Catalonia Direct

International reactions to the sentence on the Catalan Statute

2010-08-30T16:39:19Z

Through a Catalan newspaper I read that Bernhard von Grünberg, a German deputy from the North Rhine-Westphalia landtag (one of the german regional parliaments) recently sent a letter to the leader of the European Socialist Party, Martin Schulz, urging him to involve the European Parliament to prevent another potential instability focus in Europe, especially after the Spanish Constitutional Court cut down the Catalan Statute that had been previously accepted by the Spanish Parliament. Mr Von Grünberg urged Mr Schulz to take action since winds of change seem to be blowing in the Spanish State.

Mr Von Grünberg also sent a letter to the Spanish Ambassador in Germany, Rafael Dezcallar. Mr Von Grünberg explained Mr Dezcallar the necessity to reform the Spanish Constitution to regulate the relationship and attributions of the Spanish Autonomous Communities, such as Catalonia, more clearly within the Spanish State.

First, I want to thank Mr Von Grünberg for showing interest in the situation in Catalonia. Even though I don’t doubt of his good intentions I think he has misjudged Spain. He probably believes that since it is a rich country that belongs to the European Union they must have a strong democratic culture. A mistake which can only be explained with the ingenuity that most people still judge Spain. Highly probably his requests are going to be in vain and all he’s likely to get from Spanish authorities is a wall of silence or some polite void of content reply.

Even though a Constitutional reform to convert Spain into a real federal state to give the nations it contains the required recognition should be the logical path to follow for a Spain that wants to remain “united” he has to understand the situation. Spain has never felt in the last several hundred years more proud and powerful than now, coming from being an chronically undeveloped and poor country to being one of the biggest economies in the world in only a few decades. Their aim has been instead to use this euphoric state to finish the job, to turn Spain into a uniform Castilian province, their 500 year old project, they obviously haven’t suceeded but their pride stops them from realising this and look for an intelligent solution.

The international opinion must also undergo the same process us Catalans have gone through to understand the situation and understand that Catalonia’s independence is, as of today, inevitable. First, we’ve done our homework, we’ve done everything that could be done. We tried to follow the established rules within the Spanish Constitution and change the Catalan Statute to create a more favorable situation. Catalans also were fooled into believing, that once Spain was rich and “democratic” it would understand Catalan demands for greater self government and recognition especially after decisively contributing for many decades to developing it. Not only Catalan demands have met with a wall of institutional hostility but also Spain refuses to accept any democratic paths that Catalonia has proposed, be it by reforming the Catalan Statute, Spanish Constitution or attempting to organise a referendum of independece and frustrating on the way the aspirations of the majority of the Catalan population of greater self-government.

The problem is that the image of Spain as an economic success is proving to be a mirage. Spain is, in fact, a subsidies dependent country. The size its economy has reached has been thanks to the generous European Subsidies for the last 20+ years plus the Catalan fiscal plundering, with the latter amounting to 22000 million euros every year. That has allowed them to build first class oversized and loss-making infrastructures and public services while avoiding a reform of its productive model by growing thanks to a an economy based on speculation and low added value activities that can now easily be relocated to cheaper countries. Now the only way for Spain’s economy is to deflate until it reaches a balance and undergo some very painful deep reforms of its productive model if it doesn’t want to get stuck in a chronic crisis but either way it is going to go through a painful recession for many years to come and this will inevitably create a focus of political instability when the problems start affecting the citizens’ pockets. Problems that, let’s not forget, have been underlying all these years but sooner or later were bound to come to the surface.

Hopefully, the result of Mr Von Grünberg’s petition will allow him and many more people internationally to understand that the best thing for Europe is for Catalonia to become an independent state within the European Union. This not only will grant Catalans the same rights as a nation as most other European nations already enjoy but also will allow Catalonia to contribute to create a stronger Europe. Europe will gain a democratic, strong, and stable ally. A prosperous economy in the Southern European and Mediterranean areas. Thank you Mr Von Grünberg.

Un nou eix a la política catalana

2010-08-23T16:23:05Z

En el darrer mes hem pogut observar les reaccions dels diferents partits parlamentaris a la sentència de l’estatut i la manifestació del 10-J. Tímidament, a contracor, sembla que els partits s’han adonat que si seguien defensant el mateix que abans se’ls veuria massa el llautó i perdrien vots. El problema és que les solucions que hem sentit fins ara són senzillament impossibles, sembla que aquests partits estan atrapats a la teranyina autonomista que han anat teixint durant 3 dècades i trencar amb aquest marc mental els resulta impossible.

