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The Economy of Catalonia

the_economy_of_catalonia._questions_and_answers_on_the_economic_impact_of_independence

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Possible negotiation scenarios<br />

What part <strong>of</strong> Spain’s debt would <strong>Catalonia</strong> have to pay? Would <strong>Catalonia</strong><br />

really have to pay anything? What would be the weight <strong>of</strong> this debt<br />

on the new Catalan State?<br />

Various possibilities should be considered<br />

a. No obligation for <strong>Catalonia</strong> to pay<br />

«No State debt <strong>of</strong> the predecessor State shall pass to the newly independent<br />

State». Consequently, this would be a literal interpretation <strong>of</strong> Article<br />

38.1 <strong>of</strong> the Vienna Convention <strong>of</strong> 1983.<br />

b. Debt in exchange for fiscal deficit<br />

<strong>The</strong> calculation is simple: if the fiscal deficit <strong>of</strong> 1986-2010 totalling<br />

230,779 million euros is deducted from the part <strong>of</strong> the Spanish State’s<br />

debt which <strong>Catalonia</strong> would assume according to the GDP (165,089<br />

million euros), the Spanish State would be the debtor to <strong>Catalonia</strong> for<br />

the amount <strong>of</strong> 65,690 million euros.<br />

c. Debt versus distributable assets<br />

Part 1 <strong>of</strong> Table 10 shows what part <strong>of</strong> the Spanish State’s debt would<br />

correspond to <strong>Catalonia</strong> according to the population and GDP criteria.<br />

Part 2 <strong>of</strong> the table shows the assets <strong>of</strong> determinable value which would<br />

partly compensate the debt, so according to the population and GDP criteria,<br />

the balance would be respectively 77,820 or 106,811 million euros.<br />

Part 3 <strong>of</strong> the table shows the assets to whose value we do not have access.<br />

<strong>The</strong> value <strong>of</strong> this asset is truly immense and in many cases it is quantifiable if<br />

one has access to the pertinent information. Indeed, it is important to have<br />

such access since the valuation <strong>of</strong> this is essential for the distribution <strong>of</strong> assets.<br />

Part 4 <strong>of</strong> the table refers to assets derived from looting, theft, compulsion,<br />

etc., representing extremely large losses and very serious damages suffered<br />

by Catalan society for many years. <strong>The</strong> valuation and quantification <strong>of</strong> this<br />

property is very difficult.<br />

With respect to the privatisations <strong>of</strong> public companies which are listed in<br />

Part 5 <strong>of</strong> the table, it is a highly complex matter to analyse the enrichment<br />

<strong>of</strong> specific sectors to the detriment <strong>of</strong> the Catalan general interests<br />

which have taken place with the privatisations as from 1985.<br />

Debt and distribution <strong>of</strong> assets 167

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