Catalonia should respect Spanish sovereignty

The Catalan separatists embarked on a dangerous illegal bid for independence in the 2017 referendum. On the back of an illegal vote with a minority turnout, Carles Puigdemont declared himself president of an independent nation. This behavior amounts to a dangerous and anti-democratic act of rebellion, in a region where the majority are still against independence.^[1] The refusal to respect the constitution undermines Spanish sovereignty under international law. The European Court of Human Rights sided with the Spanish government because the respect for the integrity of the law is vital in a democracy. The Spanish constitution at present guarantees regional autonomy but declares that the sovereignty of the state belongs to the Spanish people as a whole.^[2] The Spanish government cannot legally grant the right to secede without consulting the rest of Spain. The right to secede would only apply in this case if the state were oppressing Catalonia. Still, the region is one of the most autonomous regions in the world, and Spain is one of the most democratic countries in the world. The separatists' claims that the situation in Catalonia is dangerously similar to Kosovo are nonsensical as Kosovo experienced high levels of violence and ethnic cleansing.^[3] If Spain were to allow a small group of extremist separatists to break away from Spain, it would risk similar actions by other groups, such as the Basques and the Galicians. Balkanising Spain would cause chaos and negatively affect the general population of Spain. The Spanish constitution exists to protect all Spaniards and must be respected.^[4] Separatists are resorting to illegal actions that undermine Spanish sovereignty in a state which already respects their autonomy. Breaking up Spain would be chaotic and undesirable by a majority in Spain.

[P1] As a democratic state Spanish sovereignty is guaranteed by both Spanish and international law. [P2] The separatists are undermining democracy and only represent a small group of extremists. [P3] Allowing independence would create a dangerous precedence for the breakaway of small extremist groups. [C] Spain should not give in to the demands of the separatists and must uphold the rule of the Spanish people.