Posted Oct 1, 2022, 9:29 AM
Funny anniversary for the Catalan separatists. Just five years after its failed self-determination referendum, Catalonia remains stuck in its labyrinth. With a separatist movement at loggerheads, without a defined strategy in the face of a tired public that is increasingly detached from the political hubbub.
In Barcelona, the regional government led by a coalition of right-wing and left-wing pro-independence parties is on the brink of explosion, plagued by internal disputes. Catalan President Pere Aragonès, a supporter of pragmatic management and dialogue with Madrid, is attacked by his right-wing allies, close to ex-President Puigdemont who continues to want to rekindle the embers of the conflict. The possibility of a left-wing alliance bringing together separatists and unionists is emerging as an alternative.
It is difficult to remember that just five years ago, on October 1, 2017, Catalonia voted in fever and controversy. The separatist momentum was at its peak. The self-determination referendum had been called illegally by the regional government then chaired by Carles Puigdemont, the ballot boxes had arrived clandestinely in the polling stations and the police charges to prevent the vote had only inflamed passions. The leaders of the movement had promised to proclaim independence within three days.
On the verge of exploding
Spain seemed on the verge of explosion, with one of its most dynamic regions in full rebellion and European diplomacy on high alert. The Catalan population was divided in half between secessionists and unionists. Banks and companies, overcome with dizziness, moved their headquarters from Barcelona to avoid finding themselves stuck outside the euro zone overnight, in the event of express secession. All this seems far away today, when the independence flags take to the gray on the balconies in the streets of Barcelona. The time for monster manifestations seems to have passed.
The coming to power of Pedro Sánchez marked a shift in the policy of tense labor, by granting clemency measures to condemned separatist leaders. The question of secession has faded into the background. “In economic circles, no one remembers having applauded independence and the prospect of a new country,” says economist Jordi Alberich, coordinator of the Institute for Strategic Studies in Barcelona. Today, what is worrying is the lack of impetus from the Catalan government which is causing Barcelona to lose momentum, faced with the dynamism of Madrid or Valencia. »
Shock wave
The trauma of the secession attempt has caused strong shock waves in the Spanish political panorama, with in particular the emergence of Vox, on the far right, which mobilizes by making the patriotic fiber vibrate against separatism. In Catalonia, opinion polls show that on the merits, opinions have hardly changed. The population continues to be cut in two. Those who were separatists remain so. They simply refocused on less radical positions, more open to dialogue.
“To believe that the question of secession is settled would be a mistake,” warns an observer. A good part of the Catalan bourgeoisie continues to think that it deserves a country. If we no longer claim it is strong, it is simply because we admit that it is not profitable today. But it’s a matter of window of opportunity. As soon as it seems feasible, everything will start over. »
