Spain vs Catalonia in the middle of EU - why no one is taking care of solving it without an armed confrontation
In the middle of our European Union, in one of the country member, Spain, an autonomous region, called Catalonia is holding a referendum on October 1 to decide to stay in Spain, as part of the Kingdom or become an independent republic.
Without arguing all the historical issues and who has more right to decide the future of this region, Spain or Catalonia, the fact is that Catalonia has decided to hold this referendum.
In the last week a lot of pressure was put from the Spanish central government to prevent any action to allow the referendum, there were some decision of the central constitutional court of Spain which ordered to cancel all the activity about the referendum and there were some decisions taken by the Catalonian government to prevent the enforcement of the central government rules in Catalonia.
Due to this institutional conflict on Friday Spain has decided to act unilaterally in the region, sending the paramilitary police Guardia Civil to arrest some Catalonian leaders, involved in organizing the referendum, in the seizure of 9 mio of poll cards and take over of the financial institution of the "de facto " break away local government of Catalonia.
It is to notice that the Catalonian government, during all the years of autonomy from the central Madrid government, has implemented also a modern equipped and relevant in power local police force, named Mossos d'esquadra (cca 17.000 armed policemen), which seems to represent the real military threat to the central Spanish government. Due to that, in the last 24 h, the central Ministry of Interior Affairs decided, or better ordered to take over the control also the local police forces, but seems that the Mossos d´esquadra has refused any interference from Madrid and will back up the Catalonian government instead.
Still trying to prevent any referendum activity and in order to take over the control directly with the force, Madrid has decided to send to Catalonia his police and paramilitary armed force. The really funny issue is that to avoid any street protest, the central government sent the police reinforcement per sea using 3 commercial ferry boats, one of them painted with figures from Looney Tunes (amazing). All the 3 ships are docked in the Barcelona harbor and are there to function as local base for central police forces.
This is really quite strange and not per EU standard, if a police force, with all legal power overall Spain has to come with a Looney Tunes commercial ship as camouflage to take over a control is a bad choice and will just push ahead the Catalonian to vote and also will likely work against Spain interests allowing also the "non still decided"voters and the moderated voters "against" to cast the vote to leave Spain.
I personally enjoyed a lot every holiday in Spain, should be Catalonia (Barcelona) or Madrid or the Canarian island, but this time I am not following the movements of the Spanish central government. Preventing to search a constructive dialogue (which is the only right way) with the break away region, which has more than 7 million inhabitants, trying to show just the muscles to keep control over this region, without having any real feeling with the local population, which is predominantly Catalonian, will bring this issue to levels which we never have seen in the EU.
EU is a democratic union of states and it is quite embarrassing to watch or listen to a complete black out of the EU institution about this issue. No one in Bruxelles is acting like a leader, no one is taking any care or trying to prevent what is already on the bad path to move ahead to an armed confrontation in the middle of the EU between 2 well armed police forces (hoping excluding the military power), which will defend each the law and the orders of its own government.
Recently, in the 90 we have seen just one similar scenario in the Balkans (Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia) and we all know the results. There were 3 civil wars, a lot of killed persons and damages, but by the end 3 news states were formed. The scenario was very similar, somebody from Belgrade central state tried to size local government buildings, stop financial transaction to prevent autonomy and finally sending police and military force to take over with force the break away local government. The answer was to cut electrical power, water, food and communication to the military barracks, to arrest central police and military officers and sometimes also family members, to block all the infrastructures (bridges, highways, airport, harbors) with tractors, lorries, containers and civil heavy equipment and unfortunately after the first shot, started the Balkan war, but........no central government anymore.
So why nobody is handling this issue in a modern way. Seems that after the last events, Catalonia probably will become a new state and not due to the referendum, which before the Spanish forced intervention in the area, had a quite negative prevision of success, but after this week, is becoming relevant and probably overwhelming positive for secession from Spain.
Is that worth ? Is that really the best solution to have once again new borders in the EU ? This time, taking in consideration also all the possible bad behavior of the Catalonian government, I have to say : Spain, please cool down this issue, allow the referendum and accept the result trying to achieve the best result for the rest of Spain, but withdraw the "Looney Tunes" Armada, because there is no need of any bullet shoot in Catalonia, really not. You can live as good neighbours also in the future even if Catalonia will be an Independent Republic achieving a 700 old dream. Please Spain: note that allowing a referendum is part of democracy as well please Catalonia, accepting the negative result of the referendum is also part of democracy !!
