Page 11 - Minister Alex Schwengle

WORLD NEWS A11
Saturday 26 September

Spain: Radical party likely kingmaker in Catalonia secession

The leader of radical left party CUP David Fernandez speaks Fernandez, the party has al capitalist economy he 39 war against Francisco
with a reporter of the The Associated Press during an interview succeeded regionally in labels as “a war machine Franco’s fascist forces.
in Barcelona, Spain. Catalans, Fernandez said, need to claim tapping into the same an- that robs, kills and lies.” After earning a reputa-
their sovereignty as a nation from a Spanish state he insists has ger at Europe’s austerity Movements that inspire tion as a gifted debater
little respect for Catalonia and is an enthusiastic participant in measures that has vitalized Fernandez include Syriza, in parliament, Fernandez
a global capitalist economy he labels as “a war machine that far-left European parties Ireland’s Sinn Fein, Spain’s and CUP’s radical rheto-
robs, kills and lies.” like Syriza in Greece that Basque Country separat- ric have struck a note with
eat into traditional support ists and the Zapata Army of pro-independence Cata-
(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) for social democrats. Polls National Liberation active lans who are angry about
show CUP set to win as in Mexico’s Chiapas region the languishing economy
many as 10 parliamentary in the 1990s. and firm in their belief that
seats, up from the three it But he said CUP owes most Catalonia does not get
currently holds. of its identity to Catalonia’s back what it pays in taxes
Catalans, he said in an own history of workers and to Madrid.
interview with The Associ- leftist movements, includ- Fernandez has consistent-
ated Press, need to claim ing 1930s radicals from pre- ly polled as Catalonia’s
their sovereignty as a na- dictatorship Catalonia — “highest rated” politician
tion from a Spanish state he when anarchists, commu- in regional government
insists has little respect for nists and militant workers surveys since he joined the
Catalonia and is an enthu- unions were among those chamber in 2012. q
siastic participant in a glob- who fought a losing 1936-

JOSEPH WILSON a goal the Madrid central
Associated Press government says would be
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) illegal.
— A radical left party has Polls show the race is tight
made a startling journey in the vote one year after
from colorful oddity to po- Scots decided in a referen-
tential kingmaker in Cat- dum against splitting from
alonia’s independence the United Kingdom. But
drive. Catalonia’s large “Togeth-
The Popular Unity Candi- er for Yes” block formed
dacy, known as CUP, joins by pro-independence par-
a line of far-left movements ties from the rest of political
seizing the political mo- spectrum will need support
mentum in Europe, from from the smaller CUP to se-
Greece’s ruling Syriza party cure a 68-seat majority in
and Spain’s own far-left the 135-seat regional par-
Podemos movement to liament.
the shock emergence last And without the majority,
week of socialist Jeremy secessionists concede, the
Corbyn as leader of Brit- effort to break away from
ain’s Labour Party. Spain will be set back for
As in the other cases, pain- years. That gives CUP po-
ful austerity policies have tentially strong leverage
given wings to the CUP to dictate the terms of its
— and it finds itself pos- support, and impose some
sibly holding the key to of its hard-left agenda on
the aspirations of Catalan business-friendly Catalonia.
separatists determined to CUP is present only in north-
sever centuries-old ties with eastern Catalonia and is
Spain. led by the outspoken Da-
Catalans vote Sunday in vid Fernandez, who sports
regional parliamentary T-shirts with radical slogans
elections that the break- (from his wardrobe of more
away camp hopes will than 200), while debating
give them a mandate to in the ornate chambers of
put their region on a path Catalonia’s Parliament.
toward independence — Under the 41-year-old