El Financial Times explica per què
Catalunya és 'un altre país'
(Vilaweb 11/09/14)
El diari britànic publica avui un reportatge
titulat 'Catalonia:
another country', on analitza la situació
política i econòmica del
país
El diari britànic Financial Times recull avui
en un reportatge una anàlisi
completa de la situació econòmica i política de
Catalunya. El diari titula
l'article 'Catalonia: another country'
('Catalunya, un altre país') i explica
que l'estat espanyol ha de fer front a una
'implecable' crisi política on cada
cop més persones demanen la independència de
Catalunya.
L'article comença relatant el cas d'un cirurgià
de Berga que, tot i ser
conscient que la seva població encara és part
de l'estat espanyol, ell no
se'n sent part. Ni ell ni la gran majoria dels
17.000 habitants de la ciutat.
També explica que el percepció de molts
catalans és que Catalunya
s'apropa a un trencament històric amb l'estat
espanyol.
A partir d'aquí, el diari britànic relata la
situació política a Catalunya i diu
que el govern català convocarà un referèndum
d'independència el 9 de
novembre
A partir d'aquí, el diari britànic relata la
situació política a Catalunya i diu
que el govern català convocarà un referèndum
d'independència el 9 de
novembre vinent, una consulta que el govern
espanyol ja ha anunciat que
farà il·legal. Explica que els activistes
catalans, com ara el cirurgià de
Berga, opten per fer pressió per votar, encara
que això signifiqui desafiar el
govern espanyol, el congrés espanyol i el Tribunal
Constitucional.
El principal diari de la 'city' de Londres
també explica que no és estrany
que la separació de Catalunya alarmi l'estat
espanyol. 'Perdre la regió
suposaria per l'estat espanyol la pèrdua d'una
força econòmica motriu i
d'una font vital d'ingrés d'impostos.'
Pel que fa a la Diada Nacional de Catalunya, el
diari diu que serà una prova
crucial del moviment independentista. Explica
que centenars de milers de
persones ompliran els carrers de Barcelona.
September 10, 2014 6:12 pm
Catalonia: Another country
Spain faces a bitter political crisis amid mounting
calls for independence from the region
Identity parade: people hold placards to form a giant
Catalan flag in the town of Sant Feliu, near Barcelona, in February
Lluís Ballús knows perfectly well that
Berga, a small town in the foothills of the Catalan Pyrenees, is still part of
Spain. It just doesn’t feel that way – not to him, and not to the vast majority
of the 17,000 people who live there.
Madrid, says Mr Ballús, is as strange and
distant to him as Paris or London. When he leaves Catalonia to visit other parts of the country, it seems
like crossing a national frontier. “We tell each other: ‘I have to go to Spain tomorrow’,” he says.
In Berga itself, symbols of Spanish
sovereignty are hard to find. Even the town hall does not fly a Spanish flag.
Instead, councillors voted to display the Estelada, the banner of the Catalan
independence movement, which now hangs from a third-floor window.
·
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ON
THIS STORY
ON
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IN
ANALYSIS
The same flag flutters from almost every
building in town, except the local church and police station.
A surgeon in the local hospital, Mr Ballús
is proud of his town’s reputation as a bastion of the Catalan independence
movement. Over the past five years he has worked tirelessly for the cause,
devoting at least three hours a day to the Catalan National Assembly, the
influential grassroots organisation that has led the campaign for independence.
“I have nothing against Spaniards,” he says. “But I want them as neighbours,
not as landlords.”
Like many of his friends, Mr Ballús
believes Catalonia is finally moving closer to a historic break with Spain.
Inspired by Scotland’s landmark plebiscite next week, the Catalan government
has called for its own independence referendum, albeit non-binding, on November
9. Madrid insists the planned vote is illegal, and says it will do all it can
to stop it. But Catalan activists such as Mr Ballús vow to press ahead even if
that means defying Spain’s government, parliament and constitutional court.
With political tensions rising by the day,
the period between now and November 9 promises to be tumultuous. Most analysts
believe the vote will ultimately have to be called off, though few dare to
predict what other outlet Catalans will find for their discontent. One way or
the other, Spain appears to be heading towards a searing political crisis just
as the country’s long-suffering economy is starting to pick up. Some analysts
worry that financial markets may come to view the simmering tensions as a cause
for concern.
“Why is everyone still so calm about this?
I think it is because markets are not good at assessing political risk. They usually dismiss it until they see
it – and then they react suddenly and extremely,” says Luis Garicano, a
professor of economy at the London School of Economics.
The Catalan challenge has long ceased to
be a national matter. Alarmed by the prospect of political instability in
Spain, European leaders such as Angela Merkel have waded into the debate in
recent months, siding openly with Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister, and
against Catalan independence.
It is not hard to see why the prospect of
Catalan secession, distant as it may appear, is so alarming to Spain. Catalonia
accounts for 16 per cent of Spain’s population and almost a fifth of the economy. Losing the region would deprive the
country of an economic powerhouse and a vital source of tax revenue: Catalonia
is home to many of Spain’s largest corporations and best research institutions. Its
capital, Barcelona, ranks as one of the world’s great cities, drawing in almost
twice as many tourists as Madrid. No fewer than five of the 11 players that won
Spain the World Cup in 2010 are Catalan.
