The Catalan National Assembly held a political event on Sunday at the Casinet d’Hostafrancs to review the work done over the past year and set priorities for the new political cycle. The event took place right after the Ordinary General Assembly, where members approved a partial reform of the Statutes and the Internal Regulations with 73% of the votes. During the political event, Assemblea warned that the upcoming electoral cycle could be a decisive opportunity to break with years of unproductive bartering and relaunch the fight for Catalonia’s independence.
In a political analysis of the current context, Pep Vila (Political Advocacy Coordinator) and board member Blanca Currià pointed to the corruption scandal rocking PSOE as a factor that could lead to early Spanish elections. They stated that “support from pro-independence parties for the Spanish government has been sterile and has contributed to demobilisation and electoral setbacks.” In response to this situation, Assemblea is calling for democratic renewal within the independence movement and a strategic shift: moving beyond partisan struggles and rebuilding the strategic unity that made the 1st of October [2017 independence referendum] possible. To this end, Assemblea has launched the “Panel for Independence of the Civil Movement”, a new initiative aimed at creating a permanent space for dialogue, coordination and joint proposals among pro-independence civil society groups engaged in the self-determination movement.
Assemblea president Lluís Llach delivered a speech to members in which he reaffirmed the ANC’s role as the “spearhead of the independence movement,” declaring that it is now “more prepared than ever, more forward-thinking, freer from political constraints and more broadly representative in the struggle for independence”. Llach called on Catalans — and on all newcomers wishing to create roots in this land — to “understand that their future, and that of their children, is tied to the struggle for Catalonia’s national rights.” He also highlighted the role of the Confederation of Sovereigntist Organisations of the Catalan Countries: “We’ve helped foster a deep and sincere dialogue that has resulted for the first time in a joint project to denounce the consequences of fiscal plundering, which all three countries [Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearics] suffer from because they remain part of Spain.”
During the event, Vice President Nohemí Zafra, Secretary Xavi Aibar, and several members of the Board highlighted the intense work being done to reactivate the organisation and the broader independence movement during one of its most challenging moments in recent years.
Territorial Action Coordinator Jordi Pesarrodona emphasised the renewed momentum of local and sectorial chapters and the resurgence of mobilizations across the country. Assemblea has regained visibility through actions such as the protest against the Spanish king, the solidarity concert for flood victims in the Valencian Country, the symbolic occupation of Sants train station and the marches against Felipe VI’s visit to Montserrat. In this context, Strategy and Messaging Coordinator Josep Pinyol stressed that “Assemblea is laying the foundations for a new push for independence”, one based on nonviolent civil disobedience and a strong, organized and prepared civil society. He defended the new political roadmap approved in January as a tool to overcome demobilisation and rebuild the strategic unity of the independence movement.
At the end of the event, Assemblea presented the motto and official T-shirt for this year’s National Day: More reasons than ever: Independence. The T-shirt — a longstanding symbol of the September 11th demonstrations — is also a key source of funding for organising the demonstration and other pro-independence campaigns. This year’s shirt is sienna-colored, symbolizing the land, and features a raised fist with words like land, freedom, language, democracy, culture, revolt, nation and justice embedded inside. The route for the rally will be presented at a press conference in the coming days.