Reuters: Catalonia election tests Spanish unity

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/24/us-spain-catalonia-idUSBRE8AN0E820121124

Reuters: Catalonia election tests Spanish unity

Voters in Spain's Catalonia region go to the polls on Sunday and are likely to elect a pro-independence leader who will test Spanish unity at a time of deep economic crisis.

Opinion polls show two-thirds of voters in this region on the French border will cast ballots for parties, both rightist and leftist, that want Catalan independence from Spain.

Catalan President Artur Mas will likely win re-election since his conservative Convergence and Union party is forecast to take a majority, some 62 to 64 seats, in the 135-seat regional assembly, or Parliament.

Frustration over high unemployment and a deep recession have fueled a separatist resurgence in Catalonia, where polls show that for the first time more than half of the people want to break away from Spain.

[Larry]

I read "California election . . . "

[visionary]

I read "California election . . . "

That's what I thought when I first saw the article.

I thought it was going to be about Latinos in California.

But I think this is pretty interesting, although I'm not sure what happens if they vote to secede and are overruled by the prime minister of Spain.

[thebluefood]

Yeah, there's no way the Prime Minister is going to allow this. My question is: will we see violence from separatists like we did with the Basques?

[visionary]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/26/us-spain-catalonia-idUSBRE8AO08S20121126

Catalan election weakens bid for independence from Spain

Separatists in Spain's Catalonia won regional elections on Sunday but failed to get a resounding mandate for a referendum on independence, which had threatened to pile political uncertainty on top of Spain's economic woes.

Catalan President Artur Mas, who has implemented unpopular spending cuts, had called an early election to test support for his new drive for independence for Catalonia, a wealthy but financially troubled region in northeastern Spain.

Voters frustrated with the economic crisis and the Spanish tax system, which they claim is unfair to Catalonia, handed almost two-thirds of the 135-seat local parliament to four different separatist parties that all want to hold a referendum on secession from Spain.

But they punished the main separatist group, Mas's Convergence and Union alliance, or CiU, cutting back its seats to 50 from 62.

That will make it difficult for Mas to lead a united drive to hold a referendum in defiance of the constitution and the central government in Madrid.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

So what's the background on this independence movement? Do they not consider themselves Spaniards? Do they feel more closely aligned to another already-existing country? Are they just their own unique culture? Do race or language play a factor? Religion?

Also, I seem to recall reading somewhere sometime along the way, that a lot of this has to do with bullfighting. One part of the country LOVES bullfighting, the other part HATES it. Is that true?

[Stadium-Armory]

I'm no expert, but I do recall reading that the Catalans were suppressed by Franco after the revolution. But I think this is mostly economic in nature.

[thebluefood]

I'm no expert, but I do recall reading that the Catalans were suppressed by Franco after the revolution. But I think this is mostly economic in nature.

Yeah, that's what I'm reading.Catalans are sick of Spain's fiscal nonsense, and who can blame them?

[Hubbs]

This is happening in Italy, too. (And Belgium, and sort of in the UK with Scotland, although the economic crisis isn't a major driver of the movement there.)

Rich regions in countries that have as much of a history of being divided as being united are getting sick of pulling weight for the poorer regions. It's a microcosm of what's happening in Europe, and its amusingly-named "Union", as a whole. And it's only going to get worse, because economic conditions are going to get worse. What does a democratic country do if a region votes overwhelmingly (more than 60%) to secede, but the loss of that region would send national finances into a tailspin?

[zoony]

This is happening in Italy, too. (And Belgium, and sort of in the UK with Scotland, although the economic crisis isn't a major driver of the movement there.)

Rich regions in countries that have as much of a history of being divided as being united are getting sick of pulling weight for the poorer regions. It's a microcosm of what's happening in Europe, and its amusingly-named "Union", as a whole. And it's only going to get worse, because economic conditions are going to get worse. What does a democratic country do if a region votes overwhelmingly (more than 60%) to secede, but the loss of that region would send national finances into a tailspin?

That's just an excuse. Europe has always been a cluster. You mention Belgium, the Flanders region has been talking about separating for the last 50 years

Languages in Europe still largely follow the pattern of old empires and loyalties with them. You can still see the outline of the old Roman Empire by language alone, where countries are split by Latin based languages (French, Italian) and Germanic languages (English, Flemish, German)

Belgium is a prime example of this with their French side and their Flemish and German sides... Switzerland has 4 different languages printed on their currency

[Prosperity]

This is happening in Italy, too. (And Belgium, and sort of in the UK with Scotland, although the economic crisis isn't a major driver of the movement there.)

Rich regions in countries that have as much of a history of being divided as being united are getting sick of pulling weight for the poorer regions. It's a microcosm of what's happening in Europe, and its amusingly-named "Union", as a whole. And it's only going to get worse, because economic conditions are going to get worse. What does a democratic country do if a region votes overwhelmingly (more than 60%) to secede, but the loss of that region would send national finances into a tailspin?

keep them, obviously

same thing this democratic country did (except our poor regions wanted to leave)

[JohnLockesGhost]

Good luck to Catalonia. Political self-determination is a wonderful thing.