Spanish Government challenges the Department of Foreign Affairs of Catalonia

USPA NEWS - The acting Spanish Government has posed a positive conflict of jurisdiction to the Government of Catalonia for the creation of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Institutional Relations and Transparency that breach the exclusive jurisdiction of the State in international relations.

The Spanish Government has requested the suspension of the Catalan law. The acting Minister of Justice, Rafael Catala said Friday that the Council of Ministers, after obtaining the assent of the Council of State, has promoted the challenge of the Catalan law because, even considering the skills they have any autonomous Government for organize their departments, "competition for international relations is an exclusive competence of the State", as stipulated in Article 149 of the Spanish Constitution.

Catala added requested the Constitutional Court to suspend the rule that "the mere creation of that department, the conferral of international policy in foreign affairs the regional Government of Catalonia, is contrary to the division of powers between the state and regions." The Minister also noted that the decision must be placed in a context where "by certain policy areas in Catalonia has shown a willingness to conduct an internationalization process seeking independence."

Rafael Catala said that "the Government is acting as a result of the constitutional mandates, but the rule of law is never in functions and, therefore, the protection, monitoring, ensuring compliance with the Constitution, the constitutional order and the powers of each Government has allocated have to be constantly vigilant." He also recalled that apply to the Constitutional Court in case of conflict of jurisdiction is "the usual way to resolve discrepancies" between the state and the regions.