Scotland’s contribution to the UK, in
terms of people and economic output, is far smaller. But there is another
crucial difference: even if Scotland says Yes to independence, there is little
danger that Wales or Northern Ireland will follow down the secessionist road.
In the case of Spain, there is no such guarantee. The Catalan referendum
campaign has triggered calls for a similar plebiscite in the Basque country,
traditionally the main focus of secessionist tensions in Spain. Furthermore, hardcore
Catalan separatists have made clear their ambition to recreate eventually the
greater Catalonia of medieval times, by drawing the Balearic Islands and the
Valencia region away from Spain.
Fanciful as such scenarios seem for the
moment, fears of a domino effect are taken seriously in both Madrid and
Barcelona. “Britain goes on being Britain even without Scotland. Spain without
Catalonia is a totally different case,” says Lluís Bassets, a Barcelona-based
writer and columnist for the El País daily newspaper.
This helps explain the vehemence of
Madrid’s refusal to even entertain the idea of a referendum. For a country that
has spent centuries shedding vast chunks of its territory, losing Catalonia is
simply unthinkable. The deepest, darkest fear of policy makers in Madrid is
encapsulated in a blunt warning by Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, Spain’s justice
minister. Catalan independence, he has said, would simply “put an end to
Spain”.
. . .
In Madrid the surge in separatist
sentiment is usually blamed on the recent economic crisis. Advisers to Mr Rajoy
see the clamour for independence as a byproduct of economic frustration and
predict it will weaken once Spain’s nascent recovery gains strength. Another
culprit is found in Catalonia’s education system and parts of the regional
media, which critics say have bred resentment of Spain, along with a nativist
sense of victimhood.
“All this has created a mentality where
the next logical step is independence”, says Francesc de Carreras, a professor
of constitutional law at the University of Barcelona, and a prominent opponent
of secession.
In Catalonia, activists counter that the
region has always seen itself as a nation apart, with its own language, history
and culture. They describe a long process of frustration with Spain,
culminating in a landmark 2010 ruling by the country’s constitutional court to
strike down a new statute setting out the relationship between Catalonia and
Spain. The statute, which would have further bolstered Catalan autonomy, had
been approved by the Spanish and Catalan parliaments, and was backed by a
popular referendum in the region.
For many Catalans the statute offered the
last chance to find a political accommodation within the Spanish realm. When it
was struck down – by a court dominated by conservative appointees – they saw
independence as the only path left.
“Part of Catalan society trusted the
Spanish state, and thought we would be treated correctly. But that confidence
has now disappeared. Catalans feel their good faith and their hopes were
betrayed by Madrid,” says Oriol Junqueras, the leader of the pro-independence
Esquerra Republicana Catalan party (ERC).
Amid this swirl of competing narratives,
grievances, fears and aspirations, no one is feeling the political heat more
than Artur Mas, the president of Catalonia. A relatively
recent convert to the cause of independence, he says he is committed to holding
a referendum in November. But he has also made clear that he will only go
through with the vote if it is legal.
That is a potentially critical caveat,
because the constitutional court is widely expected to rule in the coming
months that an independence referendum, even if it is non-binding, cannot
proceed. Mr Junqueras insists the vote must be held, and points out that his
party’s political alliance with Mr Mas and the ruling Convergència i Unió party
hinges on the promise of a referendum. “There is one fundamental demand in
Catalonia, and that is to vote,” Mr Junqueras says.
Officials close to Mr Mas say he may not
be able to satisfy that demand. To defy the ruling of Spain’s highest court
would almost certainly provoke harsh countermeasures from Madrid, and possibly
split his party. An illegal referendum would also likely be boycotted by large parts
of the Catalan population, ensuring a low turnout.
. . .
Most analysts believe Mr Mas will instead
opt for early regional elections, with a view to turning the vote into a
quasi-referendum on independence. The regional leader himself insists that, one
way or the other, Catalans will have to vote on their future. “In a democracy,
you cannot stop the democratic reaction of a country or society,” says Mr Mas.
A new, strongly pro-independence Catalan
parliament could then be moved to issue a unilateral declaration of
independence. But an early election could also mark the end of Mr Mas’s career
in politics: polls predict that the ERC would emerge as the strongest party,
with Mr Junqueras as Catalan leader.
Catalan towns such as Berga have
already mentally seceded from the rest of the country, and no amount of legal
pressure or economic incentives will entice them back
In Madrid, these dilemmas are viewed with
quiet satisfaction. Officials there have long believed that the Catalan
independence movement would ultimately radicalise and split. With the Spanish
government refusing to budge one millimetre, moderate nationalists may
eventually decide they have no appetite for unilateral moves, let alone acts of
civil disobedience against the Spanish state.
A critical test of the movement’s
endurance will come on Thursday, Catalonia’s national day, when the
pro-independence movement will once again rally hundreds of thousands of
supporters on Barcelona’s streets. Organisers say enthusiasm is as high as ever
yet any sign that the turnout is markedly lower than in previous years will be
seized upon by Madrid as evidence that its hard line is starting to pay
dividends.
