The president of the Parlament, Josep Rull, has defended this Thursday the values of "peace, deliberation, and pact as a tool for conflict resolution" during the presentation event of the commemoration of the millennium of the Assemblies of Peace and Truce of God, considered the germ of Catalan parliamentarism, held in Toluges (France) in 1027.
He emphasized that this anniversary is not intended to be solely an exercise in historical memory nor does it respond to a nostalgic look, but rather seeks to collectively project Catalonia towards the future: "If we renounce, we stop being who we are. If we renounce, we stop being a nation," he maintained.
Rull specified that the central objective of the commemoration is for Catalans to rediscover a key part of their past, and lamented that Catalonia has been a nation that has been "denied the knowledge" of its own history.
"It is always worth vindicating it, always explaining it, being able to carry out critical pedagogy," stressed the president of the Parlament, insisting that vindicating history allows us to understand the present and helps to project and build the future.
He detailed that the Parlament has posted a manifesto on its website to which citizens can adhere to vindicate the Catalan parliamentary tradition, its legal and political institutions, and its "historical right" to self-governance, as well as to promote open spaces for dialogue and respect for disagreement that foster pacts and contribute to stable peace, he enumerated.
The event, hosted by journalist and historian Laia Perarnau, included a dialogue between the emeritus professor of law history at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) Tomàs de Montagut and the president of the Consell Català de Foment de la Pau, Mar Benseny, in which they addressed the origins of these assemblies, the social context of that period, and the role played by Abbot Oliva.
Catalonia and the tradition of peace
The Board agreed on November 11, 2025, to promote this commemoration to remember what was "the embryo of Catalan parliamentarism and to highlight Catalonia's commitment to peace."
It also underlined that the Catalan parliamentary institution has its roots in the High Middle Ages with the creation of these assemblies, initially promoted by the ecclesiastical estate and later assumed by sovereign power, the counts of Barcelona.
Its purpose was to guarantee periods of interruption from the constant wars between feudal lords and to establish a system of guarantees and compensation for the clergy and the civilian population, which favored the emergence of new population centers and markets and stimulated commercial activity.
The first of these assemblies took place in Toluges (France) in 1027, and for this reason, the Chamber plans to commemorate the anniversary with various events under the title 'Mi·lenari de les Assemblees de Pau i Treva de Déu, arrels del parlamentarisme català'.
Program of events for the millennium
The commissioner of the commemoration, Manel Vila, has specified the calendar of activities, which will begin on September 10, 2026, coinciding with the celebration of the Diada de Catalunya, and will conclude on December 27, 2027, the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
He also highlighted an event planned for autumn in the hemicycle that will bring together Nobel laureates to debate peace, as well as another meeting with representatives of different religious confessions to reflect on the relationship between faith and violence.
The program will be completed with activities promoted together with various departments of the Generalitat and the provincial councils of Girona and Lleida, as well as other institutions and entities of civil society, including exhibitions, meetings, and educational projects, as well as the International Barcelona Award for Peace, organized with the City Council of the Catalan capital.
The event was attended by the Minister of Justice of the Generalitat, Ramon Espadaler; the former presidents of the Parlament Carme Forcadell, Laura Borràs, and Anna Erra; members of the Bureau and deputies of the Catalan Chamber, as well as members of the Consell del Mi·lenari de les Assemblees de Pau i Treva, formed by representatives of entities and personalities of recognized prestige linked to the university world, the promotion of peace, the cultural sphere, and historiographical research.