Excerpts from: «En el huracán catalán. Una mirada privilegiada del procés» a book by Sandrine Morel Ed. Planeta 2018 Chapter 3 The great communion of the Diada: “The world is watching!” In the early months of 2012 I started getting emails from the Catalan National Assembly (Assemblea Nacional Catalana, ANC). The association, which had been formed […]
Categoría: In English
«Don’t think of an extradition»
Photo by Devin Avery on Unsplash Originally published in Spanish: “No pienses en una extradición”. Jesús Alfaro. Almacén de derecho. 17th July 2018 Introduction «If the Spanish government had consulted the judicial network of experts in European law, it might not have asked for Puigdemont’s arrest in Germany,» someone said at an after-lunch conversation. This phrase […]
The Socialists and Catalan Schools
Photo by Ravali Yan on Unsplash Originally published in Spanish: “Los socialistas y la escuela catalana”. Joaquim Coll. El País. 28th February 2018 In view of Catalan Socialists’ closed defence of the so-called immersion policy, which they reaffirm whenever there’s some sort of controversy, one might conclude that nationalism’s greatest success has been getting them to believe that it was they […]
The End of Catalanist Consensus
Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash Originally published in Spanish: “El fin del consenso catalán”. Daniel Gascón. El País. 17th July 2018 It’s essential to acknowledge that the balance inside Catalonia has changed The story of Clavileño is one of the most celebrated in the second part of Quixote. In order to free some women from a supposed spell, Don […]
Trite remarks on Catalonia
Photo by jean wimmerlin on Unsplash Originally published in Spanish: “Lugares comunes”. Juan Claudio de Ramón. El País. 9th July 2018 Diversity entails richness. But only when the differences meet in the individual, as metals melt in a crucible, or when different strands are woven into a tapestry; diversity impoverishes when used as an excuse for segregation. Bridges must be built. […]
Tales and Accounting – Part III: Conclusions
Excerpts from the book: “Las cuentas y los cuentos de la independencia”. Josep Borrell and Joan Llorach. Ed Catarata. 2015 CONCLUSIONS « […] We have analyzed these issues using verifiable data and arguments that we believe convincing, when not unarguable, that show none of this is true. We have done it because we were painfully tired […]
The seriousness of the autumn events
Photo by Joel Tasche on Unsplash Originally published in Spanish: “La gravedad de los sucesos de otoño”. Roger Senserrich. Politikon. 26th June 2018 Maybe it’s due to the last weekend’s poll at La Vanguardia; maybe because I’m following too many pro-independence militants on Twitter, but I have the feeling that the Catalonian society isn’t becoming aware of the extraordinary seriousness of […]
Tales and Accounting – Part II: Artur Mas
Excerpts from the book: “Las cuentas y los cuentos de la independencia”. Josep Borrell and Joan Llorach. Ed Catarata. 2015 CHAPTER 1 “How Oriol Junqueras and Artur Mas state their arguments in support of independence” ARTUR MAS «Because of their differing social origins, careers, motivations and political trajectories, Mas and Junqueras are two markedly different […]
Imaginary grievances and glowing wounds
Photo by Cassi Josh on Unsplash Originally published in Spanish: «Agravio inventado y herida luminosa». Ignacio Vidal-Folch. Crónica global. 26th July 2018 Throughout the years, nationalist clerics and poets have compared Catalan society to all sorts of things: to an oppressed colony; to Rosa Parks challenging American racism; to Nelson Mandela combating apartheid; to Ulysses, sailing towards Ithaca; […]
Tales and Accounting – Part I: Oriol Junqueras
Excerpts from the book: “Las cuentas y los cuentos de la independencia”. Josep Borrell e Joan Llorach. Ed Catarata. 2015 CHAPTER 1 “How Oriol Junqueras and Artur Mas state their arguments in support of independence” ORIOL JUNQUERAS Ever since took over as ERC leader, Junqueras has worked with resolve and determination to turn Catalan political […]