Even if a head-on clash can be averted in
the months ahead, Catalonia will continue to cry out for a new political
settlement. Analysts agree that the recent economic crisis has played a role in
bolstering the case of the separatists – if only by highlighting the perceived
unfairness of the Catalan tax transfers to the rest of the country. But in a
conflict marked by identity and deep emotions, more growth and jobs are no
panacea. Catalan towns such as Berga have already mentally seceded from the
rest of the country, and no amount of legal pressure or economic incentives
will entice them back.
Prof Garicano warns that the biggest
danger for Spain and Catalonia lies in the fact that both sides are living in
different realities. “In Catalonia, people believe they will vote and that
independence is possible,” he says. “In Madrid, there is a consensus that this
is absurd.” That divergence provides fertile ground for escalation and
miscalculation: “Conflict takes place when two parties have a different view of
reality – and when both sides think they can win.”
For the moment, despite the solemn
promises and high expectations, it is difficult to chart a clear course that
would lead towards a Catalan referendum, let alone to the formation of a
breakaway state. Yet hoping that separatist pressures will simply subside, as
many in Spain’s government seem to do, appears just as fanciful.
“We will try and try and try, just as we
have always tried,” says Mr Junqueras. “We will not get tired.”
-------------------------------------------
Tax scandal casts shadow
The announcement was short but the shadow
it cast on the Catalan independence campaign is long and getting longer.
On July 27, Jordi Pujol issued a statement revealing that he had
kept undeclared money outside the country for the past 34 years. The confession
sparked a political uproar and turned one of the heroes of the Catalan national
movement into a villain, roundly condemned even by former allies.
Mr Pujol served as Catalan president for
23 years, and, despite his small stature, towered over the region’s political
scene in the tumultuous decades since Spain’s return to democracy in the late
1970s. To see him admit to tax fraud was “like discovering that Gandhi was a
meat-eater”, remarks Lluís Bassets, a journalist in Barcelona.
Jordi Pujol's admission sparked political uproar
On one level, analysts say, the scandal is
unlikely to affect the Catalan push for independence. Many of the most
committed supporters of independence were never part of Mr Pujol’s Convergéncia
i Unió (CiU) movement – and indeed saw the former president as suspiciously
close to Madrid. To them, his fall from grace is of little relevance.
But the scandal is likely to hurt the
independence cause all the same. It has already weakened Artur Mas, the Catalan
president and Mr Pujol’s heir as leader of the CiU, at a crucial moment in the
campaign. It has given Madrid a stick with which to beat the Catalan
leadership, and has provided a serious distraction at a time when the
pro-independence camp is keen to project unity and optimism. With Mr Pujol due
to explain himself in the Catalan parliament on September 22, the affair is
unlikely to blow over soon.
Finally, it may weaken – at least in the
minds of some Catalans – one core argument in favour of independence; namely
that a new Catalan state offers the chance to make a decisive break with
Spain’s corruption-prone and deeply discredited political elite.
Francesc Homs, one of Mr Mas’s most senior
advisers, admits the Pujol affair has damaged Catalonia’s ruling party but
insists that the campaign for independence will go on regardless: “This doesn’t
affect the process just as [a Spanish corruption scandal] doesn’t affect the
continuity of Spain. Catalonia transcends the Pujol family, and it transcends
every individual.”
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Mq1 hour ago
If
you want to understand what is succed in Catalonia you have to recognize that
Spain could change. Then, the spanish parties don't want to understand because
they don't want to change anything.
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Enric10 hours ago
In
the Catalan newspapers and blogs we are used to read comments from
community managers paid by the Spanish government that flood the webs with
unfair and unbalance comments about Catalans and the willingness of Catalan to
express in a poll/referendum.
They
have now reached FT!!!
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1RecommendReply
FPP12 hours ago
Whatever
anyone may think about the issue, there is a simple reality that cannot be
ignored: a vast majority of Catalans would like to vote to show their
preferences for the future. Not enable them to be able to express their views
in a consultation will only create greater frustration and increse the numbers
of those wanting full independence. Any bet that such pressure will subside is
as wishful thinking as risky. Why this concern of the Spanish Government to
negotiate a way out to this growing crisis? Honour not to "give in to
blackmail from separatists"? Fear that other parts of Spain would follow
suit? Or confidence that "the rule of law" (read: if necessary backed
by force) will prevail?
If
a consultation was permitted, it would enable a genuine discussion on the pros
and cons, that should be as welcomed as it is now unfortunately absent as the
debate is dominated by feelings about Madrid's position against on the
consultation - which is just fanning ans strenghtening the will of those in
favour of independence.
And,
if the consequence of such consultation was that there was a majority in favour
of independence - what would be the problem? The Nation States as we know them
now are not eternal part of any kind of "divine will", history has
shown that they come and go, and there is now an European project that can
integrate everyone, including small nations, into an entity which is little by
little helping overcome rigid conceptions of national sovereigny into a new
concept of shared sovereigny that respects the specificities and cultures of
its components. I do think that many Catalans, starting with President Mas,
would like to be part of that project without having to pass through
intermediaries - i.e. Madrid. Why not let them express what they want...?