Analitzem les diferents opcions que defensen. Per una banda tenim CiU, diuen que l’objectiu per al 2012 és aconseguir el Concert Econòmic que gaudeixen al País Basc i Navarra. Encara no han explicat com s’ho pensen fer això. En altres ocasions els governs espanyols han necessitat del suport de CiU per a governar i no només han estat incapaços d’aconseguir el concert, ni tan sols han aconseguit rebaixar l’escandalós dèficit fiscal que pateix Catalunya. Diuen que esperaran a després de les eleccions espanyoles per a demanar-ho. A mi això em sona una altra versió de l’”ara no toca” convergent i patim el risc que una vegada estiguin a mitja legislatura s’oblidin d’aquestes promeses i diguin allò de “ara hi ha problemes més urgents que el concert econòmic”. Amb què pensen negociar? Com pensen aconseguir-ho dins la legalitat espanyola?

Per altra banda tenim Esquerra, sembla ser que ara que s’apropen eleccions i que després de 7 anys a un govern espanyolista i veient per una banda les nul·les possibilitats que el tripartit sumi i per altra la davallada de vots que els espera malgrat i que mai hi havia hagut tants defensors de la independència, s’han enrecordat que van arribar al poder gràcies a promeses d’avançar cap a la independència. Ara diuen que només entraran al govern amb qui es comprometi a convocar un referèndum d’independència. Senyors d’Esquerra, que no s’han llegit la sentència? Que no recorden que Catalunya no pot convocar un referèndum sense l’autorització d’Espanya? que es pensen que ens deixaran fer-ho? quina bona fe. Sembla que els costi admetre que s’han equivocat, però no s’adonen que com més triguin a redirigir els seus esforços cap a solucions realistes pitjor serà la situació del país.

Finalment tenim ICV, aquí hem vist un lleuger avenç però també insuficient. Han passat a defensar que a Catalunya s’ha de convocar un referèndum per l’autogovern a on es doni a triar entre seguir com a autonomia, convertir-se en un estat federal i la independència. Aquesta estratègia no només demana un impossible, en demana tres. El primer és que, repetim, Catalunya no pot convocar referèndums dins la legalitat Espanyola. El segon és que la sentència de l’estatut ha tancat definitivament les portes a un major autogovern i per tant tant voler imposar un model d’estat federal a Espanya és risible i la independència és impossible dins la legalitat espanyola.

Com a votant els exigeixo un detall de les accions polítiques que pensen fer per a arribar, dins de la legalitat espanyola i en l’escenari post-sentència a aconseguir els objectius que proposen. Però la realitat és que ells esperen i esperen, amb les enquestes a la mà, que passin les eleccions el més ràpid possible i que la davallada no sigui massa gran, mentrestant el país es desangra.

Ara per ara, l’única solució realista i amb seny, i que després de la recent sentència del Tribunal Internacional de Justícia és impecable dins la legalitat internacional és la declaració unilateral d’independència.

Resulta curiós com la sentència de l’estatut ha fet caure les màscares i ha creat un nou eix a la política catalana. Els partits de gestió de l’autonomia (CiU, PSOE-C, ICV, Esquerra) i les alternatives sobiranistes, les quals ara per ara són totes extraparlamentàries.

AlJazeera: Catalonia Rallies For Independence

2010-08-20T16:27:44Z

The Spanish Ombudsman appeals the Catalan Welcoming and Integration Law

2010-08-19T19:16:19Z

One of the first consequences of the Catalan Statute sentence passed last month by the Spanish Constitutional Court. The Catalan Welcoming and Integration Law says that immigrants who arrive in Catalonia will be welcomed in Catalan to acomplish this the Generalitat (the Catalan Government) offers free Catalan courses. Now the Spanish Ombudsman is appealing this law to the Spanish Constitutional Court and wants this to change so that they are welcomed in Castilian-Spanish instead (link in Catalan). This makes no sense since the language in Catalonia is obviously Catalan, not Castilian.

Catalonia has seen its immigration rate increase from almost 0 to 10% of its population in the last decade. In any country this would be a problem that could potentially cause social unrest and lack of integration if not dealt with properly but in countries with a state this problem can more easily be dealt with since the government can enforce effectively that newcomers learn the local language. It is since Catalonia lacks a state that this becomes a problem.

