Europe’s Liberal Party supports Catalan Self-Determination

Catalonia's struggle to regain sovereignty took a major step forward last November in London, with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) passing a resolution in favour of its right to self-determination. ALDE President Sir Graham Watson MEP, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, European Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and the Leader of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt opened the ALDE Party Congress in London. You can read their speeches here. A video recording of the speeches is available below the speeches

The ALDE is the EU's third-largest party, and its members include NATO Secretary General Anders Rasmussen and European Comission Vice President and EU Commissioner for Economic Affairs Olli Rehn. The fact that a major political force, sporting such key personalities, is ready to publicly acknowledge and support Catalans' right to vote their own future is clear evidence that the EU will be no obstacle. Rather the opposite.

ALDE Party President Sir Graham Watson said “The manifesto is a departure from the norm – it has been forged in the heat of the crisis Europe has been weathering for a number of years now. I am pleased that it demands a stronger union to serve our interests while calling for a cutback in top-heavy, unnecessary and costly bureaucracy. A stronger, simpler union is what we all want and need and that is what our manifesto delivers. It is a solid platform for our parties to build on.”

The CDC (Democratic Convergence of Catalonia) introduced the draft resolution. It is the senior partner in Catalonia's ruling coalition. In addition, a CDC member, Mr Guerrero was reelected to a third term as vice president of the ALDE. The fact that Dr Guerrero has always displayed openly his Catalan national identity is further proof that the ALDE, Rehn's and Rasmussen's party, is fully comfortable with the next EU and NATO member state. A thousand delegates from across the European continent gathered in the British capital’s iconic Canary Wharf complex in the heart of the business district to hear keynote speeches by party personalities, participate in fringe meetings and select a new bureau. It was the 34th annual ALDE's congress.

This dual success becomes a triumvirate if one takes into account that just one week earlier the European Parliament had also openly sided with Catalonia (and with economic rationality) in approving the “Mediterranean Corridor” as a EU priority project. This means that a high-speed train and associated infrastructures will link Gibraltar, Southern Spain, Valencia and Catalonia, with France and the rest of Europe. Gone is Madrid's fantasy of drilling the Central Pyrenees and bypassing Catalonia. Instead, it is Madrid that Europe is bypassing. Not to mention Zaragoza's airbase, doomed to closure.

To sum it up: The EU's third-largest party, comprising the European Commission's vice president for economic affairs and NATO's secretary general, as publicly supported Catalonia's right to self-determination. In addition, it has re-elected a Catalan to a third term as vice president. This, a few days after the European Parliament wrote into EU law the Mediterranean Corridor, placing Catalonia at the heart of Europe's infrastructures map. Taking all together, an excellent fortnight for Catalonia and for Europe.

To conclude, it is necessary to make it clear that Catalans are fully aware that freedom never comes free and that independence and contribution to international peace and security are two sides of the same coin. When NATO's secretary general's party votes in favour of Catalan self-determination it is on the clear understanding that Catalonia will do its duty and become a net security contributor to the Atlantic Alliance.