Societat Civil Catalana

Societat Civil Catalana
Former President of Spain and People's Party, Mariano Rajoy, receiving managers of SCC. From left to right: Óscar Uceda, Álex Ramos, Miriam Tey, José Rosiñol and Mariano Rajoy.
Motto Juntos y mejor ("Better, together")
Formation April 7, 2014 (2014-04-07)
Type NGO
Location
  • Carrer Còrsega 270, 3r 5ª,
    Barcelona
Area served
Catalonia
Official languages
Catalan, spanish
President
 José Rosiñol
Website Official website Edit this at Wikidata

Societat Civil Catalana ("Catalan Civil Society", SCC by its Catalan acronym) is a Catalan civic society organization. According to its manifesto, they position themselves as a civil and political initiative against the independence of Catalonia from Spain and promoting an improvement of the relationships between Catalonia and the rest of Spain.[1] Actions taken by the organization have been directed to oppose the Catalan independence movement.[2][3][4][5]

The organization was presented to the public in April 23th 2014.[6]

Structure

Its structure is formed by a president, three vicepresidents, a secretary and multiple advisers.

The current president is José Rosiñol.[7]

The current vice-presidents are Álex Ramos and Miriam Tey.[7]

The current secretary is Manuel Miró.[7]

The current advisers are Sixto Cadenas, Isabel Fernández, Nuria Plaza, Irene Álvarez, Xavier Marín, Mariano Gomà, José Domingo, Manuel García Bofill and Manuel Gómez Acosta.[7]

The president has been replaced three times. The first president was Josep Ramon Bosch, former founder and president of the far-right organization Somatemps. He left SCC in 2015 after receiving a complaint for insulting and threatening on Facebook people favouring the independence of Catalonia.[8][9][10]

Bosch was succeded by Rafael Arenas, who in turn was replaced by Mariano Gomà in 2016.[11] Finally, José Rosiñol took over Mariano Gomà in 2017 and has been the president since then.[12][13]

These people have varying backgrounds as in their past belonged to different political parties and other associations that oppose independence. These organisations are: Somatemps, People's Party of Catalonia, Citizens and Socialists' Party of Catalonia.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][2][23][24][25]

Societat Civil Catalana has delegations in Barcelonès, Baix Llobregat and Tarragona.[26]

Creation

The organization was started by members from far-right Somatemps, including its first president Josep Ramon Bosch, Javier Barraycoa, Josep Alsina and Xavier Codorniu.[27][23][28][22] It also received support from Jorge Moragas and Miram Tey.[29] SCC was constituted in April 7th 2014. SCC stated that its goal is to be a transverse platform against separatism. In April 23th of the same year SCC had its official presentation to the public at the Victoria Theater in Barcelona.[6][30] Susana Beltrán, who became a deputy of Citizens in Catalonia's Parliament,[31][32] was the host of the event and Bosch, Domingo and Coll delivered the keynote speeches.[6] Josep Rosiñol was the moderator and also member of the provisional executive office. Other members from the provisional executive office who also attended the act were Isabel Pòrcel, Ana María Lindin and Ferran Brunet.[33] The event caught attention and was attended by a diverse audience with the common link of opposing separatism, including affiliates and politicians from PP, Citizens, PSC , UPyD, Vox, the Francisco Franco National Foundation or Republican Social Movement.[22][30][6]

Awards

Speakers during October 8th 2017 demonstration. From left to right: Alberto Fernández Díaz, Xavier García Albiol, Albert Rivera, Inés Arrimadas, Mario Vargas Llosa and Josep Borrell.

Activism

  • In September 11th, 2014 (National Day of Catalonia) it organized its first big concentration event in Tarragona.[41]
  • In October 12th 2014 (Día de la Hispanidad) , gathering 40,000 demonstrators in Barcelona against independence, according to the local police spokesman.[4][5]
  • In October 8th 2017, it mobilized hundreds of thousands of people (350,000 according to local police chief of press, more than 1 million according to the organization itself) in a demonstration at Barcelona. Former EU Parliament president and current Foreign Affairs Minister, socialist Josep Borrell, and Nobel Award Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, delivered closing speeches at the demonstration. [42]
  • In October 12th 2017, a total of 65,000 people attended to a demonstration call made by SCC.[43]
  • In October 29th 2017, 300,000 people according to local police (1 million according to SCC) marched against the unilateral declaration of independence by the Catalan Regional Government.[44] Manifesto speakers were Josep Borrell[45] and Francisco Frutos, former leader of the Spanish Communist Party.[46][47]
  • In December 5th 2017, SCC denounces in Brussels an alleged indoctrination in schools of Catalonia in Catalan nationalism.[48] Contrary to the beliefs of Spanish nationalism and related entities such as SCC, studies show that the national identity is influenced by parents and neighbours, not the education system.[49]
  • In March 18th 2018, 7,000 people were present in another demonstration.[50] In this demonstration, former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls delivered the closing speech.[51]

