Marc Monells: one of the oldest nations in Europe wants to become a new state

The other day something unique came into my hands: a book from the beginning of the 20^th century which gathers together the speeches of the Catalan Parliament between 1350 and 1550. It was a genuine relic. Written in old Catalan as well as in Latin forms and full of biblical quotes, this book collects the speeches of Catalan princes, the kings of the Kingdom of Aragon, and also of the bishops of that period. It is a compilation of the speeches of the three estates of the time: the Church, the Nobility and Royalty. Furthermore it also explains what the Catalan Parliament is, as well as asserting that it is indeed the eldest in Europe.

The Catalan Parliament is the oldest in the West, although nowadays it is limited by the strictures of the Spanish constitutional corset. The Spanish Constitution of 1978 (CE) was approved as a minimum agreement accepted by the Catalans in order not to lose hope it would make us free. However, as of that date all its interpretations have annihilated any remaining hope. When it is not Spanish politicians, the Constitutional Court takes care to axe the chances for Catalonia as a sovereign nation.

But this Constitution is not ours any more. Many of us did not even vote in its favour, as we did vote our Statute which was then cut back in 2010 before being enacted. We do not fit into this Charter now. We would have fitted in if there had been a more generous interpretation. But we can state that in Spain nobody wants to be generous with the Catalan nation. In Spain, no nation exists other than the Spanish nation, a “common homeland for all Spanish citizens”. And that's it!

This Constitution (CE) is the one they use to threaten us, to suspend our autonomy (article 115) or simply to justify a hypothetical-pathetic military intervention (article 8).

Always looking ahead, it is time to think of the new constitutional framework. We will soon hold a referendum on becoming a new state. I cannot see them letting us do it because they are the same ones who cut down and axed our Statute. We will try to arrange a plebiscite, but they will surely turn it down too. Then the moment of truth will come. We will have to go ahead. It will be time to declare ourselves independent with the support of the Catalan people.

That is why we need to start thinking about the new constitutional framework. We have to start visualizing our Catalan Constitution (CC) in order to be ready when the right time comes. In my modest opinion, I think it should be a short text without too many details, where everybody can fit in, without regulating all the fields in our society. It should be a national declaration of principles, following the Declaration of Independence as well as convening principles, rights and duties for the Catalan people. Later on, there will be laws to develop as needed.

In our new Catalan Constitution I would write a preamble in order to connect the origin of the Catalan nation and the Catalan Government (Generalitat) as well as mentioning the eldest Parliament. Closing the circle, we should state that one of the oldest nations in Europe wants to become a new state in the Europe of the twenty first century.

About the author of this article for Help Catalonia

Marc Monells
Director of Institutional Relations at the Catalan government
@marcmonells
Generalitat de Catalunya, Territori
Special Colaborators

Other articles by Marc Monells:
Either Catalonia Will Be Calvinist, or It Won’t Be
The Scottish Temptation
Catalonia's Autonomy is Dead. Long Live the Catalan State