Solidaritat and Esquerra impel a statement in the Parlament of Catalonia to support the independence of Scotland

Ref.: 401ALT16091100002

AT THE PRESIDING COMMITTEE OF THE PARLIAMENT

Alfons Lpez i Tena, representing the Solidaritat Catalana per la Independncia (SI) SP, Anna Sim i Castell, spokeswoman of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya GP, and Pere Aragons i Garcia, deputy of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya GP, according to the 147.3 article of the Parlament's by-law, present the following proposal of joint statement of the Board of Spokesmen of the Parlament of Catalonia:

STATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF SPOKESMEN OF THE PARLAMENT OF CATALONIA: The Parlament de Catalunya gives support to the Independence of Scotland because this independence will guarantee the plenitud, the fullness, of the Scottish Nation and therefore it will also make possible the protection of its languages and culture, it will promote an improvement of the coexistence between Scotland and all other nations of the British Islands, it will speed economical recovery up, and it will improve its international economic competitivity. The Parlament of Catalonia also lauds the position of the United Kingdom's Goverment which recognizes the right of self-determination of the Scottish people and it also celebrates the British Parliament's position of respecting and observing the result of the referendum through which the Scottish people will establish a new relationship between Scotland and it's neighbours, the European Union and the rest of the world's nations.

Palau del Parlament, 21th september 2011

Alfons Lpez i Tena Representative of the SI's SP Pere Aragons i Garcia ERC's Deputy of the GP

Anna Sim i Castell Spokesperson of the ERC's GP

Entrada en el Registre de Parlament la declaraci de suport a la indepemdncia dEscocia

Yesterday morning Solidaritat held a meeting with Jim Mather, the Scottish ex-minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism

Solidaritat Catalana per la Independncia has held a meeting with Mr. Jim Mather, the ex-minister of Energy, Enterprise and Tourism of the Government of Scotland with the aim to discuss about Catalonia's economical viability as an independent state, as well as about other subjects. Later on, during the press conference the deputy Lopez Tena , from SI has presented a proposal to the board of spokesmen and to the committee of foreign affairs, together with Pere Aragons from Esquerra. This proposal has been delivered to SI and to ERC by minister Mather. From his side, the ex-minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism of the Government of Scotland, Jim Mather, has thanked both parties for their gesture towards Scotland and has shown his satisfaction about Catalonia and Scotland "entering into very exciting dynamics". He has reminded as well that both nations have been able to learn from the experience of other states and that their viability as independent countries is totally guaranteed. Spokesman Lpez Tena from SI has asked to CiU and ICV to "let the Parlament approve the presented statement with their votes, either in the board of spokesmen as well as in the committee of foreign affairs".

Mather: If Scotland and Catalonia were independent, England and Spain would lose an annoying tenant and would earn a good neighbour
He Scottish exminister for economy defends the small states' efficiency . The smaller states are much more efficient and, as a matter of fact, out of the twenty wealthiest countries of the world -in terms of PIB (gross national product)- eleven of them are small. With this statement, the exminister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism of the Government of Scotland, Jim Mather, defends the independence of Scotland and points that the model is also valid for Catalonia. In an interview at ACN, Mather makes this clear: When Scotland becomes independent, England will lose an annoying tenant and will earn a good neighbour. And I think this is also true for Spain and Catalonia. The exminister, a member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), hopes that Scotland will celebrate a referendum for independence before the year 2015. In 1945 there were 74 states and nowadays they are already 196. There is a true inclination towards the small countries. We do not need anylonger to be large to guarantee interior markets, we don't need to be large to achieve objectives concerning defense, Mather makes it concrete. Besides, to be small doesn't just mean more efficiency and to attain better results, but to have a major identity sense and to give something better to our children and grandchildren, he underlines. As successful examples of states with a little population, he mentions Norway, Luxemburg, Finnland and even Ireland, that has gone back to the path of recovery even though its economic jerk. The Scottish exminister bets on dialogue and on the fact that the states, large and small, establish more connections and share ideas. The more countries there are, the more possibilities, he states.

Referendum for independence, before 2015 In the last period of government, after the Scottish parliament "parked" the referendum for independence, now the SNP (nowadays with absolute majority) seems determined to convoke it before 2015. On this direction, the nationalist exminister trusts that the result of the consultation will be positive. People in Scotland little by little better understand that the less dependent on London, the better results will be achieved, he assures. This is a great opportunity we've got to catch, he reaffirms. If the referendum would give support to the own state, the next step would be to negociate with London in order to convince them that the independence is the best solution for England as for Scotland. In case that this step could also be overcome, the unknown fact would be if the Spanish state -which has not recognized Kosovo- would do the same with Scotland. I'd like to think that Spain would recognize Scotland as a state, just as England would. Mather bets for this Scottish process to secession to be an example for different nations of Europe, just as Catalonia.

Government's incentive to economy The Scotland's SNP (a centre-left winged party) exminister of Enterprise considers that the best way to get out of the crisis is by the government incentivating economy through investments. Actually, Alex Salmond's executive is doing programmes based upon keynesian measures for economical recovery, which contrast with the London cuttings. On that sense, he explains : We aren't in the euro-zone but we've got a benefit because the United Kingdom has been able to print more money. On the other side, in Spain and in Catalonia, you cannot do that. But anyway I think it's not right from me to tell you what you ought to do. Born in 1947, Jim Mather was the minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism from 2007 and until the elections of may 2011. These days he is in Barcelona and on Wednesday at 19h he will give the lecture Why 'small' means 'more' in the wealth of nations at the Economy Faculty of the UB (University of Barcelona). This is a "talk" organized by the Catalan Circle for Business, an organization to which belong about 1.000 small and medium enterprises who are for independence. ACN.21/9/2011

Like Scotland, Catalonia is for green energy

Alternativa Verda is pleased with Jim Mather statements against nuclear energy
The ecologist party Alternativa Verda, a political party being part of the pro-independence coalition SI, is pleased with the statements by Jim Mather, former Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism in Alex Salmonds government, against nuclear energy, delivered during a press conference held yesterday (September 21) at the Parliament. Among those present, the SI deputies Alfons Lpez Tena, Uriel Beltran and Toni Strubell, and the president of Alternativa Verda, Santiago Vilanova. Jim Mather, holding a top post at the Scottish National Party (SNP), stated that his party rejects nuclear energy, according to the agreement reached at the Scotish Parliament on January 10, 2008. There were 63 votes for and 58 against. The nuclear power stations of Hunterston B and Torness are working currently in Scotland. These stations, being AGR (Advanced gas-cooled reactor) type, are 100% owned by British Energy and in 2016 and 2023, respectively, will stop to produce electricity. Jim Mather defended a nuclear-free model for Scotland. "We wish to become the green energy Saudi Arabia by means of planned substantial investments in wind power, tidal energy and sun energy. SI and Alternativa Verdas aim for Catalonia is, like Scotland, to achieve a free State that will manage a nuclear-free energy model being completely self-sufficient with renewable energies.

Catalunya News
Edita: Relacions Poltiques Internacionals de SI
Conxita Bosch Blandine Giraud Toms Callau Jordi Mir Ada Vidal (Traducci) Eugnia Bentanachs (Traducci) Carles Quintana (Fotografia)

Relacions Poltiques Internacionals de Solidaritat Catalana per la Independncia

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