SCC demonstration calls have received cross-party support from Catalonia's Popular Party, PSC and Citizens[52][53][54] and it is regarded by some as the leading anti-independence platforms in Catalonia along with the movement for Tabarnia.[55]

SCC gave public support to a demonstration of the platform Tabarnia along with Vox and PxC.[56][55][57][58][59]

In the first months of 2018 SCC started a round of meetings with Spanish politicians and political parties to discuss how to manage the Catalan independence movement in the context of the Spanish constitutional crisis. SCC established conversations with political party Cs (Citizens) and with the president of the government of Spain, Mariano Rajoy (president of People's Party).[60][61] The organization also met with Susana Díaz, president of Andalusia and PSOE-A,[62][21] and with Alberto Núñez Feijóo, president of Galicia and galician People's Party. Political parties En Marea and BNG were left out.[63]In April , representatives of SCC met the leader of the Spanish socialist party PSOE Pedro Sanchez.[64]

First proposed by Miriam Tey, Catalan Civil Society and Josep Ramon Bosch have formed a working group in order to negotiate with Manuel Valls his presentation to 2019 Spain's local elections as a Citizen's candidate.[65][66]

Catalan Civil Society went to the European Parliament to claim that in Catalonia there is linguistic discrimination and that children rights are being violated. They also claimed the existence negative effects in children academic performance due to using Catalan as tuition language in the Catalan education system. This belief is aligned with the rhetoric used by Spanish nationalism.[67][49] Republican Left of Catalonia MEP Josep Maria Terricabras recalled that PISA report does not show any difference,[68] as is the case of the last PISA report, Spanish regional tests and university admission tests.[69]

Criticism

Societat Civil Catalana was founded by members of far-right organisation Somatemps[15][23] and other 51 associations.[28] Members of SCC have attended or taken part in events related to organizations and political parties from the far-right like Somatemps, PxC, Vox, National Francisco Franco Foundation, National Democracy and Republican Social Movement.[70][71][72] Among others, Josep Ramon Bosch,[22][73][74][70] Xavier Codorniu,[28][75] José Domingo,[71] Ferran Brunet[30][72] and Joaquim Coll[76][77] have been in contact with far-right organisations. SCC board of directors has maintained meetings to plan their agenda in which Somatemps members participated.[78]

ERC, CiU and ICV send a letter to Sylvie Gillaume in 2015, the then vice-president of the European Parliament, because they found giving the European Citizen's Price to Societat Civil Catalana was not legitimate. In that time Josep Ramon Bosch was the president of SCC. They criticized the award noting that Societat Civil Catalana has links with the Catalan far-right and promotes xenophobe and extremist ideas. But the letter was not listened and SCC picked up the award in February 2015. This event triggered another letter from CD, ERC, UD and ICV. Gillaume dismissed this second letter alleging that the award passed two courts: one Spanish and one communitarian in which deputies from PP, PSOE, and UPyD participated. European deputies from PSOE and PP where decisive to oppose accusations. The Catalan Parliament accepted a proposal from ICV to scalate a complaint to the European Parliament. PP, PSC and Citizens voted against the proposal. Votes in favor came from ICV-EUiA, ERC, CUP and CiU.[31][79][80]

Violence is recurrent in SCC rallies. SCC says they dissociate from the violence and condemn it while they allege they can't control it.[81]

Societat Civil Catalana has been criticised by Javier Barraycoa, former member of SCC and founder of Somatemps,[82][83] of receiving funds from the central government of Spain in order to organize the demonstrations of the 8th and 12th of October 2017.[84][85] Additionally, it has been confirmed that RENFE subsidized 50% of the cost of 245 train tickets for the Diada public act of SCC in September 11th 2014 in Tarragona.[41] Josep Alsina from Somatemps reported that SCC receives generous donations through Joan Boscà Foundation to which many important businesses give money.[74]

