International and European Law and the Catalan Secession Process: Rule of Law, Human Rights and Democracy at Stake?

Abstract

It is a pleasure to present this special issue of the Hague Journal on the Rule of Law on the role of international and European law in the Catalan secession process (2012–2017). It was a secession (stricto sensu) process—as opposed to one of devolution or transfer of sovereignty, as in the cases of Quebec or Scotland—because it was undertaken in violation of the 1978 Spanish Constitution. And it took place in Spain, a rule-of-law or constitutional democracy and member of the European Union and Council of Europe, after almost half a century of construction of a strong democracy.