Catalonia Direct

Organizing our free future, Reagrupament’s program

2010-03-21T08:43:04Z

“Organizing our free future” is the name of Reagrupament’s political program (in catalan). It details in 130 pages how Reagrupament wants the future Catalan State to be and has been written by 650 associates in an unprecedented initiative in Catalan politics. I feel extremely proud of being able to say that I have contributed to it as well. Reagrupament’s main target is to achieve a majority of deputies in the Catalan Parliament and declare independence.

The document details things such as the language policies, Catalan and Occitan (spoken in the Aran Valley) will be the official languages, all public Catalan TV stations will broadcast entirely in Catalan, obviously. We will have our own national sports teams and our own diplomacy, intelligence service and army. It is a document that might seem obvious to many foreign people reading this but for us it is an extremely important exercise, to be able to picture the country that we want Catalonia to become. A normal country just like any other.

Also, today it is an important day for Catalonia because Reagrupament is holding is second national meeting, with Barça’s president Joan Laporta opening the ceremony, it is right now being broadcast online at Reagrupament’s website.

Towards a new map of Europe

2010-03-19T14:37:02Z

Seems like the map of Europe will continue changing in the next few years. This is nothing new, it has been in constant change over the 20th century when dozens of the current established countries like Norway, Iceland, Finland, Slovakia or more recently Montenegro or Kosova have achieved their own state.

The UN acknowledges the right to self determination for all the nations in the world and in a European Union where only states have a voice and in a globalisation context in which we live it has become an urgent matter that those nations that have the will for their culture to survive and not be lost in the tide organise themselves as a state. It has become an advantage to the small and to have a distinct voice, to be flexible and to have a unique point of view.

Before the model was the big nation-state concept, which explains the success of states like France or the United Kingdom but now this has changed. We have added another layer of complexity, the European Union, and as a result many of the nations that composed the old big Nation-States have lost their voice completely and feel their culture threatened and their economical development endangered.

Let’s recap the current situation. Scotland is walking towards independence, with SNP in the government that is planning a referendum on independence and with London having already admitted that they’ll respect what the Scottish decide and seem to be the ones who to be in a better position right now. Wales have also seen a rise of their desire for greater autonomy, claiming the devolution of some powers back from London. Flanders, in Belgium the country is divided between the French and the Flemish (a dialect of Dutch) speaking communities and since 2007 parties claiming more autonomy or independence for Flanders have experienced huge growth. Also in Corsica there seems to be a desire for a greater autonomy from France.

In the Iberian peninsula, after almost 300 years it seems possible for Catalonia to recover its independence. Events have been accelerating within the last year culminating so far with the self organised independence referendums and the organisation of Reagrupament, a political association that is committed to declare independence the minute it achieves the majority of deputies in the Catalan Parliament.

Also in the Iberian Peninsula, in the Basque Country’s independentist political community have recently made a very clear statement that violence must stop, paving the way to a non violence scenario that will accelerate events towards its independence.

Small countries have shown to be better prepared than big ones to deal with the challenges of globalisation in general and with the current crisis in particular. That’s why aiming to less layers of administration and bureaucracy makes sense. Small countries know better how to deal with their own problems and needs and to make themselves heard without being diluted by the intermediary.

Since all nations I’ve mentioned in this article are already part of the EU their independence would not require the resulting two states to reapply entrance to the EU and therefore the split would not be traumatic and without violence.

Now it is up to the European Union countries to pay attention and deal with these cases in a constructive way, listen to how europeans want to organise themselves and make sure that their democratic decisions are respected.

The Spanish veto to fly to Barcelona from 23 countries

2010-03-19T14:36:56Z

It is currently not possible to fly directly to 23 countries thanks to bilateral agreements that establish Madrid as the priority airport in Spain and explicitly block the possibility of flying to Barcelona. Even though Barcelona complies with all the requirements to become an intercontinental hub thanks to its privileged location in Europe and the Mediterranean.

I was always amazed at how airports of cities such as Manchester fly directly to every corner in the world and wondered why we couldn’t do that from Barcelona, how was that possible? how could Catalans be so short-sighted? Then I found the answer a few months, Spain deliberately bans it.