The balance sheet presented by SCC lacks transparency. With only 75 members and 4,000 collaborators SCC managed to gather 1 million euros in 2014.[41] The members only account for 1.5% of money contributions. Another 1.5% comes from gathering posts and urns. The rest, 97%, comes from private donations. Félix Revuelta, founder and principal stokeholder of Naturhouse, stated that he and many other businessmen give support to SCC.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Planas, Pablo (2014-04-05). "Societat Civil Catalana, la anti-ANC del "unionismo"". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-05-13.
  2. 1 2 "Premi a l'anticatalanisme". El Temps (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-05-13.
  3. ↑ Bou, Carles Planas (2018-04-22). "El 'procés' se internacionaliza en Alemania". elperiodico (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  4. 1 2 Barcelona, AFP in (2014-10-12). "Thousands rally in Barcelona against Catalonian independence". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  5. 1 2 "Miles de personas participan en la manifestación del 12O en plaza Catalunya en Barcelona". La Vanguardia. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Sociedad Civil Catalana llena en su presentación en Barcelona". Cronica global (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-05-10.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Objetivos de Societat Civil Catalana". Societat Civil Catalana. 2018-04-01. Archived from the original on 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  8. ↑ "Querella contra el president de Societat Civil Catalana per insults i amenaces des d'un perfil anònim del Facebook". Ara.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  9. ↑ "El expresidente de SCC se niega a declarar en el juicio por amenazas". La Vanguardia. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  10. ↑ "El president de Societat Civil Catalana dimiteix després de la querella per amenaces al Facebook". Ara.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  11. ↑ "L'arquitecte Mariano Gomà, nou president de Societat Civil Catalana". Ara.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  12. ↑ Món, El. "José Rosiñol, nou president de Societat Civil Catalana". El Món. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  13. ↑ "José Rosiñol releva a Mariano Gomà como presidente de Societat Civil Catalana". La Vanguardia. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  14. ↑ "Premi a l'anticatalanisme". El Temps (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-05-13.
  15. 1 2 "Quién está detrás de las asociaciones que han sacado a la calle a miles de ciudadanos por España y por Catalunya". Público (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  16. ↑ "Societat Civil Catalana busca en Susana Díaz su primer apoyo institucional fuera de Catalunya". Público (in Spanish). 31 January 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  17. ↑ "Diccionari de l'extrema dreta a Catalunya, de la A a la Z". Crític (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  18. ↑ "Jordi Borràs: 'El nucli fundador de Societat Civil Catalana és Somatemps, organització d'extrema dreta'". VilaWeb.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  19. ↑ "Felicitaciones a Sociedad Civil Catalana por su nuevo Presidente: José Rosiñol" (in Spanish). 2017-11-07. Archived from the original on 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  20. ↑ Alejandro, Tercero (3 July 2017). "Societat Civil Catalana: los complejos equilibrios entre PSC, PP y C's". Cronica global (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  21. 1 2 "Societat Civil Catalana busca en Susana Díaz su primer apoyo institucional fuera de Catalunya". Público (in Spanish). 31 January 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 4 "Quién está detrás de las asociaciones que han sacado a la calle a miles de ciudadanos por España y por Catalunya". Público (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  23. 1 2 3 "Jordi Borràs: 'El nucli fundador de Societat Civil Catalana és Somatemps, organització d'extrema dreta'". VilaWeb.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  24. ↑ "Felicitaciones a Sociedad Civil Catalana por su nuevo Presidente: José Rosiñol" (in Spanish). 2017-11-07. Archived from the original on 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  25. ↑ Alejandro, Tercero (3 July 2017). "Societat Civil Catalana: los complejos equilibrios entre PSC, PP y C's". Cronica global (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  26. ↑ "Societat Civil Catalana constituye la Junta local de Barcelona ciudad - El Catalán". El Catalán (in Spanish). 2018-03-16. Archived from the original on 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  27. ↑ TV3, Arriba España (in Catalan), retrieved 2018-05-27
  28. 1 2 3 "Diccionari de l'extrema dreta a Catalunya, de la A a la Z". Crític (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  29. ↑ "El adiós de Moragas: "Irse del poder es difícil y doloroso. Moncloa es una droga"". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  30. 1 2 3 "Els vincles ocults de l'extrema dreta amb Societat Civil Catalana". Crític (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  31. 1 2 ""Yo soy español, español, español..."". El Temps (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  32. ↑ "Societat Civil Catalana: los complejos equilibrios entre PSC, PP y C's". Cronica global (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  33. ↑ "Nace 'Societat Civil Catalana"". Cronica global (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  34. ↑ "Communication of the European Parliament concerning the European Citizen's Prize". eur-lex.europa.eu. C 457/4. European Union. 2014-11-19. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  35. ↑ "European Citizen's Prize". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  36. ↑ "El Parlamento Europeo galardona a Sociedad Civil Catalana con el Premio Ciudadano Europeo 2014". Cronica global (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  37. ↑ Pérez, Claudi (2014-11-19). "El Parlamento Europeo premia a Sociedad Civil Catalana". EL PAÍS (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-20.
  38. ↑ "Puig entrega el lunes el premio Broseta a Societat Civil Catalana". www.efe.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-02-02.
  39. ↑ "Compromís planta Ximo Puig en el lliurament del Premi a la Convivència a SCC". VilaWeb.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  40. ↑ Món, El. "Ximo Puig lliura el Premi Broseta a SCC sense Compromís ni Podemos". El Món. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  41. 1 2 3 "La oscura financiación de la asociación antisoberanista Societat Civil Catalana". Público (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  42. ↑ Piñol, Àngels (2017-10-09). "Masiva manifestación en Barcelona a favor de la Constitución y la unidad de España". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  43. ↑ "Guardia Urbana cifra en 65.000 personas la asistencia a manifestación de SCC". La Vanguardia. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  44. ↑ Graham-Harrison, Emma; Burgen, Stephen (2017-10-29). "'We are all Catalonia' march brings thousands out on Barcelona's streets". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  45. ↑ Regué, Júlia (2017-10-29). "El 'no' a la independencia vuelve a mostrar músculo en Barcelona". elperiodico (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  46. ↑ "El PCE desautoriza a Paco Frutos tras su intervención en la manifestación por la unidad de España". Hazte socio de eldiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  47. ↑ "El PCE desautoriza a Paco Frutos tras intervenir en la manifestación por la unidad de España – HuelvaHoy.com" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  48. ↑ Sánchez, Álvaro (2017-12-05). "Societat Civil Catalana denuncia en Bruselas el adoctrinamiento en las escuelas de Cataluña". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  49. 1 2 Wong, Alia (2017-11-03). "Is Catalonia Using Schools as a Political Weapon?". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  50. ↑ Press, Europa (2018-03-18). "Unas 7.000 personas participan en la manifestación de SCC en Barcelona, según la Guardia Urbana". europapress.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-19.
  51. ↑ EFE (2018-03-18). "Vídeo: El discurso completo de Manuel Valls en Barcelona". El País (in Spanish). ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  52. ↑ Álvarez, Pilar; Gálvez, José María Jiménez (2017-10-29). "Hundreds of thousands take to streets in defense of Spanish unity". El País. ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  53. ↑ Burgen, Stephen (2017-10-07). "Pro-unity Catalans take to the streets to condemn 'selfish revolution'". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  54. ↑ "Los 9 responsables de la derrota del procés separatista". El Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  55. 1 2 "Ciudadanos se aleja de Tabarnia: el partido que dio cancha a la "broma" ahora se desmarca". eldiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  56. ↑ "Societat Civil Catalana secunda a Tabarnia en la manifestación del 25 de febrero". La Vanguardia. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  57. ↑ "Vox leaders supporting Tabarnia demonstration". VOX Noticias.
  58. ↑ "¿Qué 'influencers' ha retratado el fenómeno Tabarnia?". 2018-01-19. Archived from the original on 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  59. ↑ "PxC - Tabàrnia ja és aquí! PxC convidada a la seva primera manifestació". www.plataforma.cat. Archived from the original on 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2018-03-31.
