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Madrid takes control of Catalonia but the region’s future is best with Spain

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]File photo of pro-independence Catalans in Barcelona during a referendum march. Photo credit: Quartz

~By Lilly Paul

The Catalans may have declared their independence from Spain but not even half of the region’s population had turned out to vote during the referendum

Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont’s declaration of independence (on Friday, October 27) from Spain has lead to Madrid, in turn, imposing direct rule on Saturday. The current turn of events is set to lead both Madrid and Catalonia towards a messy state of affairs.

Puigdemont’s announcement of Catalonia’s secession from Spain has, expectedly, not gone down well with Madrid and also the European Union. In a referendum (on October 1) held by the regional government of Catalonia, 90 percent of the voters chose to separate from Spain. However, the voter turnout for this referendum was 2.26 million, which is not even half the total population of Catalonia.

The referendum had already been declared illegal by Spanish courts and Madrid tried its best to stop such a voting. The anti-election crackdown by the Spanish government left hundreds of Catalans injured with Barcelona being the most affected region. The government raided polling booths, confiscated ballot papers and law enforcers even fired rubber bullets at the people. Madrid also invoked Article 155 of the Spanish constitution to impose direct control over Catalonia. The Article gives the Spanish government liberty to take over any autonomous region if it “does not fulfill the obligations imposed on it by the constitution or other laws, or acts in a way that is seriously prejudicial to the general interest of Spain.”

The crackdown of the Spanish government on Catalonia is not going to solve the problem. Instead it would further worsen the situation. The law and order situation of Catalonia is already getting disrupted. Since police administration is under the Catalonian government, a section of the police had already declared that it would not comply with the orders of Spain and will not carry out any action against the regional leaders. The current crackdown of the Spanish government is likely to affect the other half of the population of Catalonia which did not appear for voting and was perhaps not in favour of separating from Spain.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy sacked Puigdemont and dissolved the Catalan parliament. He has also announced fresh elections for the region to be held on December 21. The practicality of the elections is in doubt as it was not desired by the Catalans nor is it clear as to how many of them would participate in these polls. The parties which would contest the elections fear presenting an anti-Catalonia stance and the ones not contesting for the election will not stand any chance for the upcoming five years.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1509202128649{padding-top: 5px !important;padding-right: 5px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;padding-left: 5px !important;background-color: #a2b1bf !important;border-radius: 5px !important;}”]Catalonia has had a distinct culture, history and language—this distinction has been the main reason behind their wish for autonomy. Its identity has been constantly suppressed by successive regimes.

Catalonia was first recognized as a nation in 1931 by the second Spanish Republic’s constitution. It also recognized Catalan as the official language of Catalonia. However, this freedom and recognition had a very short life. The victory of General Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War marked the end of Catalonia’s freedom. Catalonia’s culture, its language and even the symbols of Catalan identity were prohibited and suppressed under the military ruling of Franco.

The death of Franco paved the way for Spain’s democracy in 1978. The Spanish constitution extended autonomy to some of its regions, and Catalonia was also among them. However, this autonomy has not actually solved the underlying desire for freedom of the Catalans.

Catalonia as defined in the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia “exercises its self-government constituted as an autonomous community in accordance with the Constitution and with this Estatut, which is its basic institutional law”.

In 2006, the Catalans campaigned to improve the terms of this Statute of Autonomy which made way to a new statute after which Catalonia was referred to as a “nation” in the preamble. This new statute extended Catalonia’s privileges in terms of taxation, judicial independence, and the official use of the Catalan language. The Catalan language enjoys joint language status along with Castilian, such that the teachers, the doctors and other public sector employees have to use the language in their workplace.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]What do the Catalans want?

Much of Catalonia’s independence drive and enthusiasm has been carried forward through the football team FC Barcelona. Posters reading “Independence” and “Catalonia is not Spain” have been a common sight in matches played by Barcelona. FC Barcelona is located in Catalonia. One such instance of Catalan nationalism was seen in a football match played between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, where right at 17 minutes and 14 seconds the stadium started chanting “Independencia”. This was because in 1714 Catalonia fought its battle of Independence.

