Preemptive humanitarian intervention and the British national interest. The case of David Cameron and Catalonia.

London is seeking to avoid a bloodbath in the heart of Europe, while striving to improve her strategic position in the Mediterranean.  National sovereignty and humanitarian intervention are two of the pillars of international law, and more widely the international system. Their relationship is not always easy, and the former is further qualified by the principle of self-determination. We are not just talking about a philosophical or academic debate, a look at the press will quickly reveal how such clashes lie at the heart of many of the current crisis. Syria is just one example.

 

Is it however necessary to wait until blood has been spilled to discuss whether the international community should intervene, be it through sanctions, limited force in the shape for example of no-fly zones, or full blown military operations? The British prime minister seems to think that it is not. Therefore, instead of waiting until Madrid uses force against Catalonia, he has issued a clear warning to the Spanish authorities. Needless to say, we can imagine how this has been preceded by private communications at the highest levels.

 

Only time will tell whether David Cameron's preemptive intervention will succeed, or whether Spain will fall pray to the temptation of opening fire on civilians in the heart of Europe. Spanish political culture is extremely violent, as shown in the harassment campaign unleashed against Gibraltar. Last year saw 300 incidents at sea, in addition to hours-long at the land border. Although no amount of pressure will succeed in bending the indomitable will of the Rock, this simply shows how the deeply democratic concept of letting people decide their future is completely anathema to Spaniards. This is why in 1982 the voted against UN Security Council Resolution 502, and have been supporting the common and garden dictators ever since. Birds of a feather ...

 

In addition to London's general interest in stability in the European Continent, and humanitarian considerations, could we say that it is in the British national interest to see Catalonia break free from Spain? The answer is clearly in the affirmative, on a number of counts. Among them the following:

 

First of all, as explained above, Spain has been harassing Gibraltar and supporting economic warfare against the Falklands. Depriving her of 20% of her economic base, and an even higher percentage of her tax revenues, should put a damp on such aggressive policies. Once Catalan taxes cannot longer be plundered, Spaniards will have to concentrate on working harder, setting aside illusions of grandeur and pressure on the Rock.

 

Second, Catalonia is bound to be a much more reliable partner and ally for the United Kingdom. Both in the economic and the security and defence realms. In terms of trade and investment, we find a similar business culture and an emphasis on productive infrastructures, not white elephants. Concerning defence, Madrid has systematically chosen not to take part in allied operations, left them all of a sudden (Iraq), or sent troops under such restrictive ROEs as to make no meaningful contribution (Afghanistan). On the other hand, a British-trained Catalan army, as suggested by think-tank CEEC (Center for Strategic Studies of Catalonia), will surely be fighting side by side with Her Majesty's troops.

Third, concerning the defence of Gibraltar, it is very important to have a friendly state with top class logistical facilities half way from the British mainland. In the event of a crisis in the South Atlantic, the Catalan Navy could replace British units deployed there, avoiding a vacuum off Gibraltar which Spain may seek to exploit.

 

We could of course list many more, however our purpose is not to provide a comprehensive picture of future British-Catalan cooperation, but rather to point out that it is when humanitarian concerns and national interests overlap that the rationale for intervention is stronger. Thus, London is first of all interested in preserving peace and stability in the Old Continent, avoiding the use of force against civilians within the EU. However, she is also interested in the restoration of Catalan sovereignty, which would automatically enhance her strategic position in the Mediterranean. From this flows that the sooner the possibility of a Spanish coup is forestalled the better, which would explain David Cameron's public warning to Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy.

Alex Calvo is a Professor of International Relations and International Law, Head of the IR Department, and Postgraduate Research Director, European University (Barcelona Campus). An expert on Asian security and defence issues, he got his LLB from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS, University of London) and is currently doing an MA in Second World War Studies at the University of Birmingham. He is a former teaching and research fellow at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan).