“The proposal to reform the Constitutional Court represents alarmingly inferior democratic quality, as it abolishes the foundations of the rule of law which they say they defend and gives the impression of a substantial historical setback”. With these words, the President of the Catalan Government denounced the PP’s (People’s Party) proposal to modify Constitutional Law put forward on Monday and which also intends to give the Constitutional Court “a role that does not belong to it so it can disable specific public office holders”. “I think they may have me in mind”, Mas declared in irony in front of 200 business owners attending the colloquium-dinner which was organized by the Girona Chamber of Commerce and Grup Hotels Ultonia, as  he warned them that from here on until September 27 “they will send more these absolutely grotesque initiatives our way”.

 

The President of the Government of Catalonia regretted that said reform, pushed by the Spain’s governing party, “prompted memories of the 30s”, adding that “it is the music of the Spanish inquisition”.  “This is not rule of law, there is no democratic quality”, denounced Mas whom expressed his desire that this occurrence may “open the eyes of many, that is, if there is still someone who doesn’t have their eyes open already” because “what is at stake on the 27S is whether or not we can build a first-rate country”, with State instruments countering the constant “regression” in which we find our self-government and the “homogenizing” drive of the State.  

 

In this context, President Mas made reference to the constant help and collaboration Catalonia has always offered the various Spanish state governments, regretting, therefore, the op-ed published this weekend by former president Felipe González. “The worst isn’t the issue regarding the comparisons to Nazism and fascism”, instead, the worst thing about the op-ed, according to the President, is that it says “whatever you [Catalans] do in these elections, everything will remain the same”. “This is grievous democratic brutality”, asserted the President. “The minimum respect owed to us is being lost”, regretted Mas, but despite this he urged Catalans to answer attitudes and declarations like these with “messages and attitudes of great positivity”.

 

 

The President of the Generalitat highlighted the importance of obtaining “clear and permanent majorities” on September 27, because this way “we have a clear possibility to take this process further”. On the 27^th “there can be no possible interpretations: there will either be a majority or there won’t be”. “The wider the majority, the less the results can be argued” however with a less evident result “there will be more interpretations to be made”. In this regard, the President asserted that the “language used on the international stage, is the language of clear majorities through ballots”.

 

“We have a great opportunity to build a first-rate country, but to do this we must change the structure or we will not pull through”, Mas asserted as he made reference to the high levels of excellence Catalonia has maintained in academia, healthcare or trade, despite having “limited instruments” or not having “decision-making capacities like countries such as Denmark, Austria, Finland or Sweden”, all of which are similar in size to Catalonia.  “If we can achieve such results without these instruments or resources, we are therefore capable enough to build a first-rate country”, he stressed.  

 

The event was attended by Mayor of Girona Carles Puigdemont, the Minister of Territory and Sustainability, Santi Vila, the Minister of Business and Labour, Felip Puig, the president of the Girona Provincial Council, Pere Vila and the Government ‘s delegate in Girona, Eudald Casadesús.