Europe must respect the right to self-determination

During the conference ‘Self-determination in the EU: The Right to Decide‘, MEPs from four political groups and from various different nations are considering the application of the right to self-determination in the EU for the first time in the history of the European Parliament. “We welcome politicians, civil society organisations and academics from all corners of Europe,” says Mark Demesmaeker, host and chairman of our European delegation. “Participants from the Basque Country, Catalonia, Ireland, Scotland and of course Flanders, among others, are calling on European policy-makers to respect the right to self-determination. Europe must offer a clear and positive response to their requests for more autonomy and independence.”

Mark Demesmaeker finds the attitude of the European Commission and the European Council toward a number of European nation states’ legitimate quest for more autonomy and independence distressing. “In reply to my repeated requests for a stance on recent developments in Catalonia, Scotland and other European nations, I am invariably told by the EU institutions that such matters are relegated to the internal affairs of the Member States. In other words, the European Union is refusing to adopt a stance on the issue. That is not just frustrating, it’s also irresponsible. It would be better if the Union looked ahead and prepared itself for the potential consequences of the quest for independence by a number of European nations.”

Catalans in the Chamber

“By repeatedly holding things up in the matter, Brussels is siding with the capital cities and the existing Member States,” says Belgian MP Peter Luykx, “and not with the European citizens who seek to achieve a form of self-determination in their region or nation. In Spain too, the government in Madrid is also holding things up in the matter. Just yesterday our parliamentary group received a Catalan citizens’ delegation, who visited in order to present a draft of its own constitution. In Spain it is unconstitutional even to debate the constitution. Only civilians can succeed in that task, because politicians risk prosecution if they arrange for a vote on independence. That’s absurd.”

Catalans in the Flemish Parliament

Constituïm, the ‘Catalan Constitutional Working Group’, also presented that same draft constitution to our Flemish group. “This constitution was drawn up for a new state in Europe based on the input of over 3,000 Catalans and a working group of volunteer specialists. After 15 months and over 2,600 hours of work, this first version became a reality,” says Flemish MP Jan Van Esbroeck. At his invitation, the Catalan delegation also visited the Flemish Parliament, where it was received by among others Wilfried Vandaele, Vice-Chairman of that institution (photo: right). “The N-VA supports and recognises the right to self-determination of all peoples, including the Catalans,” he concludes. “So we were extremely honoured to be able to receive this first draft of their new constitution.”