Historically, the language in Catalonia has been the best integration tool and Catalonia has been able to survive because Catalans are an integrating culture where as long as you learn the language you will be adopted as a Catalan.

As an example of this there’s the success of the Catalan school language immersion policy of the last 30 years where the teaching language is Catalan. This has decisively contributed to creating a more integrated society with equal opportunities and to expand the use of Catalan to certain layers of society like the descendants of the waves of Spanish immigrants that had arrived in Catalonia during Franco’s dictatorship who due to the ban on Catalan were not able to learn it.

The reason behind this is that lately Spain is increasing their pressure against the stateless nations within the Spanish state such as Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galice.

By appealing this law it is intended that the immigrants who arrive in Catalonia learn Castilian-Spanish first. You can imagine the consequences of having an high amount of the population of your country that can’t speak the language and which are the intentions behind this move.

Now, the Ombudsman is supposed to defend the rights of the Spanish citizens. If they did believe that Catalan citizens are Spanish it would be their priority to preserve Catalan culture. However, it seems that the Spanish ombudsman only has the Castilian-Spanish interests in mind.

Therefore we must infer that to the Spanish Ombudsman Catalans are not Spanish.

Photo Oriol Lladó

Los Angeles Times: Spain’s economic troubles spur Catalonia’s separatists to take new tack

2010-08-22T05:53:18Z

I recommend this excellent article on Catalonia recently published in Los Angeles Times written by Henry Chu.

It seems that international media are slowly realising that the best way to inform about the Catalan conflict is to get first hand information instead of the usual Spanish-biased point of view after just reading a bunch of newspapers published in Madrid. Serious newspapers can’t afford that lack of professionalism.

Let’s hope that slowly the international understanding of Catalonia’s struggle increases. It’ll definitely come in handy for all sides when the declaration of independence finally arrives.

Reporting from Barcelona, Spain — The economy is flailing, unemployment is sky-high and painful government cutbacks lie ahead. Now is the time, it would seem, for the people of Spain to pull together.

To Joan Puigcercos, it’s all the more reason to split up.

A resident of wealthy Catalonia here in the sunny northeastern corner of the country, Puigcercos blames Spain’s economic woes on the government in Madrid and what he sees as its irresponsible and discriminatory ways.

Read the full article at latimes.com

Photo by Toniu

In a nutshell: What is Catalonia and why it wants independence

2010-08-20T18:17:02Z

Catalonia is one of the oldest European nations. Located on the north eastern side of the Iberian peninsula with a current population if 7.5 million people. It has its own culture, language and traditions. Until 1714 was an independent state with its own government, laws, constitution and institutions. It has one of the oldest democratic traditions having created the first Parliament in mainland Europe during the middle ages.

In 1714, after the defeat in the succession war the Castilians imposed their language, dismantled the Catalan institutions and committed a cultural and historical genocide attempting to erase any historical traces that portrayed Catalonia as a leading nation in Europe and the Mediterranean.

Catalonia has throughout history played an important role as one of the richest areas commercially thanks to its privileged location and during the 19th century becoming the first industrialised area in Southern Europe and continuing to this day thanks to its long entrepreneurial tradition. It is also a cultural pole with decisive contributions to western culture.

The 20th century brought a civil war, two dictatorships and even further efforts to make Catalonia become a Castillian (Spanish) province by actively prosecuting and illegalizing public use of the language and culture and banning Catalonia’s claims for self-rule. Fortunately, the Catalan nation has resisted all efforts to make it disappear.

Since the death of Franco in 1975, with the Bourbon restoration and Spain closely watched by western countries, Spain attempted to clean their image (that of a developing, poor, old-fashioned and backwards country) and to project an image of a democratic country which respects the nations that compose it. Unfortunately, this was only a mirage.

The restoration of the Spanish monarchy never led to a prosecution of the fascist regime that preceded it and therefore the foundations of the state and its Constitution are heavily rooted in the previous regime. The current Spanish constitution only recognises the existence of one nation, the Spanish one and doesn’t give Catalan language an official status. Amongst other things, it gives the army permission to act against secession attempts. The Spanish legal system is heavily politicized and dependent of the Castillian interests creating a de facto first class nation, (the Castillian-Spanish one) and several second class nations: Catalan, Basque and Galician. Catalonia is currently an Autonomous Community inside the Spanish state and has the same status and degree of self-government as the Spanish provinces which are not nations.

