Thanks to Xavier from Buscaraons for keeping me up to date about what is going on in Catalonia.
And what's new?
Well, for the last week or so the news and the political stablishment have been heads over heels as a result of Catalonia's new charter.
Here you have what Yahoo News says about it:
Fri Sep 30,10:41 PM ET
MADRID, Spain - Catalonia's parliament approved a new charter Friday that called the wealthy region in northeastern Spain "a nation," wording that has some worried that the region is heading toward a break with Spain.Catalonia's semiautonomous parliament had gone through weeks of heated debates on changes to the charter, which defines its status within Spain.
"Catalonia is a nation," according to the first article in the 52-page charter, which the regional parliament approved with a 120-15 vote.
Spain's national parliament needs to approve the charter in order for it to become valid, but some constitutional experts warn that it may be unconstitutional. Opposition conservatives argue it represents another step toward the dismemberment of Spain.
He, the phrase "Catalonia is a nation" must be like rubbing Habanero peppers directly into the rear of fascistoid Neo-Francoists like José María Aznar, Mariano Rajoy and their puppets at the Partido Popular. And I bet it is also making some members of the PSOE quite upset.
But why?
Well, Spain clings to its colonialist past. They believe that once they were among the big shots in Europe. It was back then when they owned most of the American continent, islands in the Pacific Ocean and large swaths of land in Africa. They also had some colonies in Europe itself: Navarre, Catalonia, Montenegro.
Today Spain is just one more country in Europe, and if today they have an economy that moves to awe and respect, they owe it, ironically, to Catalonia and Euskal Herria (formerly known as Navarre).
One freakish consequence of this is that today there is Spaniards that believe in the freedom and independence of places like Tibet, Palestine and Chechnya, but for some reason, they strongly oppose the same for the continental colonies that Spain refuses to let go.
Even worst, Spain has been catching some flak lately due to the waves of Subsaharian immigrants swarming the cyclonic fences of Ceuta and Melilla, their enclaves in Northern Africa.
Many Spanish youth recriminate their government for its treatment of this immigrants, yet, not too many demand from their government the hand over of this two cities to Morocco.
Rodriguez Zapatero and many others (this morning I saw José Bono being interviewed by TVE), insist on the violation to the Constitution, as if constitutiosn could not be amended.
The members of the PP refer to the Constitution and also put special emphasis in concepts like territorial integrity and Balkanization. Remember, the worst crimes during the Balkan wars were commited by Belgrade against Sarajevo and Dubrovnik, not the other way around. So, if tomorrow Madrid unleashes war and terror against Catalonians, Basques and Galizans, it will be the One Spain Under God bunch who will be at fault.
One last thing, this whole issue debunks one more misconception of the situation in Spain, until today the most backwards sectors in that country insisted that the Basque were crazy and against the will of the rest of the Spaniards when demanding self determination, now we can see that there is other "Spaniards" that think the way the Basques do.
Time always proves right those who stand on the side of justice and reason.
In the mean time:
Gora Catalunya Askatuta!
Vica Catalunya Lliure!
.... ... .
Aleksu:
ReplyDeleteIt,s not the colonial past that the espanolistes ràncides like Jimenez Losantos cling to- it,s the union between Ferran and Isabella that created the first state.
However, the espanyolistes keep fogetting some salient facts
1) the Kingdom of Aragon maintained its autonomy, kept its institutions, raised its own army and minted its money
It was only under the colassal pressure of the 30 years war that provoked Olivares to undermine Catalan political autonomy (The French were even worse as the Rosellonesos have learnt)
The coup de grâce occured at the end of the war of the Spanish succession (which we can thank the Brits for abandoning the Catalan) and the decret de la nova planta
Never forget that both national parties look to French centralism for ideas- whether it's the jacobin for the left or the royal republicanism
for the right. Never in Spain's medeival history or during the early years of the union between Isabel and Ferran