16.05.2014 - 09:18
The televised debate between the five candidates for the presidency of the European Commission, broadcast throughout Europe last night, included a question specifically about Catalonia and Scotland’s right to self-determination. The moderator, Italian journalist Monica Maggioni, asked the candidates if, in the event Scotland and Catalonia become independent, the new states would automatically become member states of the EU or if they would be expelled. Only Guy Verhofstadt and Ska Keller explicitly supported the Catalan right to decide. The Socialist candidate, Martin Schulz, didn’t dare even mention Catalonia in his response. Alexis Tsipras proposed a federalist solution and Jean-Claude Juncker closed the door completely. The question begins at 5:50 in the following video. A transcript follows.
Question:
In Europe there some independence movements, I’m thinking of Scotland, I’m thinking of Catalonia, and some others. If they become independent, should they automatically get EU membership, according to you?
Guy Verhofstadt, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party
In my opinion, and we are talking especially… I’ve come from Barcelona, I was there yesterday. I think that the European Union should not be involved in that. That’s a question for Spain and the Catalans, in my opinion. And certainly not interfering in a negative way, as we have seen with Mr. Barroso and other members of the EP in the last weeks. Let them decide: Spain and the Catalans. It’s not a question for the European Union to interfere in such a question. And I think it’s also necessary to take into account what people think, because we cannot build up a European Union in which a force (?) of the citizens is not being counted in such important questions. At any rate, we have to play a positive role in the dialogue between Spain and the Catalans, not a negative one as we have seen by this leader of the Commission, Mr. Barroso, the last weeks and the last months.
Alexis Tsipras, Party of the European Left
[translated] The European Left respects the right of self-determination of peoples. But conflicts between peoples do not lead to positive results. We want to respect the right of the peoples to decide their future in accordance with international law. Catalonia and Scotland would have broader autonomy in the respective federal communities.
Ska Keller, European Green Party
For me the right of people to decide about their future is very important. So I think also the people in Scotland and in Catalonia should have the right to decide about their future and about the future of their state. If I was Commission President, then I would very much welcome both of those [countries], if in case they would decide to become independent, I would welcome them as well in the European Union.
Jean-Claude Juncker, European People’s Party
[translated] It would be good for the EU to not intervene in the debate. It is Spain and the UK’s [respective] jurisdictions. I agree with the principle that one must respect national constitutions. That said, we should not get involved.
Martin Schulz, Party of European Socialists
We are not a federal state, the European Union is not a federal state, we are a union of sovereign countries and there is no blueprint for us because the countries decide on the basis of their national constitutions differently. As colleague Keller mentioned, in Scotland there will be a referendum in Autumn. In other countries, a kind of referendum is not foreseen, therefore for the European Union it’s not possible to answer to the question in one way. If, for example, Scotland were to vote for independence and sovereignty and become a sovereign country, then we have a procedure to join the European Union. But in other countries, this is completely different. So we what happens in Great Britain, with the Scottish referendum, but this is not possible to transfer to other countries. Therefore we have no blueprint and we accept what happens in the frame of national constitutions.
Entire Debate
You can view the entire debate on the European Parliament website.
