The so-called "Barroso Doctrine" has been enforced in the European Union, the essence of which is that any new country that emerged as a result of separation from the EU member state cannot count on automatically becoming part of the European Union. At one time, former head of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, put forward such an initiative, aimed at suppressing the zeal of separatists in a number of regions across the EU. So, this rule is applied in combatting separatism in the European Union, and all those who separate from a EU member state cannot harbor hope that they will automatically remain members of the EU, not to mention the Eurozone.
That is, if Catalonia gains independence and actually secedes from Spain, it will definitely go out of the Eurozone. Moreover, it is provided that in order for a new state to accede to the European Union, the move will require a consensual decision of the EU member states. Therefore, the consent of Spain itself will be needed in order for Catalonia to become part of the EU.
I think the process of Catalonia gaining its independence will now only be accelerating. WhIle ahead of the referendum on October 1, the region’s independence seemed to be a very dubious endeavor, now its prospects seem quite realistic. First of all, that’s because the Spanish government made loads of mistakes: in fact, it set the Catalans against themselves and against any desire to remain part of Spain, having scattered the last bits of trust that were remaining.
That is, if Catalonia gains independence and actually secedes from Spain, it will definitely go out of the Eurozone
Indeed, it was an illegal referendum, but everything that the Spanish government did on October 1 has not appeared to be legitimate, either - it was wrong. It's about the violent clashes between riot police and local activists on the streets of Catalonia, resulting in nearly a thousand people being injured. Such actions by the authorities erode trust in the government and its legitimacy.
It is interesting to see that the European Union did not react to the brutal act of the Spanish authorities in suppressing separatist sentiment in Catalonia. This is explained by as simple thing: the EU is clearly set against any kind of separatism. But it is still very strange that it was only some marginal political forces in the European Union, such as the Greens and Liberals, spoke up in support of Catalonia and condemned the arbitrariness of the Spanish security forces. European Socialists have also cautiously condemned Spain’s behavior but they are also far from being the major political force in the EU. This is just not enough.
Institutions in Brussels, which today are predominantly influenced by Germany and France, are themselves responsible for creating economic preconditions for such separatism in certain EU regions. After all, it’s the very position of Germany which in many respects predetermines the economic crisis that has seriously affected The Netherlands, Greece, Spain, and Italy. Therefore, for certain regions, separatism is an attempt to get out from under the rule of this kind of power and resolve the situation themselves.
It is interesting to see that the European Union did not react to the brutal act of the Spanish authorities in suppressing separatist sentiment in Catalonia
I note that the official Brussels - the main political forces representing Germany and France - is trying to prevent other political trends in the European Union promoting separatism. They seek to have the balance of political forces in Brussels unchanged. Socialists account for about a third in the EU, while the major forces are Conservatives and Democrats. That is, the EU’s key political players conserve the political system of the EU and the European Parliament. And since separatism is a tool for rocking this system, they are trying to prevent it from happening. Only the Greens and Liberals to some extent can afford to criticize Madrid.
However, the actions of law enforcers on October 1 in Catalonia require at least purely human criticism. But so far, the EU’s ruling class of the EU shows not so many human features in its reaction to the behavior of the Spanish authorities and security forces against the Catalans.
Oleksiy Kuropiatnyk is an expert on foreign and security policies at the Maidan of Foreign Affairs Foundation
