Self-determination, an amnesty for the prisoners and the end of the repression. The various leading actors of the Catalan independence movement have agreed on the trio of demands during innumerable demonstrations. Agreeing these will be maxims for the Catalan government heading into its talks with Spain wasn't difficult, but that wasn't enough to reach a formal agreement.
Political parties JxCat, ERC and CUP, civil society organisations ANC and Òmnium, and the Council for the Republic, meeting today, however, didn't manage to nail down the details or what they are willing to concede if PSOE and Podemos oppose their requests.
The conclave, which in the end excluded En Comú, involving only pro-independence groups, lasted more than two hours but lead to no specific result beyond the expressed wish to continue working on strategic unity and the defence of the right to self-determination and an amnesty.
Photo: Sergi Alcàzar
The meeting had two aims: the first, to reach an actual consensus; the second, to show symbolic consensus, giving an image of a unity of action to strengthen the Catalan delegation to be sent to the negotiations with Madrid. Neither was fully achieved.
The most optimistic spin after the meeting was given by the party which had pushed for the dialogue in the first place. On behalf of ERC, Marta Vilalta "positively assessed" the discussions whilst admitting they weren't able to close a "formal agreement". They called for the pro-independence side to "take advantage of the opportunity" without "renouncing any path".
Catalan government spokesminister Meritxell Budó gave similar comments. She said it taking place at all was a "good sign" and said the executive hopes such meetings happen on a regular basis. She also confirmed that, in his meeting with Spanish prime minister Sánchez, Catalan president Torra will raise the issues of self-determination and an amnesty.
The existing disagreements weren't hidden from display during the post-meeting statements. JxCat, for example, said they don't want the "negotiating table to be a way to waste time" and criticised ERC for having negotiated it with PSOE alone: "We should have started where we are today and no with a negotiation between parties". They also said that beyond Torra, they want "the prisoners and exiles", starting with Carles Puigdemont, to be accepted as party to the talks.
CUP, for their part, expressed scepticism about the talks. They find it unimaginable that PSOE will agree to grant Catalonia self-determination in the current circumstances. They instead support "putting the focus" on "forcing the state" to accept the right through "civil and institutional disobedience".