Tuesday

19th Mar 2024

Ban on Catalan leader condemned as 'disproportionate'

  • Quim Torra pledged to reach out to the European judiciary - describing the Spanish Supreme Court ruling as an 'attempt to overthrow the government of Catalonia' (Photo: parlament.cat)

The regional chief of Catalonia, Quim Torra, on Tuesday (29 September) appealed against his sentence for disobedience, a day after the Spanish Supreme Court upheld a decision to ban the separatist leader from public office for 18 months and ordering him to pay a €30,000 fine.

The court can now consider the appeal and either suspend Torra's disqualification, or dismiss the appeal - which would encourage him to bring the case before the European Court of Justice.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Speaking on Monday evening, Torra was already pledging to reach out to the European judiciary - describing the Spanish ruling as an "attempt to overthrow the government of Catalonia".

"I assure you that the irregularities committed will be judged in Europe, which is the only place where Catalan pro-independence activists, as well as the just and legitimate cause for independence, can find justice," Torra said, adding that the Spanish state was thirsty for revenge.

Earlier, a lower court had found Torra guilty of disobedience for refusing to remove pro-independence symbols from public buildings during the March 2019 election campaign, despite three notices sent by the electoral commission for elections in Spain.

"[The Catalan president] repeatedly and stubbornly disobeyed the orders of the central electoral board to remove certain symbols from public buildings belonging to the [regional government] during the electoral process," the judges said in their ruling on Monday.

Torra previously admitted disobeying the electoral board when he was ordered to remove a banner reading "Freedom for Political Prisoners and Exiles" as well as yellow ribbons displayed in solidarity with the jailed Catalan leaders - arguing that the orders were against freedom of expression.

Prosecutors said the electoral control body aimed to guarantee the neutrality of the election campaign according to Spanish law.

However, the Catalan Ombudsman referred to Torra's ban from public office as "completely disproportionate" - although the institution recommended the regional leader remove the banner.

"The restriction of such a fundamental right as the right to be elected in competitive elections can only be understood in cases of the most serious crimes," the Catalan Ombudsman said in a statement.

'Democratic scandal'

The ongoing process again puts the Catalan issue high on the political agenda - particularly since the ruling occurred a few days before the third anniversary of the independence referendum, and a year after the Catalan trial.

Last year, the Spanish Supreme Court sentenced nine Catalan politicians and activists to jail over their role in the 2017 independence bid.

"The ruling against president Torra is unfair and disproportionate in an EU country that should act according to the rule of law," said the separatist representative of the Catalonian government to the EU, Meritxell Serret, describing the sentence as a "democratic scandal".

"We need to bring this conflict back to the political arena from where never should have left," she told this website.

One solution advanced by academics and civil society is an amnesty law that would nullify the sentence of the nine Catalan leaders last year.

"Once more, the Spanish state interferes in our democratic institutions," wrote Torra's predecessor, MEP Carles Puigdemont, who fled to Belgium after heading the failed secession attempt three years ago.

In a letter, a group of 25 MEPs urged the leaders of the commission, parliament and council to confront the fact that "there is a problem of rule of law in Spain".

On Monday evening, several protests took place across Catalonia. And the ousted president displayed again outside the government headquarters in Barcelona the same banner for which he has been removed from office.

Meanwhile, new regional elections in Catalonia will likely take place in early 2021 after repeated delays due to coronavirus concerns.

A survey by the Catalan government's Center for Opinion Studies last December revealed an almost evenly-divided opinion on independence for Catalonia, with 47.9 percent of Catalans rejecting independence, and 43.7 percent support for it.

High tension in Catalonia two years after referendum

Two years after the former government of Carles Puigdemont held a unilateral independence referendum in defiance of the Spanish courts and constitution, the political and social conflict in Catalonia is still a key issue for both Spain and Europe.

Catalonia celebrates national day ahead of trial verdicts

Catalonia celebrated on Wednesday its national day - while awaiting the trial verdict on 12 Catalan separatists, former politicians of Carles Puigdemont's government. That decision is expected for early October.

Opinion

Catalonia MEPs are a judicial, not political, issue

Carles Puigdemont and Toni Comin currently live outside Spain. They were prosecuted for the serious crimes, and they have fled justice. It is not possible to judge in absentia in Spain, where the justice system protects the rights of defendants.

Opinion

Two lessons worth learning from the Catalan elections

The stubborn fact is that, election after election - and it's already three consecutive absolute majorities - anti-independence forces cannot convince the majority of Catalans that our democratic rights and a better future can be attained within the Spanish kingdom.

Catalan MEPs lose immunity, slam 'political persecution'

Catalan separatist MEPs Carles Puigdemont, Toni Comín and Clara Ponsatí lost their parliamentary immunity - a result they have hailed as a "political victory" for bringing the conflict between Catalonia and Spain closer to the heart of Europe.

Opinion

How the EU can raise its game in the Middle East

Could the EU repair its reputation and credibility by taking action on Gaza? EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell, Spain, Belgium and Ireland, have worked hard to repair the damage, but have faced political headwinds due to internal divisions.

Latest News

  1. Borrell: 'Israel provoking famine', urges more aid access
  2. Europol: Israel-Gaza galvanising Jihadist recruitment in Europe
  3. EU to agree Israeli-settler blacklist, Borrell says
  4. EU ministers keen to use Russian profits for Ukraine ammo
  5. Call to change EIB defence spending rules hits scepticism
  6. Potential legal avenues to prosecute Navalny's killers
  7. EU summit, Gaza, Ukraine, reforms in focus this WEEK
  8. The present and future dystopia of political micro-targeting ads

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us