All the best to Spain and Catalonia and do not allow a single shot, because the reaction chain is just more blood and we, in Europe want peace and I wish you both to have the wisdom to fight for your ideas without guns, rifles and similar stupidity.
thanks for this contribute and hoping all will work out nicely
CATALONIA IS SPAIN: some politicians want an illegal secession from Spain, ILLEGAL FAKE VOTING!
Imagine that Babaria in Germany wants to separate from Germany, or that Provence wants to separate from France, or California wants to separate from the USA.
Do you think that Germany, France or the USA would allow such secession to happen?
Obviously not, because they are integral parts of their countries, the same than Catalonia is an integral part of Spain since the times before the Roman Invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.
If such an attempt of secession would happen on those countries, they will apply the law to stop it and the police and even the army to enforce the law because that is the reason of being of the police and the army.
That's exactly what is happening in Spain, the law, the Spanish Constitution and the orders from the Judges are being applied to stop an illegal voting instigated by the insurgent regional government in Catalonia.
The police is closing the places where the illegal voting is attempted and seizing all the illegal material, but the police are finding resistance and violence from some people with wounded people and police as result. The police need to use the proportional force when required to complete the work that the judges have ordered them with to enforce the law.
Catalonia is an integral part of Spain and it will always continue to be, that is not negotiable.
In the S.XX the secessionist took us to a Civil War, we are now heading to a similar situation so a future second Civil War in Spain is unfortunately now possible. We hope that this time the international community, Europe, and the UN supports the democratic government of Spain to reject the insurgent secessionists and avoid war.
Catalonia already had an autonomous government with more powers that the government of Scotland have
But what the politicians from the Catalonia region want is not self-governing, that they already have, but complete secession from Spain and that is utterly impossible.
Spaniards are very friendly and peacefull people but we cannot allow some local politicians to execute a secession are steal part of Spain from all the Spanish people.
CATALONIA IS SPAIN
thanks for yr explanation,, but .....Freedomvigilante...... (freedom is freedom, also the freedom to vote, freedom to choose new path, freedom to leave of join !!!) for sure till now Catalonia was part of Spain, but after what I saw yesterday (full-geared policemen beating old women, throwing peoples around, confronting even firefighters and using force to enter schools for limiting a popular election, even not in conformity with the Costitution of one of the member of EU, I think that the Government of Spain has made a big mistake using inapropriate force without any reason. Please note that Spain should also take care of international convention and the Memorandum of EU and should never use NEVER, NEVER military or paramilitary forces against its population, as we both agree that untill October 1, Catalonia people was part of Spain and no one should beaten them like the pictures below.
Very simply: People has the right of autodetermination and it is just a question of time to get it hoping not to see picture like yesterday one from Catalonia (absolutely part of Spain still today!!)
I wish all the best both to Spain and Catalonia to find a mutual or independent way without armed forces involved in beating normal and peacefull people.
I have to agree, really disappointed about the way of handling, brutal force never pays!!!
It is stealing my land, and we are ready to fight for it. On the 6th of October of 1934 Campanys declared the Catalonian State and we went to the first Civil War. Now 83 years later, on the 4th of October Puigndemont is going the declare again the Catalonian State, and we will win the war again!
mah, everybody is free to do what he wants, but in my opinion both parties should start dialagoue, which for 8 years one part of Spanish politics (not all) refused and not fight, as you are writing, then up to you what to do, I respect all the opinion, but still thinking you are wrong and allow me to adjust yr statement that 1934 was a little different Europe as it is today and I hope you are not dreaming about the Europe of 1934. My post was originally about why a state is using Looney Tunes ships for transferring national police to Catalonia, but after October 1 violence I think that a lot change.....and brutal force never pays, as I stated yesterday !!
no sir, you are wrong, be sure that after the first military intervention, as you are suggesting and innocent blood someone will take care about this issue, because Spain today is part of EU and we all are citizens of EU and it is forbidden to send military force against people. If that should happen then Spain risks to be suspended from EU and there were already cases about that in the past with other EU members for really little issues, so this is not the way of handling this situation anymore.
I regret to have seen GC beating people just for preventing a vote and failing to prevent anyting, this was the wrong way. If the referendum was illegal as you are writing, should still happened but not be recognized and managed as never happened , but seems someone was scarry about the results of a referendum to try to prevent it.