Junts pel Sí wants Parliament to convene in August to complete independence process

BarcelonaJunts pel Sí (JxSí) is preparing to have "all tools at the ready" ahead of the final stage of the independence process. While the pro-independence coalition has already begun the process of reforming parliamentary rules to allow for “fast-track" processing of the Law for Legal Transitoriness and the referendum, it now wants to make the final fifteen days of August available so that the Catalan legislature can also process parliamentary initiatives. As ARA has learned, among the amendments that JxSí has submitted to rules reform --the period for this ended at 12:00-- there is one calling for parliamentary sessions to begin on August 15 instead of September 1, as called for under current rules.

“That would get us an extra fifteen days", said coalition sources, who justified the change as necessary to avoid the typical August "standstill". What is certain is that starting at the end of August and into September, the schedule for the independence process is tight: the parliamentary majority is aiming to pass the Law for Legal Transitoriness to protect the consultation and call the referendum on independence. In order to have time to process the needed legislative initiatives, JxSí wants to have the possibility of beginning the parliamentary work in August. As it stands today, the Catalan chamber breaks for summer on July 31 and any proceedings are halted until September.

The ruling pro-independence coalition plans to table and process the Law for Transitoriness in one day via the single reading option, although parliamentary sources insist that they will keep "all options open” up until the very end. Junts pel Sí believes that this law will be challenged by the Spanish government in the Constitutional Court immediately upon being made public. They feel that that this justifies the rules change: if it is done any other way, they believe, the Spanish government will block its processing. The change will allow any two parliamentary groups to request a bill to be processed by a single reading option --in just one parliamentary debate. However, this has added to the tension between the majority and the opposition, which is accusing Junts pel Sí and the CUP of wanting to "curtail" parliamentary debate.

If the Law for Transitoriness, which would change the political status of Catalonia, is processed by single reading, the opposition would not have the opportunity to submit amendments to the bill, as it would under normal legislative procedure. It is for this reason that, among other things, Catalunya Sí que es Pot has asked for changes in the opposite direction: they want to prevent the processing of laws by single reading that could change the Catalan Statute or fundamental rights, and they want to establish a ten-day period between tabling the bill and the full Parliamentary session so that opposition groups can propose amendments.

Council of Guarantees, inescapable

The parliamentary majority is also planning to pass several laws to do with building statehood institutions in the final session of July. They expect that the opposition will ask for a ruling from the Council for Statutory Guarantees, which could rule in August. In this way, if the change that JJxSí is proposing is successful, any necessary changes indicated by the advisory body could be introduced before September 1, which would accelerate the approval of the rule changes.

In fact, one of the regulatory procedures that is inescapable is the right of parliamentary groups to bring legislative initiatives before the Council for Statutory Guarantees. One of the articles that JxSí is proposing to invoke, to accelerate the processing of the Law for Transition as much as possible, is Parliament Rule 81.3, which permits changing the agenda of a plenary session and introducing a new initiative, even if it has not completed all of the required steps, provided there is agreement by an absolute majority.

This means that, in the case of the bill for Legal Transitoriness, Junts pel Sí and the CUP could skip the step, among other things, of publishing the initiative (as in the latest plenary session with resolutions by the CUP and Catalunya Sí que es Pot regarding the Palau Case).

That said, the pro-independence coalition is aware that this article will not allow them to bypass the Council of Statutory Guarantees (CGE, in Catalan). Parliamentary groups have the right to appeal to this body also for initiatives processed by single reading. In this case, the Council has a week to issue a ruling. This right is not included in the parliament’s regulations, but in the law establishing the CGE itself, and as such, according to parliamentary sources, cannot be avoided even if article 81.3 is invoked. This will require JxSí to seek alternatives to maintain a fast pace, while at the same time guaranteeing the opposition’s right to appeal to this advisory body.