Daily Times

Spain and Catalans are on long awaited negotiations process. The government of Spain and its Catalonia region opened a highly anticipated series of negotiations about the future of Spain’s wealthy and rebellious north-eastern region. The talks could represent the greatest opportunity in some time for a peaceful resolution that would give the region greater autonomy. The Catalans went to Madrid with two clear proposals: retroactively legalise 2017 referendum on independence and give amnesty to politicians in prison and in exile. The Spanish government, long opposed to Catalan independence, came into the meeting with a forty four point agenda for better cooperation between the Spanish government and the Catalans. Proposals included reforming the way the central government redistributes funding to Spain’s seventeen autonomous communities secessionists complain that Catalonia contributes more tax money to the central government than it receives in return. Although it may take years, to reach an agreement the terms of which are far from. Siting of the two at negotiation table was an important step to resolve gridlock. Definitely design of the solution will be difficult, complex, and long.

The motivation of Pedro government is that this design has a destination, and the destination is the reunion of Catalans and Catalonia with the rest of the country. For secessionist lawmakers, the start to the negotiations shows that the central government has honoured the representatives of the Catalans. Now Catalans are being acknowledged and officially recognized by the Spanish government as a counterpart. These talks between the Spanish government and the Catalans were on equal terms. Looming large over the meeting were those who were not in attendance: former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who in 2017 fled to Belgium after declaring Catalonia independent, and former Vice President Oriol Junqueras, who was sentenced to 13 years jail for his involvement in 2017 referendum. The current Catalan President Quim Torra and his fellow negotiators seven secessionist lawmakers communicated with Puigdemont and Junqueras while drawing up latest strategy. The voices in exile and in prison had to be present. It would be difficult for them to go to the negotiations without discussions on amnesty and a legalized referendum. Tension in Catalonia erupted in the fall of 2017. On Octuber 1, a low-turnout referendum deemed unconstitutional by the Spanish government. A few weeks later, Catalan lawmakers declared the region separate from Spain. The Spanish government, then led by conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, sent thousands of police officers to Catalonia to prevent the vote.

It has been seen that strong increase in secessionist sentiment over the years, and the constant demand from Catalan leaders was the necessity of talking with the Spanish state to find an agreement

In response to the declaration of independence, Rajoy dissolved the Catalan parliament, took control of the region and sent out arrest warrants for Puigdemont and his colleagues. But months later, in June 2018, Rajoy was ousted in the aftermath of a corruption scandal enveloping his party. Sánchez, of the Socialist Workers’ Party, took the reins of a caretaker government, expressing willingness to open a dialogue with the Catalans. In early 2019, initial talks between Sánchez and Torra fell apart. Sánchez, meanwhile, called general elections twice last year and was sworn into office only after agreeing to negotiate with the Catalan government. Now, Sánchez decides to negotiate as leader of Spain’s first-ever coalition government between the Socialists and the leftist party Podemos. Podemos leader and Spanish Vice President Pablo Iglesias will probably function as a mediator in the talks. Negotiations also came several months after Spain’s Supreme Court sentenced 12 secessionist leaders to prison for their involvement in organizing the 2017 referendum. The talks, both Spanish and Catalans lawmakers agree, are long overdue. Secessionist sentiment in Catalonia exploded in 2010 when the country’s constitutional court annulled several articles of the region’s 2006 statute of autonomy and abolished references to Catalonia’s nationhood. Two years later, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets calling for a referendum on independence. The region held a largely symbolic referendum in 2014. Circumstances have cycled throughout the region ever since.

It has been seen that strong increase in secessionist sentiment over the years, and the constant demand from Catalan leaders was the necessity of talking with the Spanish state to find an agreement, a solution to the matter. This table of negotiation should have happened a decade before. It is unclear how long such talks could last, or their result. Negotiations between the Spanish government and the Basque Armed Nationalist Group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna which, unlike the Catalans, used violence as a means to seek independence went on for decades amid a domestic terrorist conflict. Formed in 1959, the militant group announced its dissolution in 2018. Negotiations could also be disrupted by Catalan elections, which Torra promised to call after passing the year’s budget. Division between the main secessionist parties Torra’s together for Catalonia and Junqueras’s Republican Left could result in Torra losing his position as Catalan president. Meanwhile, Catalan lawmakers and the Spanish government have reopened a bilateral commission to discuss topics that have gone mostly untouched since the conflict’s climax in 2017, including infrastructure and education. The two sides could find common ground on the Catalans’ two major demands. Nor was he certain how the two sides could engage in meaningful dialogue before Catalonia’s elections. It’s clear the conflict won’t be resolved quickly. It will be a long process. Many years have passed without dialogue, and now the political register has completely changed. Negotiations like this are going to cost both sides. It’s like a mountain. There will be many ups and downs. Let see which way the political upheavals of Spain and Catalonia talks go.

The writer is book ambassador, columnist, political analyst and author of several books based in United Kingdom. He can be reached at naveedamankhan@hotmail.com