Catalonia has been constantly in favour of independence. It is one of the Spain’s wealthiest regions and accounts to 20 percent of its economic output. Catalonia is also one of the most famous tourist spots in Spain and also contributes more than one-fifth of its GDP. But the major push for separation came after Spain’s debt crisis in 2008. Economists even predict that Spain is unlikely to cope up with the present debt crisis for several years to come.

This being said, one of the major arguments for separation from Spain is that Catalonia gives to Spain far more than it ever received. Catalans now want more autonomy to decide where their money is being used. The economic progress of Catalonia is also one of the reasons why the region thinks that it can sustain on its own.

This is not for the first time that the Catalans have voted for Independence. Earlier, in 2014, they had held a symbolic vote where more than 80 percent of the votes were cast in favour of freedom. However, the voting turnout in the current and the previous plebiscite has been less than 50 percent. This is possibly because the Catalans know that it is illegal at present. If there happens to be a fresh referendum form the Spanish government on Independence, which is unlikely, a higher voter turnout can be expected.

However, the Catalans are very well aware of the economic loss that it will have to incur if separated from Spain. Since most of the business houses have moved their headquarters to Spain, the separation will have an adverse effect on Catalonia’s economy. Moreover, with the EU not supporting an independent Catalonia, the path ahead will be even more difficult for the region. If Catalonia breaks away from Spain, it will also be out of the EU. Its way back will be decided by the EU members, of which Spain is also a member. One can easily expect a Spanish veto.

Catalonia has kept some of the key sectors such as education, healthcare and welfare under its control, but it is not financially independent.

The best way out for Catalonia is to be a part of Spain and demand for more autonomy as complete separation will land them in ruins and the tourism revenue will not be enough for the region to stand on its own.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Kremlin denies US media reports on Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin

Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that he could end the fighting within hours and has indicated he would talk directly with Russian President Putin.

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Kremlin denies US media reports on Donald Trump’s phone call with Vladimir Putin

The Kremlin today denied a US media report that Russian President Vladimir Putin and US president-elect Donald Trump had spoken on the phone last week about the Ukraine conflict.

Earlier on Sunday, The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump spoke to Vladimir Pution on call, urging him not to inflame the conflict. Speaking on the matter, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media that the report was completely false information, and denied any phone call took place.

It was reported that US President-elect Donald Trump has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him not to escalate the war in Ukraine. It said that Donald Trump held the call from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday, just days after his stunning election victory over Democratic rival Kamala Harris. The report also mentioned that both the leaders expressed an interest in further conversations to discuss the resolution of Ukraine’s war soon.

Notably, Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that he could end the fighting within hours and has indicated he would talk directly with Russian President Putin. However, the US President elect has not said how he intends to strike a peace deal or what terms he is proposing.

Donald Trump’s election is seen as carrying the potential to upend the almost three-year Ukraine conflict, as he insists on a quick end to the fighting and casts doubt on Washington’s multi-billion dollar support for Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with Trump on Wednesday, with the Republican’s billionaire backer Elon Musk also notably joining them on the call. Volodymyr Zelensky described the call as excellent, adding that he and Trump had agreed to maintain close dialogue and advance our cooperation.

Additionally, the outgoing Democratic administration of President Joe Biden has confirmed that it will send as much aid as possible to Ukraine before Trump’s inauguration on January 20.

Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the White House aims to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it is ultimately in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table.

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India calls out Canada’s move to ban Australia Today for airing S Jaishankar’s press conference

The MEA said that these actions yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech.

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India calls out Canada’s move to ban Australia Today for airing S Jaishankar's press conference

A few hours after Australia Today aired External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s press conference in Australia, Canada banned the outlet. The External Affairs Minister gave remarks on the India-Canada diplomatic standoff. 

