Free Expression of Will: A Right, Or...?

• 08.08.2015, 12:21
• Greta Avetisyan
•  Europe,  "Insight" Analytical Center ,  World,  Analytics

During the recent years the world remembers the right of free expression of will quite often. In one case this right is being implemented and even encouraged, in other case it is being implemented, but not perceived definitely, in some other case the use of this right is being considered completely "illegal."

Last year’s non-official independence referendum of Catalonia and its wish to again take steps towards it can be viewed in the context of the third option suggested above. This time, however, Catalonia has chosen quite an interesting way for fulfilling its aims. Catalonia has made a decision to hold early Parliamentary elections. It is expected that all the political parties will come up with their proposals, as Catalan regional government President Artur Mas says, for the future of the country. It is obvious that the aim of these elections is to consolidate Catalan pro-independence parties, which with corresponding steps would lead to the fulfillment of the aim of Catalonia. In spite of the chosen "disguised" way, the authorities of Spain have already announced that they will not allow Catalonia to become independent.

Does this mean that EU’s principle of "equality" at least for its Member States does not work anymore and in regard with this or that question it conducts discriminatory policy. If we try to compare the cases of Catalonia and Scotland, then it becomes obvious that in case of the former we witness ignorance of the right of free expression of will, whereas in the second case – its full implementation. Maybe there are some violations of the "sign of equality," but in this context the real problem is somewhere else. If in the case of Scotland the possibility of the majority of the population to vote for independence was very low and in that regard there was a certain calmness, due to which the Great Britain showed its high level of democracy, then in the case of Catalonia this calmness is absent. Here the situation is quite the opposite and as the results of the last year’s referendum showed, the majority of the population is for independence.  

Isn’t this a manifestation of discriminatory policy? Yes, but not only. With this Europe tries to avoid having examples of independence through the right of free expression of will, which can become precedent for many thus changing some balances and creating instabilities. Or maybe not allowing to implement this right would have much more dangerous consequences?