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CULTURE

FF
THE "FIRMLY ROOTE&OPEATIVE SPIRIT' OF CATAL"ATS 1s BLt M1LZB1t1E
- "CASTELLS' THAT7JTE PART AND PARCEL OF POPULAR FESTIVITI1 :

by Albert Pont, President, Catalan Circle for Business (www.ccncat.cat)

In the first part of this article we re- basic democratic mandate from the moves by Spanish powers to create
ferred to the historic, political, eco- Catalan people. There have been no false evidence incriminating Cata-
nomic and cultural reasons that, for political voices in Spain in favour of lan political figures with the help of
over three centuries, have under- finding ways to reach an understand- Spanish "patriotic" news media. In
pinned the Catalan claim for self- ing with Catalonia. The only "reply" this connection, it is worth pointing
rule. In this second part, we shall from the Spanish Popular Party (PP) out to the existence of secret record-
provide readers with a succinct over- government to the legitimate claims ings, made by the Ministry of the In-
view of the Catalan "Road Map" to of Catalans that their political and terior, that were made public due to
independence together with the eco- economic rights be respected and the disputes between different "fac-
nomic and legal consequences of the about the need for a genuine political tions" in the Spanish security bod-
establishment of a Catalan Republic, dialogue, has been the unprecedent- ies and were then profusely covered
both for the Catalan population, for ed, extravagant and abusive role and by Catalan and Spanish media, con-
foreign residents in Catalonia, as well the repressive powers vested to the cerning the existence of a vast con-
as for third country nationals hav- Spanish Constitutional Court (SCC), spiracy to discredit Catalan political
ing to deal with a newly independent that are contrary to democratic divi- leaders and to prepare the ground for
Catalan State. sion of powers and the rule of law, to an intervention by the central Span-
"prosecute and punish" Catalan po- ish government to do away with the
What can be Expected Next? litical leaders and public officers and remnants of Catalan autonomy.
The will of the Catalans was expressed the intensification of the "dirty war"
peacefully and democratically in the being waged by the Spanish state The so-called "Operation Catalonia"
last elections to the Catalan Parlia- against Catalonia. was organized by the Spanish Minis-
ment held in September 2015. But ter of the Interior (the leading candi-
there has been a constant hostility The "Dirty War" against Catalonia date of the PP in Catalonia), employ-
shown by Madrid towards Catalan in- As it was revealed by the media, since ing vast resources among the police
stitutions, as well as contempt for the 2010 there have been undercover forces, the public prosecutors and the

40 DIVA - INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMAT