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| Assemblée catalane | |
|---|---|
| Name | Assemblée catalane |
| Native name | Assemblée catalane |
| Formation | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Barcelona |
| Region | Catalonia |
| Leaders | Joan Puigcercós; Marta Rovira |
Assemblée catalane is a political advocacy association founded in 2012 in Barcelona that mobilizes for Catalan self-determination and republican institutional reform. It acts as a civic platform bridging pro-independence parties, grassroots movements, and cultural organizations across Catalonia, engaging with municipal councils, trade unions, and European advocacy networks. The Assemblée catalane has become a visible actor in demonstrations, consultative processes, and symbolic initiatives that intersect with electoral politics and international law dialogues.
The group emerged in the aftermath of mass demonstrations that followed the 2010 ruling by the Spanish Constitutional Court and the surge in mobilization after the 2010 Generalitat de Catalunya protests. Founders included activists who had previously worked with Assemblea Nacional Catalana, Ómnium Cultural, and municipalist platforms inspired by the Municipalities for Independence movement. Early actions referenced precedents such as the 2010 Catalan Way and the 2012 Catalan independence demonstration, aligning with figures linked to Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya alumni, and civic leaders from Barcelona en Comú. During the 2014 non-binding consultation, the association coordinated with local councils that had adopted participatory models similar to those in Girona and Sabadell. The 2017 independence referendum and subsequent judicial actions by institutions like the Audiencia Nacional and the Supreme Court of Spain marked a turning point, prompting the Assemblée catalane to expand legal aid collaborations connected to lawyers with ties to Amnesty International and European legal networks.
The organization is structured as a federation of territorial chapters modeled on Catalan territorial divisions such as Barcelonès, Girona (comarca), Tarragonès, and Alt Empordà. Leadership has included municipal councillors, former deputies from Parliament of Catalonia, and activists associated with ANC-style coordination bodies. Membership criteria parallel those of civic platforms like Òmnium Cultural and require endorsement by local assemblies modeled on practices from plenary sessions of city councils in Badalona and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. Governance employs assemblies, working commissions, and an executive board with liaisons to cultural institutions such as the Palau de la Música Catalana and research centers like the Institut d'Estudis Catalans.
The association advocates for Catalan sovereignty, a republican institutional framework, and advanced autonomy negotiated within European legal frameworks such as those promoted by European Parliament interlocutors. Its program combines elements from left-wing republicanism currents present in parties like CUP and social-democratic positions associated with Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, while also engaging municipalist ideas inspired by Barcelona en Comú and transnational pro-independence networks that reference the Scottish National Party and the Quebec sovereignty movement. The narrative emphasizes civil rights discourse common to Amnesty International appeals and appeals to international law forums such as the International Court of Justice for debates on self-determination.
The Assemblée catalane organizes demonstrations, civic consultations, and campaigns for municipal declarations, cooperating with protests modeled after the Catalan Way and the La Diada commemorations. It has coordinated voter registration drives similar to initiatives by Electoral Commission observers and launched information campaigns using methods seen in Brexit-era advocacy and in campaigns by Greenpeace for public mobilization. The association runs legal aid clinics in partnership with lawyers experienced in cases before the Supreme Court of Spain and the European Court of Human Rights, and it has produced position papers circulated to delegations in the European Parliament and to diplomatic missions historically engaged with Catalan issues such as offices in Brussels and Geneva.
The organization maintains formal and informal relations with the Government of Catalonia and with deputies in the Parliament of Catalonia, while also interacting with municipal governments in Barcelona, Terrassa, and Reus. It coordinates with cultural bodies such as Òmnium Cultural and academic entities like the Universitat de Barcelona on research and public events. Ties with municipalist groups echo cooperation patterns seen between local administrations and civic associations during participatory budgeting experiments in Badalona and Sabadell.
Critics from national parties such as the People's Party (Spain) and Ciudadanos have accused the association of fostering unilateralism and of complicity with decisions deemed illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court. Debates in national outlets that involve commentators linked to El País, La Vanguardia, and El Mundo have questioned its transparency and financing, while some pro-independence critics aligned with CUP argue the association is too conciliatory toward mainstream parties like Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and former members of Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya. Legal scrutiny following the 2017 referendum led to inquiries by prosecutors associated with the Audiencia Nacional.
Beyond advocacy, the group supports cultural programming tied to Catalan heritage, collaborating with festivals such as La Mercè and institutions like the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Social projects include partnerships with trade unions such as Comisiones Obreras and Unión General de Trabajadores on labor rights events and with NGOs connected to refugee assistance networks referencing organizations active in Barcelona and Girona. Educational outreach has included exhibits in collaboration with the Institut Ramon Llull and public lectures at venues like the Institut d'Estudis Catalans.
Category:Organizations based in Catalonia