Spain challenges three more Catalan laws in TC
Spanish Justice Minister Catalá minimizes political relevance of challenges that freeze laws on empty flats, equality and local government, and says it’s “business as usual" two days after Rajoy-Puigdemont summit.
MadridA fresh batch of challenges from the Spanish government against laws approved by the Catalan Parliament that will result in their automatic suspension, once Spain’s Constitutional Court (TC) has admitted them for consideration. After exhausting all options for negotiation with the Catalan administration, Spain’s government has agreed to file three challenges before the TC against Catalan regulations. Specifically, the three laws are those that regulate the management of empty flats, the equality law, plus another that concerns local government.
In a press conference after a cabinet meeting, Justice Minister Rafael Catalá chose to portray the decision as normal, and affirmed that in other cases, such as the law of social emergency, they are still trying to reach an agreement. On Wednesday President Carles Puigdemont asked Mariano Rajoy not to challenge it, after the TC annulled the decree on energy poverty a few days earlier. Catalá noted that the decision to contest or not "is based on a legal analysis, not a political one". According to him, the Rajoy administration is “striving” to reach an agreement on the subject.
Catalá admitted that relations are strained, but remarked that it is so for both sides. Indeed, the Catalan government has challenged 57 Spanish regulations, whereas the central government has lodged complaints against 32 Catalan laws, including three last Friday; a further 13 are still being negotiated.
The Minister made a case for the Spanish government bringing these three challenges to the TC, and claimed that he was "certain" that the Catalan laws "overstep" the Catalan government’s authority. In fact, he accused Parliament of exceeding its responsibilities and infringing on Spain’s powers. Nevertheless, the head of Justice made an effort to present an image of "institutional normality". In his view, the TC is the arbitrating body whenever there are disagreements between institutions.
These three challenges come only two days after the meeting between Rajoy and Catalan president Carles Puigdemont. When asked by journalists, the Justice Minister answered that the Spanish president said to Puigdemont that the State "will work to guarantee the rights of all Spaniards and Catalans within the rule of law, the Constitution, and the existing legal framework".