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2RecommendReply
Remember Lincoln12 hours ago
Why
? Because nationalism means war.
Have
you heard about the civil war in Spain? And you ever heard about Yugoslavia?
Could
you get informed about Ukraine?
The
nationalist gov has educated a whole generation using hate against Spain as a
tool to create a new artificial country. And the British gov. has worsened the
situation with its blunder about Scotland.
We
will regrate all this folly.
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Aleix11 hours ago
@Remember
Lincoln That's just plain false. You wish it was true so it would be
explainable to you. There's plenty of people in the demonstration who were
educated under Franco. Clearly not a catalan nationalist.
I
myself was educated in democracy and in a "catalanist" school and
NEVER was I given partial information of biased history. That just don't
happen.
You
wish it was so easy. Don't trust the press from Madrid. They lie and knowing
it.Or didn't a newspaper two days ago invent a piece of news saying that Mas
the Catalan premier had a heard attack?
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2RecommendReply
Isaak9 hours ago
I
was never taught to hate Spain, only when I moved out of Spain I realized how
poorly it treats anything not Castilian, I wonder why all the ex ex colonies of
Spain agreed with that. Were they taught to hate Spain too? Or maybe Spain was
treating these countries and inhabitants poorly?
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Randy McDonald2 hours ago
@Remember
Lincoln Catalonia would be as artificial a country as Spain.
Also, I would suggest that the American Civil War has few lessons for Spain. Or is Catalonia planning on introducing slavery?
Also, I would suggest that the American Civil War has few lessons for Spain. Or is Catalonia planning on introducing slavery?
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SuomiReader12 hours ago
An
illegal referendum would be boycotted by parts of the Catalan population you
say. Then I say they should hold the referendum anyway. Simply count the share
of the Catalan electorate that votes in favor independence. If 30% of the
Catalan electorate boycotts the referendum, and 90% of those voting cast a YES
vote, then that means 63% (0,7x0,9) of the registered Catalan voters are in
favor of independence. End of story. No democratic country can refuse the
independence of a province if such a large proportion of the electorate is in
favor of independence. Madrid will have to give in.
Unfortunately
Mas is probably too timorous to launch a referendum that Spain's constitutional
court would have declared illegal. Yet I would like to remind everybody, and
the Madrid authorities in particular, that if the will of the people is not
listened to, this will probably end very very badly, perhaps with bombs like in
the Basque Country. It's only 38 years since the Franco regime fell, and the
country is still fragile. It would be suicidal or totally irresponsible for
Madrid to disregard the will of the Catalan people and end up with a new ETA
movement.
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Manel Sanchez i Ruiz54 minutes ago
@SuomiReader Do
not worry. Catalans will not use bombs. We are in other world. Sadly, we can
say the same for Spain stat habits.
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aeolius13 hours ago
The
question is not why there should be Catalonian independence. If the result is
that the rest of Spain would not be a viable entity,then the obvious but
unasked next question should be-so what. What purpose is served by maintaining
a central Spanish government? Certainly it strikes fear into Madrid politicians
and bureaucrats. But it is exactly this group, and its counterparts in other EU
member states , which has been the self-interested force which has impeded EU
integration. Yet such interrogation is the hope for Europe maintaining its
standard of living. Small nation-states would need the protection of the EP and
further its influence
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1RecommendReply
Aleix14 hours ago
New
info a bit by bit. They reckon it was 1.8 million people. That is almost a 24%
of the population.
Do
you imagine a 16 million demonstration in France? That's de proportion xD
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1RecommendReply
Aleix14 hours ago
I
just came back from the demonstration. It was huge. We won't stop until
achieving independence.
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1RecommendReply
JaimeH14 hours ago
@Aleix
I honestly hope that you mean to use peaceful and legal ways of achieving it. I
have read signs in photos taken at the demonstration which show worrying and
extreme messages...
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1RecommendReply
Aleix14 hours ago
@JaimeH @Aleix Lol.
I am SURE you didn't. It's easy to manipulate readers who don't know anything
and are far away but everybody here knows there's basically no sign of any
violence in any Catalan secessionist demonstration. Grandparents, children...
Do
you think I would bring my toddler if it would be any chance of violence? No.
The
only ones threatening violence are the far-right unionist parties.
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1RecommendReply
Lucky Monkey14 hours ago
I
dont get the FT
How
come whatever applies to Scotland doesnt apply in Catalunya?
I
have nothing against independence, but does anyone really think capital
(starting with big corporates) and talent will not fly from a new Country
without a recognised international legal framework? (EU has been very explicit
regarding Catalonia not being part of EU)
There
is a striking contrast between this article and Mr Barber conversation
elsewhere on todays paper regarding Scottish topic
I
have read the FT warning against a Eurozone breakup for years while they
couldnt see it coming in their own backyard...
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1RecommendReply
gaborone17 hours ago
The
whole catalan independence problem is nothing but a monumental tantrum. It
is childish dangerous behaviour.
