Publicat al bloc del Col.lectiu Emma
We recommend the article: “How to lose regions and alienate people” by Matthew Parris published on The Times.
An excerpt:
The Catalan bid for independence has been handled shockingly by Madrid. Spain could learn a lot from the UK
It’s a fair bet that Alex Salmond, a man who believes in Celtic tigers and the Arc of Prosperity, believes in Father Christmas too. The Scottish First Minister’s letter to Santa this weekend could be short and heartfelt. “Dear Mr Claus, Please send me the Government of Spain to handle my bid for Scottish independence. I’m getting desperate. Love, Alex XXX” We British run down our politics and politicians, but take some seasonal cheer from a worse mess. Come here to Catalonia to see in all its horror the horlicks our European partners can make of democracy.
(…) Madrid has begun a hot-headed bout of sabre-rattling. Central government wants to end Catalan’s status as the medium of instruction in schools — and demands that the language be ranked behind English in the curriculum. This is insulting, and meant to be.
And the latest insult is outlandish: Madrid is threatening that if devolved authorities do not agree to nationally directed spending cuts, autonomy could be abolished. “Devolution was created to solve the Basque and Catalan problem,” says an unnamed senior PP official, “but those problems are actually getting worse and the cost of all this is no longer affordable.”
(…) Barking at Catalans that the army’s ready, their Parliament may be abolished, and anyway the EUwill kick them out, can only make things worse. Catalonia will have its referendum, whatever Madrid commands; and though it could just be within Madrid’s power to scare and harry so that enough Catalans lose their nerve for the “no” vote to gain the edge, this would be no way to bring unity.