Catalonia currently sustains an unparalleled fiscal plundering of 10% of its GDP, around 22000 million Euros every year, which equates to about 3000 Euros per Catalan citizen. There are no control mechanisms or possibilities of negotiation for wealth redistribution inside of Spain and the process lacks transparency since the latest official data available is from 2005. After wealth redistribution Catalonia loses 8 positions in the Spanish welfare ranking starting as 3rd and ending up below the Spanish average on the 11th position. In federal countries this redistribution is limited and controlled, ranging from 2% (ie Canada) to 4% (Germany) of the GDP of the richest regions. Unlike in Spain, wealth redistribution in federal countries is generally limited so that rich regions don’t go down in welfare status because of this.

Catalan, though it is the 10th European language in number of speakers is not official in Europe, even though languages with less speakers such as Danish, Finnish, Norwegian or even Maltese with only a few thousand are. Spain actively lobbies and bans Catalan national teams from entering official competitions and coerces Catalan players to play in Spanish national teams with the threat of disqualification from official competitions if they don’t. Spain holds bilateral agreements which ban flights to Barcelona airport from more than 30 international destinations. The list is endless.

The chronic lack of infrastructures in Catalonia caused by the fiscal plundering is now, in a crisis environment, heavily damaging the possibilities of the Catalan economy to recover. Examples of this are a third class airport, most of the toll motorways in the Spanish state and no railway that links the Mediterranean coast with Europe.

The financial plundering is unsustainable and the impoverishment rate is alarming with 20% unemployment and all important economical decisions are made 700km away in Madrid not only ignoring Catalonia’s interests but against them.

Catalan institutions are equivalent to a Colonial Parliament where almost any law approved at the Catalan Parliament can be overridden by a Spanish law if they don’t like it and the attributions are mostly limited to the management of certain public services such as education, healthcare and the police with no real decision power. As an example, Spain are currently looking for a formula to counter the recent bullfighting ban in Catalonia voted by the Catalan Parliament.

Catalan culture is also threatened, even though historically the Catalan language has been the best tool for integration of the immigration lack of power to enforce its use is making it quickly lose shares of usage with a growth of immigration from practically 0 to more than 10% of the Catalan population in the last 10 years causing social unrest and unbalances.

Catalonia has tried all possible ways to improve its situation and now, after 150 years of attempting to fit inside of Spain, having decisively contributed to Spain’s development to become the 8th biggest economy in the world Catalonia has seen any attempt of greater self-governance to improve its situation frustrated by the lack of democratic culture in Spain.

The last chapter of the new Statute from 2006, the law that defines Catalonia’s self-government within Spain, which granted slightly improved self governance, was approved by 90% of the Catalan Parliament. It was heavily watered down by the Spanish Parliament but later was approved in a referendum by the Catalans. Finally, it was appealed by the Spanish parties to the Spanish Constitutional Court and further cut by this highly politically biased court acting like a de facto legislative chamber rather than as an independent law court. This has cut any aspirations of greater self-government inside of Spain forever, leaving the new Statute even worse in most aspects than the previous one. Even the most conservative layers of society in Catalonia have been disappointed, leaving independence as the only way forward for Catalonia.

For all these reasons we believe that it is not only a matter of identity but also a matter of pure survival for Catalonia to achieve independence democratically and to become a state within the European Union as soon as possible.

The benefits are multiple. Europe will gain a rich, stable and democratic commercial ally in Southern Europe that has the potential to become the 4th richest state in the European Union. It would also be a pole of stability in the Southern European area and the gate to commerce with Asia in Europe with (once the fiscal plundering is over) first class infrastructures and an economy based in added value activities achieved through excellence in education.

Catalonia has all the ingredients to become, once independent, an advanced country with a high degree of democracy and social welfare rivaling the most advanced countries in the world and that is why we ask you to spread the word about our democratic struggle to regain our independence. Thank you.

Picture courtesy of Xavi Bassols

I’ll start posting the sources to the data, I’ll try to find them in english but most times the sources will only be available in Catalan or Spanish.

