Catalogna, Puigdemont non tenta di impedire il commissariamento

Bruxelles – Carles Puigdemont non tenta di impedire il commissariamento della sua Regione, da presidente non convoca, come alcune voci sostenevano, le elezioni regionali anticipate perché “non sono sicuro che questo impedirà il commissariamento della Catalogna”. La palla passa ora al Parlamento cui “spetta decidere come reagire all’attivazione dell’articolo 155”. Ma intervenendo dopo l’attivazione non avrà più il potere di convocare le elezioni, che passerà nelle mani del governo di Madrid.

La misura del commissariamento, mai utilizzata finora, è stata invocata dal governo di Mariano Rajoy e dovrebbe essere approvata in serata dal Senato. Se ci sarà il via libera, Puigdemont e tutti i ministri del governo verranno commissariati, il Parlamento regionale svolgerà una funzione puramente amministrativa e gli agenti della polizia Mossos d’Esquadra verranno sottomessi al comando del Ministero dell’Interno.

“Nelle ultime ore molti mi hanno chiesto di tornare alle urne e io ho valutato questa opzione perché è mio dovere, in quanto presidente, prendere in considerazione tutte le possibili soluzioni”, ha detto il capo del governo catalano, secondo il quale il commissariamento è “un attacco frontale alla democrazia”. E ancora: “Ho cercato garanzie ma non ho ottenuto una risposta responsabile dal partito popolare”. A suo avviso, Madrid non vuole collaborare ma “nessuno può dire che io non ho fatto sacrifici per cercare il dialogo e per mantenere la pace”.

Di tutt’altra opinione la vicepresidente del governo centrale. Parlando al Senato, Soraya Saez de Santamaria ha accusato Puigdemont e gli altri leader indipendentisti di aver “rovinato” la Catalogna per un “capriccio… hanno imposto l’indipendentismo a tutte le istituzioni democratiche della Catalogna”. “L’applicazione dell’articolo 155 non è un atto contro la democrazia, ma a favore della democrazia e dello stato di diritto che nessuno può compromettere”, ha concluso la vice di Mariano Rajoy.

In attesa della decisione finale, alcuni deputati di Esquerra Republicana hanno provato a bloccare il commissariamento rivolgendosi al tribunale costituzionale. I giudici hanno tuttavia respinto il ricorso poiché “non ci sarebbero irregolarità e nessun diritto viene violato”.

Ecco il testo ufficiale (in inglese) del discorso pronunciato oggi pomeriggio da Puidgemont:

In these last hours, before my authority to hold parliamentary elections expires as a result of the measures proposed by the Spanish government in applying Article 155, I considered the possibility of exercising it and calling for an election. It is my power and various people have asked me these days if I thought to exercise it or not. It is my duty and my responsibility to exhaust all, absolutely all, of the ways towards a negotiated and agreed solution to a conflict that is political and of a democratic nature. I was prepared to call for these elections as long as there were guarantees that would allow them to be held with absolute normality. There are none of these guarantees that today justify the call for parliamentary elections. My duty was to attempt it honestly and loyally to avoid the impact of Article 155 on our institutions, as approved by the Council of Ministers and as receives the approval of the Senate. It is an abusive and unfair application that lies outside of the law and which seeks to eradicate not only our sovereignty but also the whole tradition of Catalanism that has brought us to this moment. I do not accept these measures because they are unjust and because they hide almost without concealing the vindictive intention of a State that was defeated on October 1st.

Nor is there any intention to stop the repression and ensure the conditions where violence is absent if these elections were to happen.

I have tried to obtain these guarantees. I believe I have acted in accordance with my responsibility and have taken into account the opinion put forward by people from the different political options. But this has not produced, once again, a responsible response by the People’s Party, which has taken advantage of this option to add tension at a time when what is needed is maximum distension and dialogue.

At this point, and of course without signing any decree of dissolution to hold elections, it is the Parliament’s duty to proceed with what the parliamentary majority determines in relation to the consequences of the application against Catalonia of Article 155.

No one will be able to reproach the will of Catalan side to engage in dialogue and politics. No one can say that I have not been willing to make sacrifices to ensure all the efforts were made to open dialogue. But once again, we are finding, with much disappointment, that responsibility is only demanded and pressed down on some, while others are allowed to act absolutely irresponsibly. It is the logic of a policy based on the cries of ‘go get them’ rather than ones based on ‘let’s go with them’.

The Catalan society, mobilized, has led us here on the basis of participation, commitment and serenity, but also responsibility. I have tried, throughout my presidency, and in these days that remain, to complete this path with the very same commitment, the same serenity. Everyone has their own responsibility. Mine, as a president, was to exhaust all the options that I had at hand.

The Catalan people have always acted as this Government has by invoking peace and civic duties, practicing peace and civic duties, exercising peace and civic duties. It is necessary that in the coming hours our commitment to peace and civility remains stronger than ever as this is the only way, I underscore, the only way that we can end in victory for us to win.

Thank you very much.