Montaner challenges Andorra–EU Association Agreement with Directive 2004/38 and demands immediate referendum

Carine Montaner has attacked the arguments in favour of the Association Agreement with the European Union, focusing on the obligations it would entail for Andorra.

In an interview on RTVA’s Avui serà un bon dia, the president of Andorra Endavant cited several articles of Directive 2004/38 to challenge the implications of free movement of people and called for a referendum as soon as possible.

Her intervention centred on an issue that La Veu Lliure had already highlighted: the scope of European rules on freedom of movement and residence, and their implications for Andorra’s model.

According to Montaner, the obligations Andorra would undertake in this area are incompatible with the country’s capacity to absorb their effects.

Free movement at the heart of Montaner’s criticism

Montaner argued that the debate over the agreement must address the substance of the legal texts and the obligations arising from them. Citing Directive 2004/38, she challenged the arguments of those backing a yes vote and insisted that Andorra cannot take on certain commitments regarding the movement of people.

In this context, she pointed to Monaco and the protection it provides for its citizens as an example of a model that prioritises the interests of its own population.

The Andorra Endavant leader believes that preserving this protective capacity is incompatible with the requirements of the association model proposed for Andorra.

Warning over Andorra’s existing customs agreement

Another key point in her interview was a warning about the provisional application of the Association Agreement. According to Montaner, this would cause the existing customs agreement to cease to apply—a consequence she believes must be clearly addressed before citizens vote.

She linked this warning to the need for voters to understand fully the commitments Andorra would undertake and their effects on the country’s existing relationship with the European Union.

Andorra Endavant’s preferred alternative is to maintain the current model. Montaner rejected the idea that association is the only possible basis for relations with Brussels and invoked the framework introduced by the Lisbon Treaty to argue for good relations with neighbouring countries.

Article 8 of the Treaty on European Union states that the EU should develop a special relationship with neighbouring countries, aimed at fostering prosperity and good neighbourliness. However, this principle does not, in itself, guarantee that all existing conditions will remain unchanged.

Praise for the Social Democratic Party’s referendum demand

Montaner also praised the Social Democratic Party for demanding that the referendum be called now, despite the party’s support for the Association Agreement.

The Andorra Endavant president welcomed that stance and recalled the electoral pledge to put the agreement to a binding referendum. In her view, disagreement between supporters and opponents should not prevent both sides from recognising the need to give citizens a say.

Reiterating her earlier position, Montaner insisted that the referendum must take place as soon as possible. Her intervention combined criticism of the agreement’s provisions with a political demand: that citizens decide which commitments their country should undertake.