  60. ↑ Món, El. "Societat Civil Catalana es reuneix amb Rajoy aquest dijous". El Món. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  61. ↑ Món, El. "Rivera apressa Rajoy perquè faci efectiu "el canvi de model educatiu català"". El Món. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  62. ↑ "Sociedad Civil Catalana invita a Susana Díaz a su celebración de Sant Jordi". www.efe.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  63. ↑ Coruña, La Opinión de A. "Societat Civil Catalana expone a Feijóo, PP y PSOE su rechazo al independentismo". Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  64. ↑ "Pedro Sánchez intercederá ante UGT y CC.OO. para que reciban a Societat Civil". La Vanguardia. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  65. ↑ "'Operación Manuel Valls', el proyecto secreto para derrotar al populismo y el independentismo". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-07-19. «¿Por qué no le invitamos a un acto y lo convertimos en un puntal contra el separatismo?», se pregunta Tey. Comparte esa impresión con otros cargos de SCC y deciden iniciar los trámites para traerle a España.
  66. ↑ "Josep Ramon Bosch asesora a Manuel Valls". ElNacional.cat (in Castilian). Retrieved 2018-07-19. Josep Ramon Bosch i Codina es el factótum encargado de convencer a Manuel Valls para que encabece la lista "constitucionalista" por Barcelona en las municipales del 2019.
  67. ↑ Benítez, Enrique (2017-07-11). "Catalonia's Language Immersion Education". Enrique Benítez. Retrieved 2018-09-11.
  68. ↑ Jordan, Guifré. "Row in Brussels over 'linguistic discrimination' in Catalonia". www.catalannews.com. Retrieved 2018-08-06.
  69. ↑ Quintáns, Jessica Mouzo; Álvarez, Pilar (2018-02-23). "What level of Spanish do Catalan children have?". El País. ISSN 1134-6582. Retrieved 2018-08-06.
  70. 1 2 NacióDigital. "Societat Civil reconeix que Bosch va assistir a un acte de la Fundació Franco" (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-03-31.
  71. 1 2 "Jordi Borràs posa en evidència José Domingo, secretari de SCC". VilaWeb.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  72. 1 2 Cazorla, Bertran (2014-11-08). "Exposen una revista negacionista en un centre cívic de Barcelona durant un acte de Somatemps". Directa (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-03-31.
  73. ↑ Món, El. "SCC convoca una manifestació en defensa de la bandera espanyola a Sabadell". El Món. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
  74. 1 2 "Sobre Tabarnia y Sociedad Civil Catalana — La Tribuna de Cartagena". La Tribuna de Cartagena (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
  75. ↑ "Un fundador de SCC va cridar lemes franquistes davant de la seu d'ERC durant una concentració ultra". El Temps (in Catalan). Retrieved 2018-05-10.
  76. ↑ del Pueblo, Las Voces (2014-07-26). "Orella considera de "suicida" no responder con medidas contundentes y definitivas a la amenaza separatista en Cataluña". Las Voces del Pueblo. Archived from the original on 2018-04-25.
  77. ↑ del Pueblo, Las Voces (2014-07-26). "Somatemps - SOMATEMPS (HISTORIADORES DEBATEN SOBRE "EL FUTURO DE CATALUÑA")". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2017-09-27.
  78. ↑ "Felicitaciones a Sociedad Civil Catalana por su nuevo Presidente: José Rosiñol" (in Spanish). 2017-11-07. Archived from the original on 2014-04-08. Retrieved 2018-04-08.
  79. ↑ "Jáuregui y Fisas han sido claves para que Sociedad Civil Catalana recibiera el premio Ciudadano Europeo". El Confidencial Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  80. ↑ "ICV propone elevar una queja a la Eurocámara por premiar a Societat Civil". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  81. ↑ "La extrema derecha aprovecha el conflicto catalán para reactivarse". eldiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-09-10. ¿Quiénes han sido los agresores? En algunos casos la Policía los ha identificado con entidades de la extrema derecha, que han participado activamente en las marchas constitucionalistas organizadas por Sociedad Civil Catalana (SCC). Pero no todos responden al perfil clásico de neonazi. Desde esta asociación se desmarcan y condenan estos sucesos. Reconocen, además, que no pueden controlarlos.
  82. ↑ Món, El. "SCC nega que Javier Barraycoa sigui soci fundador de l'entitat". El Món. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  83. ↑ Barraycoa, Javier (2014-04-22). "Emerge la Cataluña silenciada". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-04-01.
  84. ↑ Món, El. "Un dirigent de Somatemps denuncia finançament de Madrid per a manifestacions de SCC". El Món. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  85. ↑ "Somatemps asegura que el gobierno español financió manifestaciones unionistas". ElNacional.cat. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
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