The Spanish Constitution – 1978 PDF in English. Section 2, Section 3 articles 1 and 8
Wikipedia article on the Nueva Planta decrees that abolished Catalan institutions and government in 1714 in English
Spain’s legal system rates 60 out of 133 in judicial independence just after Nigeria in the Global Competitiveness Report 2009-2010 by the World Economic Forum
Latest data (from 2005) published in 2008 by the Spanish Government on the fiscal balances PDF in Spanish
Fundació Josep Irla – Estimation of the fiscal balances between the autonomous communities and the Spanish State 1979-2005 PDF in Catalan
Summary of results of the report on the Catalan fiscal balances of the period 1986-2001 by the experts group of the Catalan Government PDF in Catalan
Summary of results of the report on the Catalan fiscal balances of the period 2002-2005 by the experts group of the Catalan Government PDF in Catalan
The Spanish Ombudsman appeals to the Spanish Constitutional Court the Catalan Welcoming and Integration Law that says Immigrants in Catalonia will be welcomed in Catalan so that they are welcomed in Castilian-Spanish instead Link to news in Catalan
PP will promote a law in the Spanish Parliament to overturn the Catalan Bullfighting Ban approved by the Catalan Parliament Link to news in Spanish
Spanish Consitutional Court’s sentence on the Catalan Statute PDF in Spanish
Fresno Case of Spanish lobbying against Catalan national teams Link in English and in Catalan
Cercle d’Estudis Sobiranistes – Economic studies, graphs and data about Catalonia Link in Catalan
Cercle Català de Negocis – PDF presentations and data with sources about Catalonia’s fiscal plundering and the economic viability of a Catalan State within the EU Link in Catalan
Barcelona airport is banned from flying to 23 countries Link in Catalan and article in CataloniaDirect in english
Sample of Spanish media promoting anti Catalan racism Link to my article and to the original poll in Spanish

Crida per una sola candidatura que declari la independència de Catalunya

2010-08-03T17:17:05Z

Us faig arribar un manifest signat per 17 membres de Reagrupament de l’estranger, agrupats a la Vegueria d’Exteriors, en representació dels 74 membres de la Vegueria i que expressa el nostre posicionament en referència als esdeveniments produïts darrerament a l’escena política independentista.

Els catalans residents a l’estranger, reagrupats o simpatitzants a favor de la independència, reunits dins de la Vegueria d’Exteriors, volem manifestar la nostra perplexitat a la fragmentació produïda en les darreres setmanes en torn a la candidatura unitària i transversal que proclami la independència al Parlament de Catalunya.

Des de l’exterior dels Països Catalans els catalans que vivim a Alemanya, Brasil, França, Euskadi, Suïssa, Canada, Estats Units, Finlàndia, Holanda, Escòcia, Anglaterra, Bèlgica, Colòmbia, Argentina, Sudàfrica, Irlanda, Bahrain i Mèxic estem duent tot tipus d’activitats per difondre i guanyar el suport internacional per la independència de la nació catalana. En aquest sentit entre altres activitats, hem organitzat la manifestació de Brussel·les i Ginebra, hem creat i organitzar els referèndums a Holanda, Suïssa, Irlanda, Essen, Hamburg i Toronto i actualment estem col·laborant amb el d’Estats Units. També col·laborem amb el col·lectiu Emma en donar resposta a les noticies esbiaixades que es publiquen els mitjans de comunicació internacionals.

Tota aquesta tasca que hem realitzat i la que en aquests moments estem fent per ajudar a fer entendre als ciutadans de tot el món la reivindicació de la independència de Catalunya, s’ha realitzat d’acord amb la idea d’aconseguir que la comunitat internacional ens doni suport que quan el Parlament proclami la independència. Creiem que totes aquestes accions que s’està duent a terme, tant a Catalunya amb els referèndums populars i la gran Manifestació del 10J, com les que s’han fet o es pugin continuar realitzant a l’estranger, no serviran de res si a la institució de màxima representació democràtica dels catalans com és el Parlament de Catalunya no hi ha un grup nombrós de diputats disposats a proclamar la independència.

Per aconseguir-ho, fem una crida perquè només hi hagi una candidatura unitària de tots els independentistes que estem d’acord amb la proclamació d’independència al Parlament. Creiem que ningú pot obviar la feina i el treball que milers d’independentistes que pertanyien a diferents grups o partits polítics hem realitzat durant aquests darrers dos anys que han permès arribar en un context històric molt favorable a aconseguir la llibertat de la nació catalana. En aquest sentit i considerant el poc temps que queda fins a la convocatòria d’eleccions, estimem que la candidatura ha de ser a partir d’una coalició de tots els partits o grups polítics, més que la d’una candidatura tancada basada en un sol partit o grup polític.

