expressions of that democratic outrage became more evident.

From then, I have often said that we will gain prestige as a nation if we explain constantly that, in a democratic system, laws can change when the required majority is achieved. Mobilizations matter and make us really conscious of the fact that four different generations attended that extraordinary demonstration with diverse gazes and the same feeling. Later on, though, we should pinpoint the reforms we are willing to work for.

If we need to change the Spanish Constitution, the Organic Law of the Constitutional Court, or if we believe it is possible to structure the State in a new way, we have to say it without any complex. We have to avoid short-lived gestures in order to set hard but realistic goals.

This question I'm dealing with here has to do with democratic strengthening, and with the strengthening of individual and collective freedoms.

I can believe that federalism as an honest pact of free wills is possible. Others will think it is not possible. Every position needs to be respected, because the debate about our freedom is plural and needs to be done by all: independentists, centralists, federalists, autonomists.

Nobody is excluded: plurality is democracy.


Montserrat Tura

Minister of Justice of Catalonia (2006-2010)
Minister of Home Affairs of Catalonia (2003-2006)
Mayoress of Mollet del Vallès (1097-2003)

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