Spain: What does Spain's new goverment mean for the Catalan crisis?

Read more at;
What does Spain's new goverment mean for the Catalan crisis? - The Local

Spain: the shattered dream of Catalan independence

Later this February, 12 men and women will go on trial at Spain's Supreme Court. Nine of them have already spent more than a year behind bars. They now face between seven and 25 years in prison. All are accused of playing a role in the failed Catalan bid to secede from Spain in 2017. In Catalonia, they have become martyrs to the separatist cause.

But more than a year later, what remains of their fight? And what about the process that was supposed to lead to independence?

Read more at:

http://www.france24.com/en/20190201-video-reporters-shattered-dream-catalan-independence-divide-madrid-trial-leaders

German- Spanish Relations - Catalan Rebellion: German court extends detention of exiled Catalan leader Puigdemont

The exiled Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has had his detention extended after appearing before a German court.

Puigdemont will remain in custody pending a decision on whether he will be sent back to Spain on sedition and rebellion charges. It's the start of extradition proceedings that could take months.

"He appeared calm and composed," said Schleswig city prosecutor Georg-Freidrich Guentge when asked outside the court to describe Puigdemont's appearance.

Catalonia's former leader was arrested on a European warrant on Sunday while crossing into the country from Denmark.

Read more: German court extends detention of exiled Catalan leader Puigdemont | Euronews

Spain: Sacked Catalonia leader turns himself in, polls show independence strength

Sacked Catalonia leader Carles Puigdemont and four associates turned themselves in to Belgian police on Sunday, following Spain’s issuing of an arrest warrant for rebellion and sedition.

All are wanted by Madrid for actions related to the push for the region’s secession from Spain. Puigdemont has become the public face of that move for independence.\

Other charges are the misuse of public funds, disobedience and breach of trust relating to the secessionist campaign, which has thrown Spain into a political crisis just as its economy has recovered from a sharp downturn and banking stress. 

Madrid has taken over administrative control in Catalonia, until then an autonomous region, and called new elections on Dec 21.

Two polls on Sunday suggested pro-Catalonia independence parties will together win December’s regional election although they may fall just short of a majority of seats in parliament needed to revive the secession campaign. 

Note EU-Digest: The Catalan political leaders are playing a dangerous game by showing total disrespect  for the Spanish Constitution. Their tactics are irregular, and regardless of what they say, the Spanish Government has shown  great tolerance in dealing with the issue.

Read more: Sacked Catalonia leader turns himself in, polls show independence strength

Spain: Catalan crisis reaches point of no return: Spain PM Rajoy demands direct rule

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has called on senators to approve direct rule over Catalonia, amid an escalating crisis over the region's push for independence. 

He said he wanted to dismiss Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, his vice-president and all regional ministers.

Meanwhile the Catalan regional parliament is holding a vote on unilaterally declaring independence.

Earlier this month Catalonia held a disputed referendum on the issue.

NOTE EU-DIGEST: The Catalan Parliament voted overwhelmingly this afternoon (Friday) in favor of declaring independence from Spain, taking the country's deepening political crisis into uncharted territory.

The Spanish government is now expected to begin moves at the weekend to remove from office ( arrest) the Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and his ministers, and impose direct rule from Madrid.

Situation is quite tense in Barcelona.

Read more: Catalan crisis: Spain PM Rajoy demands direct rule - BBC News

Spain: Catalan Government announces results of illegal referendum: figures nebulous and not substantiated

The Catalan government said around 2.26million people voted in the banned independence referendum to leave Spain on Sunday, representing a turnout of around 42.3 percent of Catalonia's 5.34million voters.

Throughout history plebiscites have often been tools for dictators to force voters to give up their freedoms while keeping up an appearance of having the nation’s support

This one in Catalonia was not any different, but adding to the controversy was also the fact that like in previous Catalan referendums less than 50 % of the Catalan voters turned out.

As to claims of police brutality, all fingers should be pointing to the Catalan government, which despite the fact that the Supreme court of Spain and the Spanish government ruled the referendum was illegal, the local Catalan government still went ahead with the referendum.

EU-Digest   

Spain’s government prepares to stop Catalan breakaway vote - by Sarah Morris

Less than two months ahead of a planned independence referendum in Catalonia, Spanish government ministers are braced for having their holidays interrupted by separatist moves.

Prime minister Mariano Rajoy has said he would call them back for an extraordinary cabinet meeting if the Catalan government presents a law this month for the vote on 1 October.

“With calmness and moderation, we have to say that there won’t be a referendum on 1 October,” Rajoy told reporters, speaking while on holiday at his home region of north-west Galicia.

The Spanish government says that the vote is illegal since the 1978 Constitution gives sovereignty to all Spaniards, meaning they all have a say over the whole of the country’s territory.

The government has repeatedly taken legal action against moves to hold independence votes, and has made it clear that it will consider prosecuting civil servants who defy court rulings to help in the October vote.

Madrid has, however, resisted outlining what further action it would take if the Catalan government, the Generalitat, ignores court orders, which it says it no longer considers legitimate.

The Spanish Constitution includes an article that allows for the suspension of the powers of an autonomous region. The police could be sent to confiscate ballot boxes and make arrests on 1 October.