Per això celebrem la crida que ha fet Joan Carretero el dissabte 31 de Juliol a Arenys de Munt a fer una coalició entre Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, Reagrupament Independentista, Solidaritat Catalana i la resta de partits i grups polítics que hi estan d’acord amb la candidatura per proclamar la independència.

Els sotasignats fem una crida al seny, a la seriositat i sobretot al patriotisme de tothom, principalment als líders de cadascuna de les formacions polítiques independentistes perquè al final s’arribi a un acord per aconseguir la candidatura més potent i unitària, que permeti proclamar la independència de Catalunya.

Sotasignats

Manel Bargalló – Consultor d’una multinacional alemanya (Kalrsruhe – Alemanya)

Miquel Marzabal – Dissenyador gràfic (Amsterdam – Països Baixos)

Albert Martí – Consultor de telecomunicacions (Guadalajara – Mèxic)

Marc Esteve – Economista (Dublín – Irlanda)

Matilde Romagosa – Hamburg Decideix (Hamburg – Alemanya)

Venceslau Pons – Filòleg (Cracòvia – Polònia)

Anna Ginestí – Filòloga Clàssica (Munic – Alemanya)

Josep Lluís Pérez de Arce – President del Casal Català de Toronto (Toronto – Canadà)

Pere Baladron – President del Casal Català d’Essen (Essen – Alemanya)

Josep Graupera – Empresari (Bucaramanga – Colòmbia)

Francesc Aran – Empresari (Bahia – Brasil)

Dolors Ferrer – Empresària (Zurich – Suïssa)

Francesc Xavier Gómez-Olivé – Metge ( Sudàfrica)

Mercer Batista – Artista (Amsterdam – Països Baixos)

Josep Font – Empresari (Buenos Aires – Argentina)

Salvador Constant – Informàtic (Tennessee – Estats Units)

Carme Calderer – Presidenta del Casal Català de Minneapolis (Minnesota – Estats Units)

En nom del 74 membres de la Vegueria d’Exteriors de Reagrupament

Això és Solidaritat?

2010-07-30T23:44:39Z

Primer de tot vull deixar clar que sóc associat a Reagrupament i des d’aquest punt de vista parlo avui.

Des d’aquestes línies jo mateix vaig donar la benvinguda fa una setmana i mitja a en Laporta, en Bertran i en Tena. Me n’alegro que s’hagin adonat que la millor manera d’aconseguir la independència és la declaració d’independència. Si finalment tots arribem a la mateixa conclusió tothom és benvingut.

A la seva presentació com a Solidaritat Catalana per la Independència aquests senyors van dir que ells no tenien cap tipus d’ambició personal per a presentar-se a una candidatura al Parlament. Una setmana després diuen que vist que els partits parlamentaris no s’hi afegeixen (cosa força previsible, per altra banda) volen canviar el format, en comptes d’una coalició volen impulsar un partit per a les eleccions i presentar-se com a candidats. El primer que em va sobtar va ser que malgrat i que Reagrupament van ser els únics que els van donar suport des del primer dia els fundadors de l’SCI se’n van desmarcar en tot moment i em va sorprendre l’absència de membres destacats d’RCat tant a la presentació com a altres actes.

Poc a poc han aclarit que volen convertir aquesta Solidaritat Catalana en un clon de Reagrupament amb una còpia idèntica dels seus principis. Diuen que dintre de menys d’un mes i mig volen celebrar una assemblea i muntar una candidatura que si guanya les eleccions declararà la independència. Disculpin un moment, això ja existeix, es diu Reagrupament. Té 3500 associats i una candidatura oberta i votada en una assemblea fa uns dies. Em torno a mirar la web d’RCat per a veure si han canviat els seus objectius fundacionals però no, tot segueix igual. Així, existint Reagrupament i havent mostrat l’ampli suport que tenen, em sembla totalment il·lògic reinventar la roda quan el més lògic seria afegir-se a l’associació, la qual sempre ha deixat clar que té les portes obertes i tirar tots endavant, tenim molt poc temps.

Després m’entero que no només volen fer un clon d’RCat sinó que en comptes de guanyar nous membres per al seu projecte estan intentant de formes bastant barroeres captar membres de Reagrupament per a afegir-los al seu projecte. Malgrat i que és totalment lícit ho trobo força lamentable moralment i que no facilitarà les coses de cara a crear una candidatura conjunta. Que és el que al final haurà de passar si tant SCI com RCat volen tenir possibilitats al Parlament. Per no parlar del dany ja causat per la lamentable imatge que s’està donant de desunió, lluites internes i personalismes que certament no ens beneficia.

