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Written by Jordi OriolaFolch
Spain has always refused to negotiate with the Catalans over a referendum on self-determination. And, when in 2017 this peaceful social movement self-organised a referendum, the Spanish state again denied the political debate and sought to criminalise the movement through the judiciary. Spain wanted to defeat Catalan independence at any cost, and gave the judges a free hand: they imprisoned politicians and activists, dismissed two presidents of the Catalan government, prevented the investiture of the most voted politician, banned parliamentary debates and political initiatives, have covered up illegal spying with Pegasus and are legally persecuting 3,600 activists. As the EU has not questioned Spain, when the EU criticises the Chinese, Turkish and Russian governments for not respecting human rights, they respond by acting as Spain does with the Catalans.
And now this judicial interference is beginning to spill over to the Madrid government itself. The judiciary’s leadership has been out of date for four years, and as judges are chosen by the parties, they have political colour. Now the PP (right-wing) has a majority in the judicial bodies and that is why it is blocking their renewal in order not to lose that majority. After four years, the PSOE-Podemos (centre-left) government has wanted to modify the law on the appointment of judges to overcome the blockage, but at the request of the PP the Constitutional Court (which also has two lapsed members!) has prohibited the Senate vote that was supposed to approve the reform. The whole country has been shocked to see how the judiciary has violated the separation of powers as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Moreover, in order to create tension, the opposition says that the government wants to renovate the judicial bodies in order to modify the penal code and thus favour the Catalan independence supporters. Nothing could be further from the truth! The government wants to repeal the crime of sedition under which the activists were convicted in 2017 (a crime that the Council of Europe had called for the elimination of) and replace it with the crime of aggravated disorder (an ambiguous crime that judges can apply as they wish). The pro-independence movement has denounced that this new offence would allow aberrations such as preventing the right to demonstrate and continuing the judicial war against pro-independence but in a more disguised way.
We Catalans have already warned that, if such violations by Spain were not prevented, it would end up having repercussions beyond Catalonia. Until now, Europe has been permissive with Spain, thinking it meets minimum democratic standards and looking the other way whenever Madrid has transgressed the rules in an attempt to destroy the Catalan national minority. If anything, far from succeeding, it has further strengthened Catalonia’s determination for independence. We shall see how far this anti-democratic decomposition, which is already affecting the very stability of the Spanish state, will go.
You just need to read “ a crime that the Council of Europe had called for the elimination of” to know that whatever the judges did it was correct.
Anyone who knows Catalonian separatist know that they are as pro American, pro European Union and pro globalist as nobody in Europe
Spanish politicians are not much better but this article is stupid
Spain should be one and united. Viva el rey!
This is the second time I’ve come across a ridiculously drafted piece of journalistic work by this same author.
Calling “far right” a set of judges that, if anything, might at most be described as conservatives, yields the impression that readers stand before little less than a fringe inflamed writer, prone to manipulate information, and unable to bring himself down to sticking to strict facts in a more professional way.
This sort of fire-mouthed prose on Spain being hurled upon readers knowledgeable on Spanish politics is very damaging to the image and reputation of your otherwise rather reasonable information outlet.
Please choose reaching out to the majority of Spanish readers who are in dire need of a 360 view of world conflicts (especially the one in Ukraine), and rid your publication of the author of this unprofessional work, soonest.
Thank you.
I agree. Its mainly propaganda and a tyoical try for splitting up.
As we have seen as long back as we can Spain/Portugal has been from one to many states. I hope they somehow will make some peace around it again.
It show the Russian perspectives and hopes for the world. They decline and their hopes are we decline more then them.
It is strange though, that pro-Western states like Ukraine, Georgia, Spain and Morocco support Serbia on the Kosovo issue.
Some animals are more equal than others.
Self-determination is a God given right.
This is not self determination but divide and conquer.
No you don’t agree. Bad conservative US article on Spain does not equal “Russian propaganda”.
If they really wanted independence they wouldn’t be *asking* for it
Thats right. Only a minority of those asking for independesy really want it. They just want some needed reforms.
Parts of that is pure economy. Catalonia makes a lot of money and has to give a lot to the rest. People has to understand and find a fair level for that.
Its very much about parts, which almost deny to devllop whatever they can. Should fx Catalonia pay for those, which insist in living in the old days as low productives.
Thats how many see the disputes.
we have the same kind of disputes for Denmark about windpower. You cant keep the nature and the rest in old days and at the same time produce non visible windpower, which they also would have.
Sometimes i wish those people should have pedals in their electric cars and make candles as beekeepers only.
.
Are you drunk?
People demanding indepence and voting for indepence, want independence. They didn’t vote for reforms. They voted for indepence.
And the rest of your post is incomprehensible.
“You can’t keep nature in and the rest in old days”
What’s that supposed to mean? I can’t even tell from your post if “those people” are conservatives or environmentalists.
What false article. Catalans are Spanish tribe, just like Macedonians are Greek tribe and Montenegrins are Serbian tribe.