Flemish nationalist party N-VA has proposed to the other parties in the Parliament of Flanders to invite acting Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, to explain the situation in Catalonia to the Parliament's Foreign Affairs committee. The party raised a similar idea in September to invite then-Foreign minister, Raül Romeva.
According to the N-VA MP Karl Vanlouwe in statements to Catalan news agency ACN, the holding of the 1st October referendum and the events following the referendum, like the imprisonment of part of the Catalan government, made it impossible to invite Romeva. "It's for this reason that we've now proposed to hear from Puigdemont," he said. He notes they are waiting for the other parties to respond, who could accept or reject the proposal. "Probably" they will know either way next week. In any case, Vanlouwe says that there has no yet been any official invitation from the Parliament to Puigdemont.
Karl Vanlouwe (in English):
The MP explains that his party has also proposed to invite the Spanish ambassador to Belgium, Cecilia Yuste. In any case, if the two appearances do end up happening, they won't take place on the same day. "It's logical that we can hear from both sides", said Vanlouwe.
Although there is consensus on the idea of inviting the ambassador, there is still no official response from the other parties as to whether invite Puigdemont or not. "When the N-VA proposed inviting Raül Romeva, the other parties accepted it", he says.
According to sources familiar with the working of the Flemish Parliament, the Foreign Affairs commission, during agenda meetings, proposes potential invitees, like ambassadors, to discuss questions which could affect the countries they represent. "Everyone can make proposals, normally they debate behind closed doors and try to reach a consensus on such proposals, but if there is none, they vote."
If there is no consensus, there would need to be a majority of MPs on the commission who vote in favour. Of the 15 MPs on the committee, 6 are from N-VA, 4 from CD&V (Christian democrats), 2 from VLD (Liberals), 2 from the Socialists and 1 from the Greens. Once the proposal is approved, the sources explain, the invitation would normally be sent by the Parliament's speaker. The Socialists and Liberals distrust the idea of inviting Puigdemont.