Flanders congratulates Catalonia: “A clear signal pro-independence”

N-VA Chairman Bart De Wever and Flemish Minister-President Geert Bourgeois have already congratulated the Catalonian unity list ‘Junts pel Sí” (Together for Yes) with its victory during the regional elections in Catalonia. This alliance hopes to make Catalonia a sovereign state by 2017. “The people of Catalonia have given a clear signal,” say the two Flemish nationalist leaders.

Having won 62 seats in the 135-member parliament in Barcelona, the unity list of the current Minister-President Artur Mas was clearly the strongest party in the regional elections. Moreover, it can achieve an absolute majority of 72 seats in a coalition with the smaller pro-independence party CUP.

An extremely high turnout
The turnout was the highest ever in the history of the regional elections in Catalonia. Although voting is not compulsory in Spain, 77 percent of the Catalonian population cast their vote. Bart De Wever thinks that one should not ignore the signal given during this election. “The Catalonian population has expressed its support for a sovereign Catalonia. And politicians will have to take this into account in the future. I can only express the hope that the Spanish and Catalonian governments work together without mutual taboos in order to reach a favourable political outcome.”

In early June, Minister-President Bourgeois, who is also competent for Foreign Policy, signed a new cooperation agreement with his Catalonian counterpart. “I look forward to strengthening the cooperation between Flanders and Catalonia in the following years,” he concluded.