• Francesca Guardiola, the Catalan Government’s Director General for Foreign Relations, informs the Paraguayan Senate’s Commission for Foreign Relations about the Catalan political process
  • Guardiola highlights the plebiscitary nature of the upcoming elections and stresses that the Government “is facing the process with the utmost seriousness, rigour and sincerity” to guarantee its final success
  • Paraguay is the fourth country to treat the issue of Catalonia’s political process in its legislative chamber, after Denmark, Ireland and Uruguay
Francesca Guardiola explains the Catalan political process to Paraguay's Commission on Foreign Relations
Guardiola explains the Catalan political process to Paraguay's Commission on Foreign Relations
The Paraguayan Senate was, today, the latest legislative chamber of a sovereign country where the question of Catalonia’s self-determination process was discussed at length. Francesca Guardiola, the Government of Catalonia’s Director General for Foreign Relations, appeared this morning before the Paraguayan Commission for Foreign Relations and International Affairs. She was invited by the chamber to explain the political situation Catalonia is currently undergoing and elaborate on questions posed by members of the commission.
 
Guardiola explained the plebiscitary aspect of the upcoming elections and reminded that “this is the only legal option left for the Government to know, in a democratic and legal way, the opinion of the Catalan people regarding Catalonia’s future”. The Director General added that “Catalans should also be able to decide on the political and institutional form and design of their country”. Guardiola stressed that the Government “is facing the process with the utmost seriousness, rigour and sincerity” to guarantee its final success.
 
During her appearance, the Director General set out a brief historical chronology to the Paraguayan senators attending the session to explain the current political context in Catalonia, as well as the roadmap taken by pro-Catalan advocates and the potential consequences of the forthcoming elections in Catalonia. Guardiola also talked about the democratic, peaceful and integrationist nature of the Catalan sovereignty movement, noting that these were “characteristic traits of the process that will be witnessed again during the September 11 demonstration”.
 
After Guardiola’s speech, the Senate organised a debate with the Director General and members of the Commission for Foreign Relations in which questions about the process and the right to self-determination in international law were asked. After the event, which was hosted by the president of the Commission, Senator Víctor Bogado, the Director General talked to several members of the press who showed great interest in Catalan political and current affairs and also in the possibility of creating a new Catalan State.
 
Today’s session was the fourth debate to take place in the legislative chamber of sovereign country in attempts to analyse the Catalan political process. On March 19, the Danish Parliament (Folketing) voted a resolution to support dialogue between Spain and Catalonia and solve the conflict democratically. The motion was passed with 64 votes in favour, none against and 41 abstentions. Later, on July 7, the sovereignty process was discussed once again in the Irish Parliament (Oireachtas) during a session held behind closed doors. Finally, on Wednesday August 26, the Government’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Roger Albinyana and Diplocat’s Secretary General Albert Royo, who also had also taken part in the previous sessions, appeared before the Uruguayan Parliament to explain the process and were met by Alejandro Sánchez, President of the Uruguayan Chamber.

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Francesca Guardiola and Senator Víctor Bogado

Francesca Guardiola and Senator Víctor Bogado 4603