In
today's Spain, there is absolutely no evidence of any mistreating of regional
cultures or languages. There is more of the opposite: a great respect and
appreciation for regional differentiating elements which are seen by most Spaniards
as enriching for all.
It
might be that catalan language does not get full honours, but that is not due
to lack of respect, but rather due to its minority status; and that is not
going to improve if CAT achieves independence.
So,
why do they do it? The answer is simple: Because they can.
Tragic.
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5RecommendReply
Isaak13 hours ago
@gaborone When
we are independent our politicians won't be kick out of the congress for
speaking our native language, if that's not an evidence of mistreating us for
you, then obviously ly we have different standards . Also, we won't be
the third highest taxed area of the world (check the data from Eurostad) Those
two reason would be more that enough, but list goes on.
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Isaak19 hours ago
It's
about time all these massive and peaceful grassroots demonstrations carried out
by catalans are channeled into the European institutions and turn into
political support. For how long is Europe going to ignore part of its citizens
that are desperately claiming for independence from a country that does not
respect its culture?
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1RecommendReply
Don't waste your time with comments18 hours ago
Awww...
they don't respect you enough? How exactly? The human tower building, the
dancing, or just generally? Or do you mean the cry-baby-victimismo culture of
Catalonia that makes Catalan politicians sound like adolescent girls ("He
never listens to me...")?
Surely
a reason to break up a nation with 500 years of joint history.
Europe
is doomed. So many problems to be tackled, so many attacks on our way of life,
values and wealth, and here we have the Catalans wasting their time and
(considerable!) energy on weakening Spain, Catalonia and consequently Europe
(and the Scots and whoever else will next demand "independence" for
their village...).
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6RecommendReply
Aleix14 hours ago
@Don't
waste your time with comments There's nothing more stable and thus
favourable for the UE than a state for each nation.
Do
Czecks cause any problem? Do Estonians? Of course not since they have their own
state. In Spain it's different since the Spanish state was created by the
forced suppression of several nations. And thus, trouble.
Where
there's justice there's peace.
By
the way, the English should know exactly how Catalonia became part of Spain in
1714. I think they owe us.
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1RecommendReply
Isaak13 hours ago
@Don't
waste your time with comments Alas, your comment is the epitome of the
spanish attitude of intolerance, disrespect and insult. Mexico was part
of Spain for 500 years and last time I checked they are independent. Is that
your strongest argument besides insulting our culture and being apocalyptical?
Anything else to contribute to rich, open and elegant debate?
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Don't waste your time with comments11 hours ago
@Isaak See,
there you go again with the whining...Exactly which bit of Catalan culture is
disrespected?
As
for my strongest argument: please see my first post below. Catalan separatism
is the "epitome" of provincial tribalism and backwardish escapism.
If
the Catalan Spaniards cannot live in a country with the rest of the Spaniards
then truly there is no hope for Europe. Why should the Germans have bankrolled
Spain and Catalonia if not even the Catalans have any solidarity with anyone
who is not from their village?
And
don't start with the "culture". It's 98% identical with that of the
rest of Spain plus a second language. I have a pretty good outsider's view on
Spain, and the alleged inevitability of Catalan secessionism is a construction
of Catalan cleptocratic elites. Sickening, how these appeals to tribal base
instincts have been abused by the nationalistic socialists of Catalonia.
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Isaak9 hours ago
Your
disrespect and condescending tone doesn't deserve more of my time. Scottish can
vote, so should catalans, welcome to democracy. Thanks to the FT for an
accurate article.
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Cocoa20 hours ago
The
bottom discussion is about the conception of the EU. Between a EU of 25 states
which has brang europeans into chaos, crisis, and bureaucrats ruling. Or an
option for a real European Union of people. Spain government as its other
colleague states are the "old regime". We want a federal EU
represented directly by european people with the territorial administration
organization elected by the people.
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2RecommendReply
sacr20 hours ago
@Cocoa Well,
Catalonia leaving the EU does not look like a good start.
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4RecommendReply
Cocoa14 hours ago
@sacr @Cocoa Yes
that´s true. The Spanish government has threaten Catalans to kick them out of
the Union if they vote for an independence. Who is the separatist?
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JaimeH14 hours ago
@Cocoa @sacr
I'm afraid you are wrong there: it has been the European Union who have
unilaterally expressed that they will never accept an independent Catalonia to
the Union
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1RecommendReply
Aleix14 hours ago
@Cocoa Listen,
the Spanish state has a 10% deficit while in theory buckling up. Catalonia
would actually have a surplus.
Who do you think is a threat to the value of the Euro? Gallardon was sincere when said that if Catalonia secedes, Spain would have to leave the euro. And that's because it would have to leave the euro.
This
will be the write-off of Spanish debt which is doomed.
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NatCon66620 hours ago
Maybe
your guy in Berga thinks he is in another country other than Spain. But for me,
a guy from Hospitalet in the outskirts of Barcelona, Catalonia is a different
country to mine.
Catalonia
is a classic example of a territory shared by two peoples or two nations, like
Ukraine. Catalans and Charnegos share the land, but since 1980, Catalans have
oppressed Charnegos in cultural, social and linguistic matters.
