The independentist inclinations of Catalonia, Scotland or Flanders define a dominant political zeitgeist in Europe – the dismantling of large territorial units. And this is why they will ultimately succeed.
In Spain, any piece of news that distracts the attention from the economic, social and political crisis is welcome these days. For a country that has never shown too much interest in international affairs, the US presidential campain represents a traditional exception.
Europe may be less interested in this year's election than in the 2008 one - but that doesn't mean it is any less important.
In addressing Catalunya's call for autonomy, the EU and Spain must remember lessons from Slovenia’s case for independence. There are clear parallels between the situation in Spain and that of Yugoslavia in the late 1980s.
Spain's conservative right is taking the opportunity whilst in power at a time of economic crisis to revive its historic determination to suppress women's reproductive rights, putting the clock back nearly 30 years when abortion was first decriminalised
On September 15 in Madrid, over one hundred thousand people answered the unions’ call to demand a referendum on austerity. In both its aims and its format, this action confirmed that the trade unions have been influenced by the 15M movement.
Fortuna, the crisis, gave Artur Mas, Catalonia’s Premier, the Machiavellian occasione for a jump forward towards full (?) national sovereignty. This is not the message that we need to hear in these turbulent times.
The retreat of national politics in the face of the imperatives of the global financial markets is returning politics to the streets.
If the answer is independence, what was the question? Does is really make sense to demand sovereignty at a time when no-one knows where to find it? A new political phase has commenced in Spain.
The huge demonstration in Barcelona on September 11 – the national day of Catalonia – under the banner of “Catalonia, a State of Europe”, has changed the stakes. Independence would be bad for Catalonia, but it would be even worse for Spain.
Civil society organisations in Catalonia have generated a feel-good and positive project, purging traditional pro-independence of its most strident anti-Spanish elements.
As Catalans massively take to the streets of Barcelona to demand independence, we are reminded that the Catalonian question is far from settled. And the current economic crisis exacerbates old, underlying tensions.
