the enemy of España
international |
politics / elections |
opinion/analysis 
Wednesday August 27, 2003 19:36
by ipsiphi / iosaf
is it this little old lady? or is a Catalan socialist? or is Aznar?
By now you are all aware of the problems in the Spanish state, and hopefully you will also be aware that in the lead up to the next elections the 25 year old "constitutional statute" is under review. Pushing hope to the limits perhaps you have read the numerous posts in the last year concerning the principle personalities invovled and not need to be spoon-fed.
Mr. Maragall is the leader of the PSC. The PSC is the Catalan section of the PSOE which is the iberian equivalent of the New Labour party.
Mr. Maragall has just accused Mr. Aznar of being the "enemy" of España. He has claimed that Aznar is using the Catalan worries for increased control over their own affairs which varies from the wishes for full independence of the "micro-left" to reduced funding of the Madrid government by the rightwing "regionalists".
¿Is Aznar the enemy of España?
To my mind the question raises the notion that at one stage someone might have asked ¿Is Thatcher the enemy of Britain?
Aznar accuses the Basques of threatening the "integrity" of the spanish state, one which was held to be multi-cultural but _not_ multi-ethnic at it's foundation. He lays the same accusation now at the catalan new labourists, because they "propose" different tactics and agenda for Catalonia to Andalucia to the Basque, where the PP uses a one size fits all "one nation" tory approach.
This threat to integrity is linked by him to continuing terrorism which is "identical" in nature to "islamic extremism" and "must be dealt with the same way".
That anaylsis get's support everywhere even amongst imc readers in ireland.
Yet when Aznar accuses a new labour equivalent, a regionalist a "botifara" in his native tongue of threatening the integrity of Spain, the ruse fails somewhat.
This week is the first anniversary of the closure of the offices of HB and associated prisoner support groups in the Basque.
Soon it will be the first anniversary of the suspension of the Stormont Assembly.
Soon it will be the first anniversary of the sinking of the Prestige.
This article doesn't really give you anything new, but I think the comments will be interesting. So I invite comment:
articles of interest in spanish (I know a few you read spanish)
http://barcelona.indymedia.org/newswire/display/51479/index.php
Comments (3 of 3)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3Yesterday Aznar asked for (and got) his Party's support to lead it for another 4 years at a conference address in the spanish region of Castille.
Zapatero leader of the PSOE "new labour" opposition party, the only politician likely to lead Espaņa if Aznar is rejected at the next election has issued his "plan for the future".
Zapatero opposes the Basque led (PNV) "external association" plan. His thoughts on spanish unity are thus:
Each homerule region will be allowed representation in Europe. The "spanish presidency" will become "less important".
Thus the new labour of spain may support increased Catalan "regionalism" which would mean, lowering the tax sent to the central gov.
**** Another thing most people probably don't know about the Basque: it is the only home rule region of the spanish state that has the right to raise tax. And it does.
The reform of the Spanish State will take place in the next four years, and will have immediate ramifications for Europe as a whole. The EU is in the interim phase of it's expected amplification to the east. The constitution shall soon leave the table and hit the legislation chambers, how the smaller regions and nations are facilitated by the Spanish state will effect how much latitude is given to most other regions.
Can we expect the "externally associated" Basque country?
Can we expect the "independent but in name" Catalonia?
Can we expect Madrid with it's own EU minister, seat, representation?
Can we expect Scotland with such privelages?
Can we expect Northern Ireland with such privelages?
Yet again for important reasons the plans and hopes of regionalists and nationalists look to the Spanish.
yawn yawn. Ipsiphi/iosaf/ is now on his(my) holliers up the cool refreshing mountains, the cat brought me a dead mouse last night, which is "charming", my guide pointed out some high in Vit C. fruit, called "blackberries" by the natives, I shall send a sample to the academy, and petition parliament to cultivate these "blackberries" on all side roads so that the poor of the realm may never be short of vitamin C again. Tomorrow I shall cross the "frontier" by foot between "Spain" and "France" and naturally tell you all about it afterwards.....[wish you were all here]
all in all the Cat up the mountains brought me a shrew, a mouse and on the last night a small bird.
all dead naturally. And well that doesn't happen in the city, and I'm sure that some readers in Ireland might have had the same experience, am I blighted by a geilt?
thoughts on the España of two towers and "y plus ultra" are written up at
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=60933
Rajoy is the succesor of Aznar who in tears handed him power the day before yesterday.
It is too soon to say whether or not he is a John Major type figure but tellingly the popular gay front are sueing a PSOE figure for calling him a "big poof". Send Seanín to Madrid?
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