The
only way out is a power-sharing agreement between Catalans and Charnegos, but
Catalans flatly refuse. Now they want total supremacy over our nation. This is
what the international press must highlight: why Catalans try to suppress
Charnego Spanish-speaking culture and language at all costs.
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3RecommendReply
Aleix14 hours ago
@NatCon666 I
believe you either don't know the reality of Catalonia or misrepresent it
puposely. The Catalan-charnego divide doesn't really exist. There were plenty
of charnegos (which are Catalans basically) demonstrating for independence
today.
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Randy McDonald2 hours ago
@NatCon666 How
is fluency in Catalan oppression?
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@olgacasado21 hours ago
Hello
Tobias, thanks for using the photo of the flag parade for your article. We are
a group of citizens from Sant Feliu, where the photo was taken,
organising an image book of the history of our town and would be very
pleased if we could get a copy of it. Could you tell us how? TVM for your
answer
@olgacasado
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Justin Cormack21 hours ago
@@olgacasado It
says (c) Reuters on it - probably best to ask them.
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@olgacasado21 hours ago
@Justin
Cormack thanks Justin, we've already done it! We're happy our town appears
here!
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Tobias Buck21 hours ago
Re
Jaume I, I meant the 13th century, of course....
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Tobias Buck21 hours ago
Thanks
for the many comments.
@santjordi
The
reference to a greater Catalonia was to the entity created by Jaume I in the
12th century, and the related concept of the "Paisos Catalans" that
is held up by an - admittedly small - group within the Catalan national
movement. But it is worth pointing out that thousands of activists still gather
every year at the famous "Pine of the Three Branches" outside Berga,
which is held to symbolise the unity of Catalonia, Valencia and the Balearic
islands. A map showing the reach of the Paisos Catalans also hangs in the lobby
of the ERC headquarters in Barcelona, so I do think it's a concept that still
has some relevance.
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Santjordi21 hours ago
@Tobias
Buck
Sorry
to disagree entirely with you, sir.
Jaume
I, King of Aragon, (yes as Catherine of Aragon) did not create any
such "entity". He conquered (13th century) what was named and given
the status of "Kingdom of Valencia" under the "Crown of
Aragon" that also included the current Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón,
Calonia and then Majorca, Sicily . . . . The very recent political
concept of "Països catalans" includes other territories even outside
Spain (look again more carefully the map, please)
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Homeless20 hours ago
@Tobias
Buck
I
agree with you, but the "Paisos Catalans" does not always refer to
such hypothetical political entity. It is also used to refer to the Catalan
speaking territories, in similar ways to "la Francophonie". That is,
to indicate where Catalan is -still- spoken. It does not necessarily imply any
intended political union among those territories. Even when used politically,
it may dodge such connotations, like when "Iberoamérica" is used
without any additional ambition. However, I agree with you that some uses of
the term "Paisos Catalans" aim to your aforementioned
reunification.
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Don't waste your time with comments19 hours ago
Well,
there are few things that annoy Valencians more (at least all Valencians I
know, and that's quite a few) than being told by Catalans that they are part of
the Paisos Catalans. This is actually a very aggressive term, if you happen to
be on the receiving end. To Valencian ears, it sounds like
"Novorossija" sounds to Ukraninian ears (thank god its only used by a
powerless region of Spain, not a former superpower in Asia).
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zol23 hours ago
Good
example of how Catalans are twisting reality until it means what they want it
to mean (1984...). It is not illegal to vote, it is illegal for a regional
president to call a referendum on this matter because that power does not
belong to him (under the rules and premises that got him elected in the first
place). As simple as that.
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Isaak20 hours ago
As
simple as the fact that Catalonia is recognized is the Spanish constitution as
a "nationality" another word for "nation' just like Scotland is
a nation, but yet Scottish can vote, and catalans can't. You can't deny the
fact that Spain lacks the democratic evolution that has taken place in other areas
of the European Union. The will of the people is always on top of the laws, not
the other way around, if not, we are not in a democracy. As simple as that.
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Manel Sanchez i Ruiz40 minutes ago
@zol It
is ever simipler: Read spanish contitution article 92, and catalan
statute article 123 to know a referemdum or a consultation both are legally
allowed.
But
you are a good example of most widespread spanish mentality: Word of who is in
power is The Law.
Some
day Spanish people will start to understand than Constitutions and Laws are
written and can be read. And what is in power must follow them. Then you will
start to enter the XXI century.
While,
Catalonia will be a independent country in the group of developed -economically
and mentally- countries.
Go
forward, we expect you soon in this group of countries as well !
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Don't waste your time with comments23 hours ago
Split,
split, split... but then unite with Valencia? What?! How does that make any
sense?
The
economic situation may be a catalyst, but the actual reasons for the currenty
separatist hype is (i) an emotional countermovement to the insecurity of a
globalised and complex world and (ii) the Catalan cleptocracy's
unwillingness to share the spoils of their corruption with the central state.
And
the ERC? The blend of provincial and bigoted ultra-nationalism and left-wing
populism makes you want to vomit. And they are about to win the elections...?
Yuk!
