SPAIN, LIKE ANY DEMOCRACY, MUST HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENCE

SPAIN, LIKE ANY DEMOCRACY, MUST HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENCE

IMPORTANT NOTE: This article appeared in Le Soir, Belgian newspaper, last 16/10/2019. It is a free non-committed translation of the original one signed by Juan Claudio de Ramón, Spanish writer, and with diplomas in both Law and Philosophy.

You can find the original article on this link.

Catalan nationalism has unfairly eroded Spanish reputation. An open and inclusive democracy, obliged to defend itself against the lies of separatist leaders.

One of the most unpleasant experiences over the last years for a Spanish citizen is to see how the democratic reputation has been put under observance, due to crisis opened by the Catalan nationalism in October 2017. This crisis is, by the way, the most useless of the Western countries, where the only responsible are certain vain, frivolous separatist elites that lead to think that (as it happens unfortunately often in these days of populist speeches) their will is the Law. These separatist elites have thought they could act not only outside the Spanish citizenship, but also ignoring half of the Catalans citizens that do not share their project to break up with Spain.

Let’s remind, to the benefit of the Belgian reader, several facts needed in order to have an opinion without pre-conceived ideas. The 1978 Constitution has transformed Spain into a social and democratic law-governed State. This Constitution was approved by 90.5% of the Catalans with the minimum age to vote. Their participation was 68.5%, slightly above the national average. Two out of 7 of these jurists were Catalans. Catalonia has voted more than 50 different elections since 1975. Catalonia has sent more representatives to the Spanish Parliament than Madrid. There have been more than 70 Catalan ministers since 1918. Currently, both presidents of both Spanish representative chambers (Parliament and Senate) are Catalans.

Double identity sentiment

1978 Constitution has designed a decentralized State with a large autonomy for those “historic nationalities and regions”. Thanks to this, Catalonia has benefited from an ample capacity of political autonomy in the areas of Health and Education. Together with the Basque Country, it is the single Region to have their own police. All Spanish Governments, either left wing or right wing have developed, thanks to dialogue with Catalan parties, the regional government autonomy, within framework of the Constitution.

Thanks to this, Catalonia is nowadays one of the most prosperous regions in Europe. Two examples: Spanish state supported and financed the 1992 Olympic Games; and Catalonia is nowadays single region in Spain with their four province capitals linked to the railway highspeed (AVE).

All along its History, a double identity sentiment has prevailed in Catalonia: both Spanish and Catalan at the same time. Nevertheless, Catalan nationalism has always tried to reduce the common links with the rest of Spain through stifling manipulative campaigns, using also intimidation. Over the last times, the two false complaints more repeated are the supposed bad treatment of the language as well as Catalan economy.

None of these accusations are confirmed by facts. On one hand, Spain is one of the countries which has agreed and signed the “European charter for regional and minority languages”; Catalan language is protected and defended by the 1978 Constitution. Indeed, never in history there have been more Catalan speakers than nowadays. In fact, at this moment, Catalan is the single language at public schools in Catalonia. On the other hand, as far as Economy is concerned, it is not true that Catalonia contributes abnormally to Spanish tax system, not either that Catalonia lacks infrastructures. In spite of this, Catalan separatism has not doubted about using this demagogic slogans and mottos, such as Spain steals us or Subsidized Spain lives thanks to the productive Catalonia. Separatists have gone too far, even shown kids in rags supposed to come from southern Spain, affirming that they live thanks to medium-class Catalan taxes.

Pretended referendum

Catalan History in Spain is a successful one until Carles Puigdemont reached regional government and started an illegal way towards independence against more than 50% of Catalan society. This rupture was effective days 6^th and 7^th September, 2017. In a regional parliamentary session that can be named as coup d’État, separatists abolished Catalan Autonomy Law (Estatut) and approved laws of the new Republic, all of that without having qualified majority of 2/3 of the chamber that were required.

The result is broadly known: Spanish Constitutional Court suspended these illegal laws. Reason for that is simple: sovereignty belongs to Spanish people brought all together. Nobody is single owner of a piece of the country and nobody can break the common good to remove a piece from the overall.

In spite of this, Catalan government has pursued this path organizing, against Court decision, this pretended referendum in October 1^st 2017. Regional Government’s inactivity to prevent from this, obliged Spanish police to act under judge’s decision – and not Government – in very difficult circumstances to ensure law’s accomplishment. That was a very difficult day. However the mandate was carried on with only 3 people in hospital. The more than 900 injured people informed was product of Generalitat propaganda. Most of the images of that day are fake.   

No political prisoners

Supreme’s Court decision announced last Monday 14^th was the result of those events. Following the temptation of getting sympathy towards their goal, Catalan nationalism has given the condemned a political prisoners condition. It is false. Nobody in Spain is judged by its ideas. Everyday separatist politicians share their vision in the mass-media. More than that; Torra, Puigdemont's successor, has written dozens of xenophobes articles against Spaniards.

Courts conviction decision is due to crime commitment contemplated under Spanish law, and these crimes also exist, either with the same or similar names, in the most important democracies in the world.

No organization defending human rights (such as International Amnesty or Human Rights Watch) has considered that these persons are political prisoners.

A democracy that fears to implement its Penal Code will not be able to survive. Spain is a democracy equipped with the correct, legal instruments and warrantying rights to ensure law prevails, to facilitate dialogue within legal framework, to pass over this crisis and to continue being for both Europe and the world an example of open and inclusive society, a society united in its diversity.