Undemocratic Spain boycotts Flemish-Catalan trade mission

Unfortunately, the planned economic mission to Morocco by Flemish Minister-President Geert Bourgeois and Catalan President Carles Puigdemont will not go ahead. The Kingdom of Morocco has cancelled it. And in the meantime, the reason why has become clear: “Via the King of Spain, the government in Madrid has put pressure on the Moroccan government not to receive any Catalan delegation. That is unworthy of a constitutional state,” says the N-VA.

Spain is now also openly boycotting Catalonia, the N-VA notes. That is regrettable, all the more so since Flanders is also taking the hit. “This late, so-called unilateral decision by Morocco also inflicts damage on over thirty Flemish, Catalan and Moroccan companies. The prosperity of citizens is being sacrificed on the altar of Spanish retaliation. International protest would certainly be appropriate in this situation,” the N-VA believes.

An exercise of royal pressure

Recently Madrid had already also torpedoed the newly established Catalan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also charged the former Catalan President Artur Mas and condemned him for holding a referendum. The President of the Catalan Parliament, Carme Forcadell, is still being prosecuted at this very moment for having allowed a parliamentary debate on independence to take place. And now Spain is even deploying its King against Catalonia and Flanders. “It is now clear that the Spanish government wants to hit back at Catalans in every possible way because they have the gall to consider independence,” the N-VA concludes.