The successive Spanish governments have done everything at their hands to prevent Barcelona Airport from becoming the intercontinental hub it should be in fear that competition with Madrid would leave Madrid very quickly as the second airport in the Iberian peninsula. They still deny the Catalan government the management of the airport even though it’s been a claim for decades and there’s no reason why the Catalans would not be able to manage it in a better way since they know the needs of our country better than someone sitting in an office in Madrid. Not to speak of the harm that having Iberia being the monopolistic airline for so many decades has caused.

Catalonia needs the best infrastructures right now and for that the Spanish have proven not only incapable of handling the task but also deliberately harmful for Catalonia’s interests. Another reason why it is urgent for Catalonia to become independent.

Note: thanks to George from Barcelona, this article is inspired in one of his blog posts. Also, the original news here in Catalan.

An independent Catalonia will instantly become an EU member

2010-03-17T11:46:07Z

A recent study by Stanford university professor Antoni Abad was made public last February the 18th in a meeting organized by the Cercle d’Estudis Sobiranistes. The study, which can be downloaded here in pdf format in its catalan version, has demolished one of the arguments unionists recurrently used to scare catalans with: “If Catalonia becomes independent it will be kicked out of the EU and will have to ask for readmission and Spain will veto it”.

Now we know this isn’t true, when Catalonia, Scotland, the Basque Country, etc. become independent they’ll be EU members in full right. Not even the resulting Spain would have to ask for readmission. European citizenship of 7 million catalans cannot be suspended overnight and this would just be considered as and internal expansion within the EU, the new members will only have to ask for their new status to be acknowledged. Many thanks to Professor Antoni Abad for shedding light on this issue.

Note: Image sources at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/planvi/2847292427/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robdeman/2390666040

Booing? what booing? Everyone loves the King of Spain!

2010-03-16T14:56:36Z

On February the 21st a familiar scene happened again, during the final of the Basketball Spanish King’s Cup that took place in the Basque Country and faced Barça against Real Madrid (final result: Barça 80 – Real Madrid 61) while the Spanish anthem started playing on the PA the booing by the Catalan and Basque audience was so loud the anthem could not be heard. Below, the video.

This was a repetition of what happened last spring at the Football Spanish King’s Cup that faced Barça with Athletic de Bilbao. All this would just be in any normal country a fair protest that people could like or dislike but would definitely not be censored.

Last spring’s protest took the Spanish a bit by surprise and improvisation led to literally cutting the anthem (and the protests) from the live TV version. Someone in the Spanish TV was forced to resign, I believe more because they cut the Spanish anthem that because of the censorship to the protests.

But on February the Spanish had learned the lesson. Firstly, the King himself brought a special 30 second version of the anthem to make the situation as short as possible and secondly, the Spanish TV edited the sound mix on the live broadcast and didn’t show any images of the Catalan and Basque audience so that you wouldn’t notice anything. The commentator didn’t mention the booing, either. You can see the Spanish TV version below.

Let’s not forget that we’re talking about Spain, a EU member, one of the biggest economies in the world and what everyone thinks of as a “developed” country. On the other hand, not so publicized facts are that the so called “transición” to democracy didn’t involve any prosecution of the crimes committed during Franco’s regime or that the King of Spain was appointed by the dictator.

Catalonia’s independence on Euronews

2010-03-12T12:28:59Z

About a month ago the channel Euronews made an excellent documentary about Catalonia’s independence which is available online.

Even though I didn’t post it at the time I think it is interesting since it shows how the independence option not only has achieved a normality status inside Catalonia but also internationally. This is a major achievement for Catalan society which, through popular initiatives such as the referendums held on 13S, 13D and 28F, have put Catalonia’s independence in Europe’s political agenda and have shown that if Catalans want independence this time Spain won’t be able to stop it. The process has already started and it is now only a matter of time.

Laporta and Reagrupament

2010-03-16T08:55:25Z

Following the last round of referendums that took place on february the 28th and waiting for the new round of referendums that will take place on april the 25th a disruptive factor has just entered the catalan political arena. Joan Laporta, the president of Barça, has created a new website www.laporta2010.cat where he’ll explain his ideas about politics, it displays a logo with the catalan independentist flag blended with his name and advocates that “now’s the time for brave decisions”.

With a very clear independentist political discourse Laporta emerges as the leader that independentism needs right now, with center-right background this professional lawyer who has led Barça into its most glorious times is a media personality and his clear support to independentism is creating very strong reactions against him with threats and “friendly advice” coming from all sides asking him not to be a candidate to the Generalitat.