What
annoys me most is that if the Catalan separatism triumphs, what does this mean
for the idea of Europe, or in fact, any cooperation across ethnical borders? If
the Catalans and the rest of the Spaniards, with a common language, and an
almost identical culture (give and take a few regional peculiarities of
folkloristic interest at best) can't share some of their public institutions in
order to create something that is more than the sum of its parts (the entire
idea of moving from individual polis to territorial states...), then why bother
with a supranational institution.
The
message of an independent Catalonia to me would be: Europeans. Let's just roll
over, enjoy our little provincial cozyness and ask the Chinese, Russians and US
to be tender and use vaseline. (Hint: they won't.)
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Don't waste your time with comments23 hours ago
PS:
The same is true for Scotland. In fact, Scottish independence would be even
worse. In case of the Catalans you could still blame it on excessive exposure
to the sun (ah, those Southerners who can't check their emotions, etc. and so
on...). Not sure that excuse would work for Scotland. And if the Scots and the
English can't share a country after having conquered and dominated the
better part of the world, and fought I don't know how many wars, together then
let's just give up and become Russian subjects directly (working in Chinese
factories and taking out loans from US banks), rather than actually struggling
for survival of our common European values and our wealth.
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Santjordi23 hours ago
What
do you mean by " . . .recreate eventually the greater Catalonia of
medieval times, by drawing the Balearic Islands and the Valencia region away
from Spain". . .
Recreate?
Such a political entity has never existed before. . . Please, a little bit
more of historical rigor would be appreciated in a prestigious journal as FT
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Isaak20 hours ago
Never
existed? And is Gibraltar Spanish or British? Does it exist?
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sacr1 day ago
It's
interesting that this article takes a line (namely, that Catalonia is a
different country from Spain and its population is set on independence) and
then defends it throughout, while summarising other views.
And
it's particularly interesting how the tone differs from that used for Scotland.
For instance, the title of the profile article on Alec Salmond in yesterday's
FT was: "Gambler places bet on patriotic game". Clearly a less
favourable view from the FT there.
"Scotland:
A different country", or "Artur Mas: Gambler places bet on patriotic
game" anyone?
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Randy McDonald2 hours ago
@sacr There
seems to be a much stronger consensus in Catalonia in favour of independence.
70% is the proportion I've heard advanced most often. This proportion,
incidentally, indicates that support for independence transcends language
divides, since Spanish is still the main language of a slight majority of the
region's population.
In Scotland, meanwhile, only recently have the first polls suggested a majority might back independence, and even then it's a slim one.
In Scotland, meanwhile, only recently have the first polls suggested a majority might back independence, and even then it's a slim one.
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JaimeH1 day ago
I
understand that the FT wants to profit from the morbid fascination created by
this remote (at best) possibility, but we should not call this clearly slanted
article “journalism”, and definitely not “excellent”.
The
tendentious view of the journalist fails to collect any argument against the
independence, or any of the reasons that have nurtured this artificial movement
for the last 36 years.
The
Spanish Constitution, far from being an oppressive burden (as the journalist
entails) is actually the most advanced constitution in Europe, giving out to
the regions more power than the “lander” in federal Germany have, or even more
than what Cameron is desperately offering for Scotland to stay. This is,
funnily enough, the root of all the problems: in Catalonia, the
pro-independence party (ERC) has been always an insignificant minority yet has
acted as a hinge party, where CiU (until recently nationalist BUT pro-Madrid
party) or the PSC (centralist socialists) have needed them to have a majority
in the regional parliament. This has given ERC a blank check to shamefully
manipulate history books (raising a generation of wrongly-informed, impose
Catalan in schools and streets (in Catalonia a shop will be fined if they hang
out a sign in Spanish) and act in a worryingly similar way to propaganda-style
extremists.
This
has raised generations of extremists since then, most of which are descendants
of the poor Andalusian and Extremaduran immigrants they so much despise. If you
add the economic crisis to this, you get the perfect Molotov cocktail. It is
critical to say that the uneven redistribution of taxes is part of the
solidarity system whereby richer regions pay more than poorer regions to help
the latter improve. Here, the region of Madrid or the Balearic islands
contribute far more than Catalonia and don’t complain about it. But, naturally,
economic discomfort provide the perfect scenario for radicalisms to flourish.
Catalonia
is as inherent to Spain as much as Spain is inherent to Catalonia, given that
Spain was formed by the union of Castille and Aragon (of which Catalonia was
part) over 5 centuries ago.
I
invite the readers to go to Madrid (beautiful city I occasionally visit for
work) and to look for any anti-Catalan signs. They will not find any, and
Catalan friends of mine living in Madrid and abroad (clearly less ill-minded
and more open) actually admit that there is far more that Catalans have in
common with the rest of Spain, than differences between them.
I
walked into a bunch of people at Greenwich park in London last weekend who set
up a symbolic urn for Europeans to “vote” and give their opinion. I asked them
why then did they not want allow the rest of Spain (also Europeans) to have
their say (one of the reasons why the referendum is unconstitutional). He had
no answer.