Després, parlant amb altres associats, que estan igual de perplexos que jo amb el comportament d’SCI, i reflexionant arribo a la conclusió que hi ha dues possibles explicacions per al que està passant. Una, la que vull pensar que és, que en Tena i en Bertran han vist que perdrien protagonisme mediàtic i relevància als seus partits degut a que la via del referèndum ha quedat definitivament tancada i volen garantir la seva supervivència política. I dues, la que m’agradaria poder descartar i que suposaria que els senyors Tena i Bertran estan intentant debilitar Reagrupament per encàrrec. Malgrat i que no m’agraden les teories conspiratòries no oblidem que fins dilluns aquests senyors estaven afiliats als dos partits que tindrien més interessos en desmuntar l’amenaça que suposa Reagrupament. En qualsevol dels dos casos això que estan fent els desqualifica com a potencials representants a una futura candidatura unitària. El dany que estan causant a un moviment ja sotmès a constants atacs mediàtics de l’establishment espanyolista i dependentista no justifica les seves suposades bones intencions.

Com a associat em reafirmo en el meu suport a Reagrupament i dir que només ens queden dues coses. Una, seguir treballant per a construïr una alternativa independentista sòlida al Parlament i segon, com imagino que passarà, quan l’SCI s’hagi definit ja es negociarà una coalició tenint en compte els suports que hagin aconseguit.

El que no s’entendria, i serien castigats pels votans, seria que aquesta SCI no es presentés juntament amb Reagrupament, encara que repeteixo, els mètodes que estan utilitzant realment no facilitaran una coalició posterior, haurien de clarificar quant abans millor les seves intencions i motius. Finalment, a títol personal, vull mostrar el meu rebuig cap a aquesta maniobra prepotent, personalista i destructiva dels senyors Laporta, Tena i Bertran. Esperem que sàpiguen rectificar, encara estan a temps. Pel bé de Catalunya.

No more bullfighting in Catalonia

2010-08-17T16:40:56Z

Catalan Parliament has finally approved to ban bullfighting in Catalonia. This decision has attracted much foreign media attention and surprise for its supposed meaning coming from a country which is now inside the Spanish state. Even though it was popular in Catalonia many decades ago and Barcelona even had at one point 3 bullfighting rings those have progressively closed as people lost interest and now there’s only one left open. Nowadays bullfighting “shows” in Barcelona are practically only attended by tourists brought in for the show from nearby towns, mistakenly thinking they’re watching a popular local tradition.

The bullfighting ban was promoted by an animal rights association and it was decided that this time Catalan deputies would have freedom to vote, since every other time they must vote according to the party’s guidelines and therefore the pro bullfighting Spanish lobbies have been pressuring very strongly each deputy whose vote wasn’t clear.

The Spanish have taken this ban as an offense, even though the Canary Islands banned it back in 1991, since they see this as an attack to their fragile national identity, based in symbols such as bullfighting, especially if this initiative comes from Catalonia, a country where latest polls show that a majority of people want independence and where a few days ago more than a million people took the streets of Barcelona to defend Catalonia’s right to regain its independence.

On the other hand, most people in Catalonia just see this ban as a normal and logical step towards a more civilised society where animal torture has no space in public shows. The ban will come into full effect in 2012 and no more bullfights will be allowed

International press coverage:

Spanish tantrums and the Streisand effect

2010-07-28T13:19:07Z

An excellent example of the Streisand effect, when someone tries to hide information but the internet amplifies it. The Spanish and their love for censorship have achieved just the opposite to what they originally intended with an interview from the public Irish TV (RTE) to a Catalan girl in Barcelona right after the World Cup final. The girl in question says “I hate Spain, I am Catalan not Spanish. Spanish people is idiot”. . (Correction) The Spanish embassy in Dublin have sent an official letter of complaint to RTE regarding the interview.

By the way, if you want to see a Spanish tantrum wait until tomorrow. The Catalan Parliament are voting whether to ban bullfighting in Catalonia or not. What started in Catalonia as a debate to stop a barbaric tradition with barely no supporters has been interpreted by the Spanish as a national issue, an offense and an attack to their national identity (even though the Canary Islands forbid them almost two decades ago and noone cared), go figure. We’ll see what happens, I’ll keep you updated.