His political space would greatly overlap that of CiU’s leader Artur Mas and will likely put in jeopardy the latter’s possibilities of becoming the president of the Generalitat. I personally believe that, should he finally be a candidate, he is in a position of being anything from the 3rd force to actually winning the elections with polls confirming this. Many people might reject him because of his strong character and his frequent temper outbursts, some people object seeing a potential political leader in him, but what I think is that he’s the type of person with a character that is completely opposite from that of all of current Catalan politicians. He’ll say things very clearly, he’ll not change his independentist discourse overnight and he’s not afraid of confrontation with the Spanish and of defending Catalan interests until the last consequences, he’s the type of leader we need to make a declaration of independence.

What Laporta hasn’t made yet clear is whether he’s going to make his own political party or he’ll form a coalition with Carretero’s Reagrupament, likely since Carretero and Laporta have made several public displays of sympathy for each other and since he’s made it clear that he’ll only go as a leader his choices are limited since, ERC and CiU won’t accept him as a leader.

On the other hand, Carretero has explicitly said that he’d be happy for Laporta to lead a possible coalition with Reagrupament and go together to the next elections or a similar arrangement.

What is clear is that Reagrupament has grown to be a serious force in the next elections and probably a decisive one being backed by respected personalities such as Heribert Barrera, Moisès Broggi, Victor Alexandre, Toni Strubell and many others, gathering a very strong representation within the Catalan middle classes and adding to its cause people from very varied political backgrounds and more importantly, people who never before have been actively involved into politics. This is where the force of Reagrupament comes from since a substantial amount of the Catalan middle classes has finally realised that the real fight is not to try and make left or right wing policies, there will be no left or right wing policies until there’s no real independence and Catalonia organises itself into a state within the European Union. The strength of Reagrupament and the people behind it is becoming clearer day by day judging by the constant attacks it is suffering almost on a daily basis by the unionist media.

As a result of the growth of Reagrupament and the success of the Referendums of 13D and 28F the other political parties are forced to take positions more in favour of the independence of Catalonia and forcing the PSOE to make it clear that they are a Spanish party and that Catalonia is not its main concern.

A future candidacy led by Laporta, Carretero and Carles Móra, mayor of Arenys de Munt has the potential to destabilize the current balance of forces in the Catalan Parliament in a positive way with the potential to be the catalyst Catalonia needs to make a declaration of independence or to force whichever force was voted by the majority to organise a binding referendum of independence organised by the Generalitat, a referendum that, judging by the results in the past 13D and 28F, no doubt about it, Catalonia will overwhelmingly win. In any case, we have very interesting times ahead.

What the hell are CiU and ERC waiting for?

2010-03-08T15:23:58Z

We need the Catalan political parties (CiU and ERC) to organize a binding referendum as soon as possible and since elections are soon we need them to include this in their political program, these two parties combined have an absolute majority in the Catalan Parliament and we need them to commit to organise a referendum of independence the day after the elections.

Do CiU and ERC need a divine sign, or maybe a miracle, a lightning coming from the sky to carve in a stone in Montserrat a command telling them what they must do? Because Catalan society has spoken again and they don’t seem to listen.

Last weekend Catalan society organised itself again, fighting the news void organised by the unionist media which completely ignored the event and voted again that they want the independence of Catalonia.

Not only the results again showed that Catalans overwhelmingly want independence (94% yes vote) but even in the areas where votes do not traditionally go to the Catalan parties (CiU and ERC) where the spanish immigrants that arrived in the 60s and 70s and many of their descendants live, in areas where you’ll barey hear Catalan in the streets, even there, the results are an exact replica of the ones seen in Vic or other Catalan strongholds. They want independence because they know it’ll be the best for them. Some will say that the participation of a 21% is low but to me is a clear success considering the circumstances.

I’m wondering if the current parties are aware of what they have in their hands, I believe they do but they consciously ignore it. I don’t believe anymore that CiU’s (and ERC’s) leaders are what they say they are. I just can’t understand how neither of them are as we speak are in a meeting speaking about organizing a coalition after the elections to make a binding referendum for independence.

There’s loads of people from those two parties that have put an enormous amount of effort into organising the referendums and even some of their relevant members, like Alfons López Tena or Oriol Junqueras are 100% commited to work to help Catalonia achieve their independence but something is rotten inside those organizations, the current leaders of CiU and ERC are one of the main obstacles for Catalonia’s independence right now.

