VP Junqueras: there will be "multilateral" negotiation on Catalan independence

BarcelonaOriol Junqueras, Vice-President of the Generalitat, criticized on Friday the "no and no" of the Spanish government to a referendum on independence, and regarding a hypothetical offer to improve financing, he said that it is not a proposal "shared" by all of the Spanish government.

"Their answer is always no and no", he complained in an interview on Catalunya Ràdio. At the same time, he referred to statements made by Spanish Minister José Manuel García Margallo on the same station yesterday: "He is a good economist --he'd be the best Finance Minister". On Thursday Margallo expressed his support for guaranteeing the principle of ordinality within a new regional financing system, which would mean better funding for Catalonia; he also favors improving infrastructures and recognizing the Catalan nation on a cultural level. Is it a reflection, though, of what the PP thinks? Junqueras thinks not. "It's probably a personal opinion and in no way one planned by the PP", he said.

On the subject of an independence referendum, the Catalan Vice-President believes that Catalonia must persevere, despite Spain’s persistent denials of the right to self-determination, as in his view the force of events will bring the Spanish government to the negotiating table. "Strict unilateralism does not exist in the western world-- everything is connected to everything", he said with regards to whether the Generalitat will act despite the prohibitions that Madrid could impose. Junqueras assured that if the Catalan government completes its roadmap and "does so well", a time will come when assets and liabilities will have to be divided to finalize the separation, and this will imply "multilateralism", both publicly and privately. “[The independence process] goes far beyond bi-laterality with the Spanish government", said the ERC leader, who has been tasked with organizing the referendum. Junqueras added that all holders of Spanish and Catalan debt will have a say, eventually.

In spite of this, he admitted that Spain's willingness to negotiate probably won't happen right away, as they will try to begin by fattening the "transition costs"-- that is, the cost of transitioning from being a Spanish region with devolved powers to an independent country. He concluded, however, that sooner or later "the most interested party in negotiating and reaching an agreement will be the Spanish state".