El Consejo de Europa y el proceso secesionista catalán: la deriva autoritaria del principio democrático radical. (RI §427286)  

The Council of Europe and the catalan secessionist process: the authoritary drift of the radical democratic principle - Helena Torroja Mateu

Este estudio saca la luz el problema del abuso del término “democracia” por los líderes secesionistas catalanes, algo de lo que apenas se habla en el debate académico. El caso secesionista catalán se ha estudio principalmente como problema relativo al principio de integridad territorial y su relación con la existencia o no de un derecho a la libre determinación de un entidad sub estatal. Sin embargo, se trata en verdad de un problema de democracia. Porque todo el proceso se cesionista se fundamentó en un principio democrático radical, esto es, fuera de y contra la Constitución española, defendiendo la supremacía e inviolabilidad de la mayoría del parlamento (territorial, en este caso) contra el Estado de Derecho y el respeto de los derechos humanos y de las minorías. No es ésta la democracia que protege y promociona el Consejo de Europa (donde Estado de Derecho, derechos humanos y democracia son principios indisolubles que forman uno solo). La Comisión de Venecia, el TEDH y una dividida AP han sido testigos de esta defensa de la democracia radical defendida por los líderes del proceso catalán. El estudio analiza toda esta práctica, concluyendo que no hay lugar para el principio democrático radical en el derecho del Consejo de Europa.

Catalan secessionist process, Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights, Venice Commission, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Democracy, human rights, rule of law, radical democratic principle.

Palabras clave: Proceso secesionista catalán; Consejo de Europa; Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos; Comisión de Venecia; Asamblea Parlamentaria del Consejo de Europa; democracia; derechos humanos; Estado derecho; principio democrático radical.;

This study shines a light on the problem of Catalan secessionist leaders’ abuse of the term “democracy”, an issue rarely discussed in the academic debate. The Catalan secessionist case has mainly been studied as a problem concerning the principle of territorial integrity and how it relates to the existence (or otherwise) of a right of self-determination for a substate entity. However, it is also a problem of democracy. For the entire secessionist process was based on a democratic principle outside and against the Spanish Constitution: one that defends the supremacy and inviolability of the (regional, in this case) parliamentary majority over the rule of law and respect for human and minority rights. It thus pitted a radical or identity-based democracy against the democracy protected and promoted by the Council of Europe (in which the rule of law, human rights and democracy are inseparable principles forming a single whole). The Venice Commission, the European Court of Human Rights and a divided Parliamentary Assembly have all witnessed this defence of authoritarianism through the radical democratic principle advocated by the leaders of the Catalan process. The study analyses all this practice and concludes that there is no place for the radical democratic principle in Council of Europe law.

Catalan secessionist process, Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights, Venice Commission, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Democracy, human rights, rule of law, radical democratic principle.

Keywords: Catalan secessionist process; Council of Europe; European Court of Human Rights; Venice Commission; Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Democracy; human rights; rule of law; radical democratic principle.;