A process that began more than a decade ago
The Catalan process is a term used to refer to the political and social movement that arose in Catalonia after the ruling of the Constitutional Court that cut the Statute of Autonomy in 2010. Since then, the process has had different phases, key moments and main actors, which have marked its development and outcome. But when can you say that the process is over? Is there a definitive answer to this question?
The facts that marked the process
If we look back, we can identify some events that had a significant impact on the Catalan process. Some of them are the following:
The amnesty law
This week, the Justice Committee of the Congress of Deputies approved the amnesty law, which aims to put an end to the legal cases arising from the process. This law, negotiated by Minister Félix Bolaños with ERC and with less contact with Junts, aims to close the repressive chapter and open a new stage of political dialogue. However, the law still has to overcome several procedures and obstacles, and does not guarantee that the causes that originated the process will disappear.
The investiture of Pedro Sánchez
The president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, achieved his investiture thanks to the support of ERC and Junts, the two parties that promoted the 1-O referendum, despite their strategic discrepancies and their lack of unit In return, Sánchez pledged to reactivate the dialogue table between the governments and to respect the results of the Catalan elections. This agreement represented a paradigm shift compared to the previous stage, marked by the application of Article 155 and the intervention of the Catalan self-government.
The resignation to invest Puigdemont at a distance
One of the most tense moments of the process was when the Parliament of Catalonia had to decide whether or not to invest Carles Puigdemont as president of the Generalitat, after he fled to Belgium to avoid arrest. Finally, it was chosen not to invest him remotely, to avoid a new application of article 155 and to facilitate the formation of a new government. This decision generated a strong internal debate between the pro-independence parties and entities, and highlighted the division between prison and exile.
The failed declaration of independence
On October 27, 2017, the Parliament of Catalonia approved a unilateral declaration of independence, which had no practical effect or international recognition. This statement was the response to the refusal of the Spanish government to negotiate a political solution to the conflict, after the holding of the referendum on October 1, which had a participation of 43% and a support of 90% for the independence The declaration of independence marked the beginning of judicial and police repression against the leaders of the process, and the intervention of Catalan autonomy.
The suspension of independence
On October 10, 2017, President Puigdemont appeared in Parliament to accept the results of the 1-O referendum, but proposed suspending the effects of the declaration of independence to open a stage of dialogue with the State . This decision surprised many sectors of independence, which expected an effective proclamation of the Catalan republic. Puigdemont thus attempted international mediation, which never came, and looked for an agreed solution to the conflict, which also did not succeed.
The 3-O country shutdown
On October 3, 2017, two days after the 1-O referendum, Catalonia experienced a massive national shutdown, in protest at the police violence exercised by the State’s security forces to prevent the vote. Thousands of people took to the streets to show their rejection of repression and their support for independence. This day was one of the most emotional and symbolic moments of the process, but it also marked the end of a sustained and massive social mobilization.
A process that has no expiration date
As you can see, the Catalan process has been a complex, dynamic and changing political phenomenon, which cannot be reduced to a specific date or fact. The process has had different stages, actors and scenarios, but it has also had deep and structural causes, which have not disappeared over time. The process, therefore, has not died, but has evolved and adapted to the circumstances. The process, in short, is the reflection of a plural, diverse and lively Catalan society, which claims its right to decide its future.
