Sant Hilari Sacalm, Cardedeu, Sort and Sant Andreu de Llavaneres. These are the four Catalan municipalities which have created a Local Council for the Republic this week and thus join the thirty existing Local Councils. The creation of this new local institution, an initiative of Catalan exile body the Council for the Republic, has thus taken another step forward.
The aim is for the Local Councils to become a tool for "making the Catalan Republic tangible" and materialize the objectives of the Council for the Republic set up in Waterloo, Belgium - and presided by Carles Puigdemont - from the bottom up, at municipal level. They are apolitical and volunteer - that is, people participate individually and not as party members. The local councils have been operating since January 2019 and have made it possible for the exile body to delegate work to municipal level, focusing on specific issues.
"The relationship of the Local Councils with the main Council is key in providing strategic strength to the whole network, and achieving shared and coordinated guidance of actions and projects," said the Belgium-based organization in a statement on the day that its constitution was agreed.
Among the Catalan municipalities that already have a Local Council for the Republic, are Terrassa, Vilafranca del Penedès, Berga, Banyoles, Olot, Banyoles, Reus, Balaguer, Flix, Cornellà del Terri, Pineda de Mar, Cornellà de Terri, Sant Cebrià de Vallalta, Vilobí d'Onyar, Barcelona Sants, Amer and Palamós.
Aquest migdia hem celebrat al @CasaldeLlavan l'acte de presentació del Consell Local per la República a #Llavaneres, amb @DavictusCat i Mar Manzaneque. Som i serem #RepúblicaCatalana! pic.twitter.com/y1wxrUMClI
— Consell Local per la República a Llavaneres (@CxRLlavaneres) November 24, 2019
Translation:
"At midday today at @CasaldeLlavan we held the presentation ceremony of the Local Council for the Republic in #Llavaneres, with @DavictusCat and Mar Manzaneque. We are and we will be #Catalan Republic!"— Llavaneres Local Council for the Republic
Jornada de formació de @Fem_Consell ahir a Lleida, amb la presència de @CastellaToni, del Consell de Govern del @ConsellxRep.
— Jordi V. Pou (@JordiVPou) November 24, 2019
La jornada també va servir per constituir el grup promotor per la constitució del Consell Local per la República a Lleida. pic.twitter.com/hMtGJwvKfa
"Training session for the @Fem_Consell yesterday in Lleida, with the presence of @CastellaToni, from the Governing Council of the @ConsellxRep. The day also served to form the promoter group for the constitution of the Lleida Local Council for the Republic."— Jordi V. Pou
Bon dia!!! En marxa ja amb el @ConsellxRep a #Sort !!! Avui fem jornada d formació i informació sobre els #ConsellsLocals , el teixit republicà del Consell per la República a l’interior. #Republicanament pic.twitter.com/rfrOYUfVSm
— Aurora Madaula #JuntsperCatalunya🎗 (@Aurora_Madaula) November 24, 2019
"Good morning!!! The @ConsellxRep in #Sort is now on its way!!! Today we have a training and information session on the #Local Councils, the Council for the Republic's Republican network within the country." — Aurora Madaula
Cardedeu s'estrena com a Consell Local de la República via @elnacionalcat https://t.co/9i0bnf2PtC
— LlVis V (@lluitadorcat) November 24, 2019
"Cardedeu presents its Local Council for the Republic" — LlVis V
Sopar amb @sumate_asoc , amb @eduardorepi , @jsancho1962, @altamiranoMLG i els amics i amigues de Sant Hilari Sacalm que impulsen el Consell Local de la República. pic.twitter.com/mzjC3Hx1Yx
— Jordi Cabrils (@jordi_cabrils) November 23, 2019
"Dinner with @sumate_asoc, with @eduardorepi, @ jsancho1962, @altamiranoMLG and friends from Sant Hilari Sacalm who are pushing forward the Local Council for the Republic." — Jordi Cabrils
Objectives of the Local Councils
The Local Councils, consisting of local councillors of each municipality who either belong to parties supporting the Catalan Republic, or to pro-independence groups, or are simply individual citizens, will have a series of common objectives to "put into effect the mandate of the October 1st referendum".
Among these goals are the initiation and promotion of a unity of strategic action for the full establishment of the Catalan Republic, recognition of the Council for the Republic as the only legitimate institution to regulate their operation, and operation as a space of free and sovereign political representation in the municipality, not limited by the powers of the Spanish state.
As well, the Local Councils are obliged to work together with the Council for the Republic, in the task of promoting enrolment and dynamizing the participation of those enrolled through consultations and participatory processes, as well as training ordinary people in the use of digital tools (a key to coordinated mobilization).
Northern Catalonia delegation
The Council for the Republic has also opened a delegation in Perpinyà in order to be able to "act" in Northern Catalonia. The president of this centre, Júlia Taurinyà, signed a collaborative protocol with the pro-independence platform this week in Waterloo. In statements to the media, Taurinyà assured that people in Northern Catalonia want to be "actors in the future Republic" of Catalonia. "The solidarity with prisoners and exiles has risen and the support from many sectors is very strong," she said.
It is expected that further Local Councils for the Republic will be announced throughout Catalonia in the coming weeks.