Reacting to this, India on Thursday said it was surprised by Canada’s move to ban the outlet and emphasized that it highlighted Ottawa’s hypocrisy towards freedom of speech. Australia Today, which is an important outlet for the Indian community in the country, had aired the joint press conference of S Jaishankar and his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Canberra.

In a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that they understand that the social media handles, pages of this particular outlet, which is an important diaspora outlet, have been blocked and are not available for viewers in Canada. He continued that this happened just an hour or a few hours after this particular handle carried the press conference of S Jaishankar with Penny Wong. He called out the incident, mentioning that they are surprised, and the matter looks strange to them.

He further underlined that these are the actions which yet again highlight the hypocrisy of Canada towards freedom of speech. He noted that the External Affairs Minister spoke about three things: Canada making allegations and a pattern had developed without any specific evidence, surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada, which he termed as unacceptable, and  the political space which has been given in Canada to anti-India elements. 

With this one can draw conclusions, why Australia Today channel was blocked by Canada, the spokesperson said. Australia Today focuses on news and analytical pieces related to the Indian community in Australia and elsewhere across the world.

This incident follows days after devotees were attacked by pro-Khalistani at a Hindu temple in Canada’s Brampton, with S Jaishankar calling it deeply concerning. Furthermore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condemned the attack and said that there were cowardly attempts to intimidate Indian diplomats.

The diplomatic standoff between India and Canada began in September last year when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian government agents might have been involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a claim outrightly rejected by New Delhi.

Later in October 2024, ties between both the countries nosedived when Canada termed the Indian High Commissioner a person of interest in its investigation into Nijjar’s murder. Issuing a strongly worded statement, India dismissed the fresh charge and recalled the envoy and some diplomats, while expelling six Canadian officials, including Canada’s acting High Commissioner.

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PM Modi congratulates Donald Trump on winning US President election

The Prime Minister urged Trump to work for the betterment of the people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Donald Trump on winning the 2024 US Presidential election and said he is looking forward to renewing their collaboration to further strengthen the India-US partnership.

The Prime Minister urged Trump to work for the betterment of the people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity.

“Heartiest congratulations my friend @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory. As you build on the successes of your previous term, I look forward to renewing our collaboration to further strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership. Together, let’s work for the betterment of our people and to promote global peace, stability and prosperity,” PM Modi posted on his X handle.

With the results being announced for the 2024 US election on November 6, Trump became the 47th President of the United States.

Former US President Trump appeared to be on track for a remarkable political comeback in the White House race. Projections suggested that he was poised to secure the necessary 270 electoral college votes, effectively blocking Democratic candidate Kamala Harris from winning the election.

The relationship between Trump and Modi has been characterised by robust diplomatic ties, strategic collaboration, and a noticeable personal rapport. Their friendship was prominently displayed during major events such as “Howdy, Modi” in Houston in 2019 and “Namaste Trump” in Ahmedabad in 2020, where they addressed large audiences and expressed their mutual respect.

On a strategic level, Trump and Modi found common ground in matters of defense and security, both adopting a strong stance against terrorism, which reinforced their alliance, particularly concerning threats from Pakistan.

As he approaches a notable victory in the US election, Republican Presidential candidate Trump expressed gratitude to his supporters today, calling it a magnificent victory for the American people. He also referenced the assassination attempt on July 13, stating, “God spared my life for a reason.”

The 78-year-old candidate is currently projected to secure 267 electoral college votes, just three shy of the decisive 270, while his opponent, incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris, holds 224 electoral votes.

Trump described the Republican campaign as the greatest political movement of all time, asserting, “We are going to help our country heal, secure our borders, and we made history for a reason tonight. This is an incredible political victory. I want to thank the American people. I will fight for you and your family with every breath I have.”

He noted that Democrats are now looking at a projected total of 315 electoral votes.

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