ANC Denmark continues to encourage debate about Catalonia’s independent process in Europe’s parliaments
The Council of Europe has admitted a motion on Catalan self-determination
The Danish Social Democrat, Jacob Lund, presented the text which was co-signed by 30 members of the Council.
The Council of Europe has admitted the motion from MP Jacob Lund, member of the Danish Parliament (Folketing) and the Socialist Group on the Council. The 30 signatures gathered by Lund for presenting the motion—10 more than the 20 necessary that the procedure requires—came from MPs from a variety of the chamber’s political groups. Next the motion will be brought before the Council Board. Once ratified, it will be brought to committee and a report will be prepared.
This is a new step forward for the Catalan question, thanks to the close collaboration of the Catalan National Assembly’s local chapter in Denmark (ANC Denmark) with the MPs of the Folketing, and comes after the debate and vote that took place last May in the Danish Parliament in Copenhaguen. Just as in May, the Catalan Public Diplomacy Council (DiploCAT) again participated in the initiative.
The motion openly discusses Catalonia’s right to self-determination and focuses on the fact that the debate must take place at a European level, as was expressed by several members of parliament in the debate in the Folketing last May 12. The Danish text (“The Danish Parliament notes the Government’s report on the historical, political and international legal aspects linked to the situation in Catalonia and endorses the view that the issue of Catalonia’s independence is a matter for peaceful and democratic dialogue between Catalonia and the Spanish government in Madrid”) was debated by all of the parliamentary groups and approved with no No votes in the Folketing.
The motion underscores the following points in particular:
- The Parliamentary Assembly should examine the question of self-determination for Catalonia, and other European regions including any attempts to prevent populations from exercising their right to self-determination.
- Also, discussion of independence should happen in a peaceful and democratic dialogue between the relevant region and the state governments.
- It should encourage the peaceful and democratic dialogue and other constructive response to the situation as was the case with the Council of Europe Member States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
- Europe should be applying the best practices on self-determination across the continent, not the worst.
Note: The Council of Europe met in plenary session this week in Strasbourg. It is formed by 324 members from 47 national parliaments across Europe. Its mission is to defend democracy, rule of law, and the common values of human rights of the peoples of Europe. Although it does not make binding decisions within the States, its members speak in the name of 800 million Europeans and the 47 member governments must give a collective response to what is presented to them. The Council’s goal is to advise European governments so that they can reach and maintain democratic norms in Europe and the neighboring regions. To this end, this assembly of representatives acts as a guardian of the European Convention on Human Rights and welcomes debates on the political and social questions affecting the continent, in order to prevent conflicts and favor reconciliation.
Copenhaguen, June 26, 2015
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