OPINION TRIBUNE PERE MIRET Economist and member of the Economy Section of the National Catalan Assembly (ANC) Democratic regeneration large part of the Spanish popu- last reform, acts in a manner unbecoming Catalan independence process in compari- lation has doubts about judicial in- of European democracies. Also, remember son with the prosecution of other judicial Adependence, one of the basic pil- the Spanish Constitutional Court ruling of proceedings. Not to mention many pros- lars of the rule of law. These questions 2010 that substantially cut back the 2006 ecutions, announced with great concern seem grounded. A report last year by the Statute voted on by the Catalan electorate by the media, have been timed to in- European Commission placed the percep- and broke the constitutional pact of 1978. fluence key moments of the Catalan inde- tion of judicial independence in Spain at The quality of Spanish democracy is get- pendence process and are then found to the tail end of the European Union. Even ting worse This was especially evident fol- have no legal substance. the Spanish judges do not consider Spa- lowing the current phase of the Catalan in- Corruption is a structural problem in nish justice very indepen- Spain. Tax amnesties and dent, according to a survey pardons for corrupt politi- published in The 2016 EU cians have been numerous. Justice Scoreboard. In 2016, the NGO Transpar- The increasing politici- ency International put the sation of Spanish justice has perception of corruption in deserved the reproaches of Spain as worse than in Bots- the Council of Europe, be- wana, Qatar and Taiwan. In- cause in Spain the executive deed, the Spanish state is in- is involved in the process of volved in blocking judicial appointing judges at the investigations for clear politi- highest levels of the Spanish cal reasons. judicial system. The same The issue of corruption has report from the Council of also been used against the Europe last year also showed Catalan independence pro- concern about Spanish gov- cess to try to stop it. Thus, if ernment interference in the the state knew about the Mr. prosecution. Pujol case for many years, Indeed, currently the at- why it did not act until 2014, torney general seems a just when Mr. Pujol came out transmission belt of the Spa- in favour of independence? nish government, as evi- Not to forget the false reports denced by the judicial- to undermine politicians, isation of the Catalan inde- such as Xavier Trias when he pendence process. Recall Artur Mas, Joana Ortega and Irene Rigau respond to their 9N sentence./ A. PUIG was mayor of Barcelona. that the prosecution in The Catalan Republic of the Catalonia did not consider the democratic dependence process. Unlike the cases of 21st century, a new member state of the consultation on November 9 2014 to be an Scotland or Quebec, Spain refuses to allow EU, will continue the Catalan democratic offence. Moreover, we have heard a Spa- a referendum on self-determination in tradition. It is no surprise that the Catalan nish minister talking of “sharpening the Catalonia, going against the wishes of 80% Corts of the Middle Ages were the first Eu- prosecution”. of the Catalan population. Several parlia- ropean parliament. The independence of And the politicisation of the Constitu- mentarians from Europe and America as Catalonia is a good opportunity to build a tional Court is important, with its presi- well as the Liberal International, among new democratic state with separation of dent a former member of the Popular Party others, have all criticised the clearly unde- powers, where there is zero tolerance for (PP). The function of most European con- mocratic behaviour of the Spanish govern- corruption, with efficient control mechan- stitutional courts is to interpret the respec- ment. isms that work against the corrupt, and tive constitutions. However, the Spanish What’s more, it is surprising how that guarantee of effective punishment for Constitutional Court, especially after the quickly action has been taken against the those who defraud. VERBA DOCENT, EXEMPLA TRAHUNT NEIL STOKES [email protected] “Leo [Messi] is happy at Barcelona, and you can see that when you look into someone’s eyes” Robert Fernández, technical secretary of FC Barcelona Looking at his bank account is probably enough. Messi earns 40 million euros a year. Not that it will stop certain other clubs from sniffing around. Something, by the way, that Barça also does when it comes to top players at other clubs. 36 • CATALONIATODAY • April 2017.