The Diplomat in Spain

Ernest Maragall./ Photo: Generalitat de Catalunya

The Diplomat. 22/10/2018

The Committee of the Regions has, since October 8, two new members of the Generalitat of Catalonia. One of them is the Minister of External Action Department, Ernest Maragall, the man who decided last summer to reopen the Catalan delegations (or embassies) abroad, that had been closed in application of article 155 of the Constitution.

As reported last week by the Official Journal of the European Union, the European Council approved -on the proposal of the Spanish Government as established by Community rules- the entry into the Committee of the Regions of Ernest Maragall and Natàlia Mas Guix, Generalitat’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs and European Union, as a substitute. The new members of the Committee of the Regions will hold office until January 25, 2020.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Generalitat, which Ernest Maragall heads, decided last summer to reopen the Catalan embassies abroad that had closed the previous central government in application of Constitution’s Article 155. The Executive of Pedro Sánchez decided to appeal the reopening before the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia.

According to the Government, the reopening was announced only 24 hours in advance, so there was no time to issue the relevant reports from the central government, as required by the Law of Action. Maragall had promised to respect Spanish law and to inform in advance. In addition, the Catalan government had not requested the report when it opened these delegations for the first time, which resulted in an appeal by the Government of Mariano Rajoy that was shelved because of the application of the 155.

The entrance of Maragall in the Committee of the Regions can be conditioned by his intention to run in next local elections to be Barcelona’s Mayor representing Esquerra Republicana, reason for which he has committed to leave his current position at the moment in which officially announce his candidacy.