I cannot think of any more ways that Catalan society can express their desire for a binding independence referendum. In the meantime, CiU seem too busy thinking of ways to help Zapatero get Spain out the the crisis and ERC have been in a coalition government for 6 years with the PSOE and have made it possible for Montilla to be the worst president of the Generalitat to record, someone who has made every effort to turn Catalonia into a Spanish province.

Then politicians complain that there’s a low interest in politics in Catalonia, I’d say what really happens is that politicians are too busy keeping their shares of power rather than listening to what people want.

In this scenario we have two possibilities, that CiU and ERC elect new leaders that are going to move the country forward or someone needs to break the status quo in the Catalan Parliament, and the only organisation willing to do that is Reagrupament, the political association led by Joan Carretero, which has as a main target to gather a majority of deputies (no matter what party they belong to) in the Catalan Parliament and declare independence and judging by the attacks it is recently receiving is getting closer to its target every day. Also, Joan Laporta, seems to be starting his political career and he’s openly defending independence for our country.

Since the current parties seem too busy trying to save Spain instead of helping Catalonia my guess is that us Catalans have chosen the wrong representatives so far. We need change.

28F, a new round of referendums

2010-03-12T12:53:22Z

Last december the 13th was a big milestone in the history of Catalonia, more than 700000 people in 170 towns across the country where called to vote, and they did, the yes won overwhelmingly, 96% of the votes and with an excellent 28% turnout for a popular initiative with no budget and on a rainy day (you have to be Catalan to understand how hard it is to get people out of home when it rains, no matter what’s at stake) an army of volunteers acomplished the same participation that the government had for the last european elections.

Now the second round of referendums is going to take place this weekend in 79 towns. 300000 people will have the right to vote and and this time many areas with a big proportion of Catalans with a Spanish background, the Spanish immigration from the 60s and 70s, their children and grandchildren, will have the right to vote. The experience of the organizers of the first round has been used and things will run smoothly and will be better organized.

I think it is of the utmost importance that these areas also have the right to cast their vote since they we’ll need everyone’s opinion and also I believe we’ll be surprised with the results since even if many of them feel emotionally attached to Spain to various degrees they also know what is good of Catalonia is good for them, and independence will bring an improvement of their quality of life, especially to those areas, where there’s a high concentration of working and middle low classes since they will be the most benefited from the improvements in public infrastructures and services that independence will bring. I’m sure this weekend Catalonia will give another lesson on the exercise of democracy.

So now 52% of the Spanish are OK with our independence, seriously, who cares now?

2010-03-10T10:05:48Z

A new poll (link in catalan) that will be presented next friday in Madrid carried out by the UOC (just like this one) has found that 52% of the Spanish would accept Catalonia to become independent when we decide to. As I was reading it the first thought that crossed my mind was, so what?

According to that poll, 40% of Spanish people are OK with Catalonia using the right to self determination. Also, when Catalonia decides to become independent 72% of the Spanish think Spain should negotiate. But really, negotiate what? who wants to be part of a country that has proven to be a failure and might soon find itself out of the European currency? A country with a King who inherited his throne from Franco. A country that has never looked back to punish the crimes that happened after the Civil War and during the dictatorship. A country that protects fascist parties.

The poll went on to detail that a “generous” 56% would agree to give Catalonia the same treatment that the Basques and Navarra have always enjoyed (to collect their own taxes). That a ridiculous 27%, would be cool with Catalan being official in Spain. That a minuscule 32% would accept for Catalonia to have its own national sports teams.

Why negotiate with the Spanish something we will already have, and give up more, much more we will have gained the minute we decide to be free?

I wonder what would they exactly negotiate with. Will they give us back the thousands of trillions of euros they’ve stolen from the Catalans since 1714? Spain is broke. How can they compensate for 300 hundred years of oppression?

The last chance for Spain was the Statute, their short sightedness stopped them from seeing it but it will be better for us in the long run.

No, the minute after the Declaration of Independence we won’t have time to look back, we’ll be too busy working in reconstructing Catalonia, in making a country we’ll all feel proud of and where everyone who respects it will be welcome. Including the rest of the Catalan countries. The scars run deep, the wounds are serious but we are still alive. This is our last chance and freedom is not negotiable.