Mas & Urkullu Hold Second Catalan–Basque Summit To Combat Madrid’s “Growing Recentralisation”

Following a meeting in the Basque Country at the start of May, Catalan First Minister Artur Mas and Basque First Minister Iñigo Urkullu held a second regional summit on Sunday at Ajuria Enea Palace—the seat of the Basque First Minister—to discuss the “institutional crisis” in Spain.

A joint statement published by both regional governments said the two leaders had discussed the political processes each Spanish region is undertaking to “make its political status more adequate”.

“Although the models and procedures are specific to each case, both Iñigo Urkullu and Artur Mas have shown concern for the strategy of growing recentralisation the Spanish government is following, unilaterally breaking the basic political consensuses reached three decades ago.”

“Both leaders have agreed to work together to face this process, respecting the ways self-government in both Catalonia and the Basque Country are being developed and updated.”

Mr. Mas and Mr. Urkullu also discussed “the growing lack of prestige of politics” based on “society’s distrust towards political parties”, adding that “some political parties” are using “alleged corruption cases and bad political practices” to attack “those who do not share their form of government and/or of society”.

The Catalan version of the joint statement added that the two leaders: “coincided in calling on democracy and voting as the way to solve discrepancies in modern, civilised societies”.

They also exchanged independence-themed gifts: a copy of the October 8, 1936 edition of Basque newspaper Euzkadi, containing news of the first Basque government, from Mr. Urkullu, and a 1714-2014 tricentenary commemorative publication from Mr. Mas.

Mr Urkullu said on April 19 during the celebration of the annual Basque fatherland day, Aberri Eguna, that the idea of a “one, great and free Spain”, is over and that: “in Spain they have a problem; they only know how to say ‘no’;

During the Catalan referendum debate in the Spanish Congress on April 8, Basque Nationalist Party MP Aitor Esteban warned Spanish MPs that the Spanish constitution could not: “be used as a warrior’s club to knock down political aspirations”.

The pair had previously met in September, 2012, when they discussed: “walking together down the path of the Basque and Catalan national realities being recognised by the [Spanish] state”.

Source https://www.thespainreport.com/13484/mas-urkullu-hold-second-catalan-basque-summit-combat-madrids-growing-recentralisation/