Read more: Spain’s government prepares to stop Catalan breakaway vote

Spain: Opinions split in Madrid about Catalan regional vote

If the pro-independence bloc wins Sunday’s (September 28) regional election in Spain’s Catalonia region, it has said it will start a process that will lead to a unilateral declaration of separation from Spain in 2017.

As voting continued in Catalonia, euronews correspondent Carlos Marlasca spoke to people on the streets of the Spanish capital, Madrid.

“I’m against this process,” said one woman, “because I think Spain should remain united. I like the unity”.
“From my point of view, things must change,” said her companion. “I don’t know if they should be independent or not, but I agree the relations between both sides should change”.

“I hope the best option will prevail, both for the Catalans and for Spain in general,” she said.

“And even if the ‘yes to independence’ wins, I don’t think Catalonia will split from Spain,” said her friend.
“During the last few years we have seen a lot of anger and hate between the two sides. And only the future generations will be able to fix it,” suggested another man.

Euronews correspondent Carlos Marlasca reported: “The apparent calm in the Spanish capital contrasts with the period of instability that could follow the vote in Catalonia.

“The results of these elections will undoubtedly be one of the recurring arguments used by political forces with December’s general elections in sight.”

Read more: Opinions split in Madrid about Catalan regional vote | euronews, world news

Spain: Stupidity with a big S - Catalan referendum to hit Spain economy, no matter who wins - by Esteban Duarte and Angeline Benoit

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is battling to keep his country together, facing down Catalan separatists. Even if he wins, the standoff risks weakening the economy that the two sides are fighting over. Catalan President Artur Mas, backed by about two-thirds of the region’s lawmakers, is defying orders from Spain’s highest court and pressing ahead with a vote on independence on 9 November. The wrangling last week pushed the gap between Spanish and German bond yields to the widest since Scotland voted to remain in the UK, while support for Rajoy’s People’s Party is tumbling, according to a poll published by El Pais on Sunday. “Investors are pricing the risk of political instability in Catalonia,” said Francesco Marani, a fixed-income trader at Auriga Global Investors SA in Madrid, who trades government and regional debt. “The independence issue has already been hurting the Spanish economy, and it’s not over.” Spain’s economy is losing momentum amid a slowdown for its European trading partners. Uncertainty over the future of Catalonia, whose contribution to the Spanish economy is twice that of Scotland’s to the UK, risks undermining investment as well as pushing up borrowing costs and distracting politicians from tackling the 24% jobless rate.

Read more at: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/n8frUufiqjqQt7cLbzReZM/Catalan-standoff-to-hit-Spain-economy-no-matter-who-wins.html?utm_source=copy

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is battling to keep his country together, facing down Catalan separatists.

Catalan Independence - Stupidity with a big S

Even if he wins, the standoff risks weakening the economy that the two sides are fighting over. Catalan President Artur Mas, backed by about two-thirds of the region’s lawmakers, is defying orders from Spain’s highest court and pressing ahead with a vote on independence on 9 November.

The wrangling last week pushed the gap between Spanish and German bond yields to the widest since Scotland voted to remain in the UK, while support for Rajoy’s People’s Party is tumbling, according to a poll published by El Pais on Sunday. “Investors are pricing the risk of political instability in Catalonia,” said Francesco Marani, a fixed-income trader at Auriga Global Investors SA in Madrid, who trades government and regional debt. “The independence issue has already been hurting the Spanish economy, and it’s not over.”

Spain’s economy is losing momentum amid a slowdown for its European trading partners. Uncertainty over the future of Catalonia, whose contribution to the Spanish economy is twice that of Scotland’s to the UK, risks undermining investment as well as pushing up borrowing costs and distracting politicians from tackling the 24% jobless rate.

Note EU-Digest: Nationalism - where small areas of Europe seek independence through referendums is not a smart thing to do in today's world  of economic blocs. Basically it is  stupidity with a big S . Nationalists eventually shoot themselves in the foot - and the Catalan independence movement is no exception.

Read more: Catalan standoff to hit Spain economy, no matter who wins - Livemint

Spain: Catalan parties agree referendum on independence within two years

The center-right Catalan nationalist bloc CiU and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) on Wednesday reached an agreement to call for a referendum on independence for Catalonia within two years.

The deal paves the way for Artur Mas to remain premier of the region. The CiU emerged as the biggest party in regional elections held last month but fell short of the absolute majority it was seeking. ERC was the second most voted party. The two sides still have to agree on the budget for next year. The accord on the referendum states that it must be held before the end of 2014 but does not give a specific date.

In a parallel development, the CiU, the ERC and other Catalan parties — with the exception of the local branch of the ruling Popular Party — reached an agreement not to implement the reform of the education system put forward by Education Minister José Ignacio Wert, which restores Castilian Spanish to the same level in the classroom as co-official regional languages such as Basque or Catalan.

The accord says the parties will adhere to the Catalan Education Law, which promotes immersion in the Catalan language. The parties described Wert’s proposals as “unacceptable” as they “prevent linguistic immersion by segregating pupils on the basis of language.”

Note EU-Digest: it might be helpful to hear from nationalist leaders in Catalan and Scotland as to  the reasoning why small regional areas want to break away and become independent states,  and how they see their mini-states sustaining themselves economically?

Read more: Catalan parties agree referendum on independence within two years | In English | EL PAÍS