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JordiVidal23 hours ago
@JaimeH Castille
physically and mentally engulfed all of Spain, except Catalonia. And has ever
since unsuccesfully tried to engulf the Catalans to become unrecognizable
, ERASING their language and IDENTITY. The catalans are FED UP of their dirty,
undemocratic, political and economic practices. We tried but finally we decided
there is no decent room for us in Spain, and we try to say it by DEMOCRATIC and
PEACEFULL methods. If we do not give up, everybody privetely agrees that we
will succeed.
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JaimeH23 hours ago
@JordiVidal @JaimeH
Sorry but I cannot agree with that. Regional culture in any region of Spain
which you visit is flourishing: I went to Galicia over last winter and was
fascinated by how the local and central governments promote their charming
culture, language and identity.
The
fact alone that Spain has 5 official languages indicates this. Spain embraces
cultural diversity like no other country in the world.
I
suggest you stop reading the ill-minded pamphlets distributed by local
extremists in Catalonia and invite you to take a step back and see the big
picture.
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XuloChavez23 hours ago
@JaimeH @JordiVidal I
am from Galicia, and lived in Barcelona for about a year. In my opinion the one
big difference between local culture and language in Galicia and Catalonia is
the fact that in Galicia we don't use it as a political banner or mark of
distinction against the rest of Spain, we simply use it, and that's why it
generates sympathy rather than rejection (I'm generalising and simplifying a
lot here, but I'd say this is the essential difference). This is probably
because Galicia has always been much poorer than the rest of Spain, and so we
don't have a feeling of superiority with regards to the rest of the country
(sadly the same cannot be said for Catalonia, and I had enough personal
experiences of it to stand by this).
Another
important difference is that the majority of people in Galicia recognizes that
Galician is a minority language, which does not have and _cannot_ have the the
same status as Spanish, much in the same way as most people in Spain recognize
that Spanish does not have the status of English. Again not the same can be
said about Catalonia: a common complaint is that majority of newspapers (based
in Madrid and covering the whole of Spain) is written in Spanish - should we
complain that the FT is written in English?
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Isaak20 hours ago
Are
you aware that international law establishes "that nations, based on
respect for the principle of equal rights and fair equality of opportunity,
have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political
status with no external compulsion or interference" and that the Spanish
constitution acknowledges Catalonia as a Nation? Why are you ignoring this
little detail?
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sacr19 hours ago
@Isaak Well,
if you start quoting the Spanish Constitution, then you could probably quote
the bits according to which referendums on the Spanish state should be held at
Spanish level.
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Isaak19 hours ago
Funny
how most of my comment revolves about international law but it seems you
haven't seen it and prefer to talk about the Spanish law. You guys need to get
out of yourselves and open to the world having a more constructive debate. The
international and European laws are above a Spanish constitution, which was
written under saber rattling.
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JaimeH18 hours ago
@Isaak
Let's have a referendum then too for Val d'Aran or other minor independentist
movements within Catalonia alone. Following your logic, wouldn't that need to
be permitted too? Where is the limit?
Holding a
referendum only of Catalans imply that other Spaniards are not equal enough to
decide the future of their own country. How is that democratic??
If
you want to hold a referendum only for your people, you can do it, but
Spaniards will probably kindly ask you to look for somewhere else to establish
your country, not Spanish soil.
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Isaak11 hours ago
Spanish
soil? Catalonia has been there, and Barcelona way before Spain existed. The
Spanish flag, created it 1758, does not own anything. Was Gibraltar Spanish
soil? Mexico? Philippines ? You guys have an unmovable, medieval view of the world,
It's sad because in your dialectical intransigence and lack of empathy lies
within the seed of violent conflict. If vall d'aran wants independence I
couldn't care less. Who am I and why would I stop them?
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sacr17 hours ago
@Isaak I
thought that the definition of Catalonia as a "nation" was a rather
important part of your argument, otherwise it collapses. International and
European law do not define Catalonia as a "nation".
What's
more, the EU treaties have been signed by "Spain" and not by any
subdivision of it. Similarly, the UN, OECD, IMF, recognise "Spain" as
a member, but not Catalonia.
Need
I go on?
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Isaak9 hours ago
No
thanks. At the end of the day everything boils down to the Scottish nation
being able to vote and the catalan one forbidden from doing so. Spain's PR is
going to have to fight a bad image for years to come. And the UK, a lesson in
peace-building and conflict resolution. No wonder Spain has a horrible
reputation in South America and England and excellent relationship with its
commonwealth. Spain doesn't seem to learn a lesson.
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Manel Sanchez i Ruiz32 minutes ago
@sacr @Isaak Then,
if I has been not miscounted Spain had 7 referendums -all called by Madrid's
govt. - , on which 5 of them were held only in a part Spain.
Therefore,
for you, 71% of referedums called by Madrid's govt has been done violating the
constitution.
You
are briiliant !!
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@MgLapetra14 hours ago
@JaimeH Thank
you very much for reminding FT journalists a little bit of the Spanish History.
I wouldn't expect Catalan separatists to be aware of it, they have long being
indoctrinated by their own fake illusions, but I do expect from a well-known
international source of information to be informed and not just
"retweet" partial, biased and unfounded propaganda.
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