The former Catalan president on Saturday launched a new party from Belgium where he lives in exile.
A year after threatening the unity of Spain with an attempted secession, former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont launched Saturday, since his exile in Belgium, a call to rally the separatists behind him by founding a new party, so to pursue the dream of an independent Catalonia.
Carles Puigdemont - who had escaped justice by winning Belgium - and his replacement at the head of the region, Quim Torra, have chosen this anniversary date to organize the founding congress of their new party.
Gather the separatists
They summoned him to the Catalan city of Manresa, a few kilometers from the Lledoners prison where pro-independence leaders are held, including former vice president of the region, Oriol Junqueras (ERC, Catalan Republican Left).
"A year ago, we decided that we would continue to fight, whatever the conditions and circumstances, and that we would commit ourselves to build a better country, a Republic," said Carles Puigdemont from Brussels, to explain the training of this new party.
In a speech broadcast on a giant screen, he alluded to the divisions within the independence camp, asserting that it was "moving forward united" , rather than being "blamed" .
But many of his former allies are now betting on more moderate or pragmatic positions and have already refused to join this new formation called "La Crida" (The Call).
The independenceists did not "celebrate" the first anniversary of the proclamation of their "Catalan Republic" on October 27, 2017 in the Catalan parliament, which never materialized. Nine of their leaders are in jail, awaiting trial for "rebellion" , and face up to 25 years in prison.
Situation controlled by Spain
The Spanish state had sanctioned the proclamation of independence of Catalonia by the dismissal of the government of Carles Puigdemont and the dissolution of the regional parliament. The autonomy of Catalonia had been suspended and the region did not find it until June 2, when the government of Mr. Torra took office.
Since then, Quim Torra has been careful not to violate the law and has engaged in discussions with the new government of the Socialist Pedro Sanchez, even if he multiplies inflammatory statements. He will regularly take advice from Mr. Puigdemont in Waterloo, in the suburbs of Brussels.
"The year that separates us from this historic date did not go the way we wanted," Quim Torra had earlier acknowledged in a dreary televised speech. "But going back is not an option . "
Divisions among separatists
Saturday in Barcelona, in the rain, a few dozen activists of the powerful ANC independence association symbolically presented themselves at the offices of the regional administration, demanding the publication in the Official Journal of the proclamation of independence.
Late in the afternoon, the most radical separatists, the "Republic Defense Committees , " called for demonstrations in front of the regional government headquarters to blame Mr. Torra for his caution. But there were only about 200 to participate in this event, whose motto was: "A year of renunciation, a year of submission, that's enough! Let's take control of the street! "
"Without disobedience, there is no independence," they shouted, some burning images bearing the likeness of King Felipe VI, Pedro Sánchez or leaders of Catalan opposition parties.
The allies of Quim Torra in the government, of the ERC party, would like to calm the game and rely on time to broaden the base of the separatist voters.
ERC recently joined forces with the anti-independence opposition to prevent Carles Puigdemont and three other elected officials from violating a judicial decision suspending their parliamentary mandate. As a result, the separatists saw their voices reduced from 70 to 65 (out of 135) losing their majority in the Catalan parliament.
Fragilized, however, the Torra government intends to hold at least until the end of the trial of 18 independence leaders, soon judged for their role in the attempt to secede.