A radical change in the political context
Having experienced first-hand the epic victory of the exiles in the European elections five years ago, it is sad to see where we are today. The exiles still are, but they themselves have already announced that they are closing the stall. Puigdemont will cease to be an MEP this Monday and Comín, in the best of cases, aspires to remain alone in the Strasbourg chamber.
The political context of these elections is nothing like that of five years ago. The change is so radical that it is dizzying. Then, the Spanish institutions tried to prevent the candidacy of Puigdemont, Comín and Ponsatí, but they had to back down. This time, no one contested Comín’s candidacy. Exile is no longer the threat it once was to the State.
The uncertainty about Comín’s future and the legal battle
It is surprising that there is no mention of the possibility that Comín could be left out of the European Parliament if the Spanish Electoral Board revisits the subject of oaths. The CJEU has yet to rule on Puigdemont and Comín’s appeal against the European Parliament for preventing them from holding office for the first six months. The legal battle over immunity could also come to naught. All this can affect Comín’s political future.
The battle of exile and the cause of independence
The aim of the exile battle was to show that there was an alternative way to the pact with the State. He wanted to show that you could be free without Spain’s permission and end the repression without giving up anything. Unfortunately, the battle was aborted before it could be won. The amnesty, despite being an improvement on the pacts with the State, is of the same kind.
The legal battle of the exile was to contribute to finishing the just cause for unilateral independence. But now there is no one in the institutions working to make the Republic effective unilaterally. The pacts with the PSOE are dismantling the arguments of the just cause and wasting the fruits of the exile battle. There is no other way to say it.
The importance of the battle in European institutions
The battle of exile was an enormous challenge against the power of the State. He allowed to dream of a defeat of the Bourbon monarchy without giving up anything. He maintained the morale of victory when inside the country everything was resignations and surrenders. But now, the conflict is once again being placed in the Spanish framework. It is an acceptance that Catalans can only be what the State allows them to be.
The future of the cause of independence
The ECJ has not yet recognized that Catalans are a persecuted national minority. The battle of exile was to contribute to achieving this recognition. Perhaps in the future, with a new batch of exiles, this category can be applied to the Catalan case. For now, the conflict is returning to the realm of Spanish politics.
In short, the battle of exile has had a significant impact on the cause of independence. Although not all the desired objectives have been achieved, it has highlighted the difficulties and obstacles that must be overcome to achieve Catalonia’s freedom. The future of the cause of independence is still uncertain, but the struggle continues.