Regarding the article entitled “Let us Vote” published in your newspaper, I would like to make a few remarks.

Spain, with all her diversity and cultural richness, is one of the oldest countries in the world and has remained a single political entity for more than 500 years.

According to its Constitution of 1978, Spain is a social and democratic state, subject to the rule of law, which advocates freedom, justice, equality and political pluralism as the highest values of its legal system.

The Constitution states that the national sovereignty belongs to the Spanish people from whom all state power emanates, and consequently any fundamental constitutional changes require their previous approval. To do so, the Spanish Constitution provides with the pertinent mechanisms that need to be followed.

The Spanish Constitution also states the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation, the common and indivisible homeland of all Spaniards; it recognises and guarantees the right to self-government of the nationalities and regions of which it is composed and the solidarity among them all. I would like to emphasise that this Constitution was the result of a historical political consensus after a dramatic civil war and a period of dictatorship. Our Constitution was approved with the overwhelming support of the Spanish people including those living in Cataluña, and has since ensured a period of continuous stability and prosperity for Spain.

Therefore, no political plans can be imposed on the totality of the citizens outside the existing legal framework. At this point, a referendum being held only in a specific territory, which pursues its secession from the rest of the country, would be contrary to the said legal framework and would also deprive all Spaniards of their right to participate in public affairs.

The Government of Spain considers that all political differences should be solved through dialogue, with full respect to the rule of law, international law and with institutional loyalty among all public authorities. The government has always acted with full respect to the people of Catalonia and its institutions. In fact, the objective of the government is always to look after the general interests of all Spaniards, including Catalans as well as the rest of nationalities and regions, in accordance with the principle of solidarity among all of them, a principle of utmost importance especially today when we have been confronted with a harsh economic crisis.

Within these general principles of institutional dialogue, respect for the rule of law and solidarity, which are also in line with our shared European values, the Government of Spain is convinced that together we will all win.

 

Felipe de la Morena

Ambassador

Embassy of Spain in Malta