Page 45 - The Economist20171214

Europe The Economist December 16th 2017 45

Also in this section
46 The Duracell Bunny of diplomacy
47 A corruption trial in Russia
47 Ukraine’s double Christmas
48 Tirana’s dynamic mayor
48 Poland’s new prime minister
49 Charlemagne: Banking on it

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Catalonia votes that Catalans and their leaders had
Over and over again “learned a lesson”, as one minister puts it,
and that the region—and thus Spain as a
whole—would return to normality. Con-
trary to the expectation of the indepen-
dence movement, no European govern-
ments embraced their cause. Political
turmoil has hurt the Catalan economy.
BARCELONA Since October1st, almost 3,000 companies
Much hangs on a Catalan election thatmaysettle little
have moved theirlegal domicile elsewhere
N Amild eveningthis weekabout 300 Mr Puigdemont is campaigning from (see page 59). Retail sales in Catalonia have
Opeople gathered in a park in Cornellà Brussels, where he fled after the indepen- fallen, while flat elsewhere in Spain. A re-
de Llobregat, a suburb in Barcelona’s in- dence declaration. He faces arrest on char- centsurveyofmore than 100 Catalan man-
dustrial belt, to hear Ines Arrimadas, the ges of rebellion and sedition if he returns agers by Fernando Trias of ESADE, a busi-
young leader of Ciudadanos (Citizens), a to Catalonia. Oriol Junqueras, the leader of ness school, found that 46% said their
centre-right party. She laid into the separat- Esquerra Republicana (Republican Left), companies had stopped investing and 24%
ist parties that have governed Catalonia the largest separatist party, is in jail, facing plan lay-offs.
since 2010 and whose declaration of inde- similar charges. In all, eight pro-indepen- The independence movement has also
pendence in Octoberunleashed a constitu- dence candidatesare eitherin prison orex- learned “that the government has Article
tional crisis in Spain. “Their hope is to stop ile. The biggestcampaign rallyso far wasin 155 and can use it whenever it wants, and
being Spaniards. Ours is to cut hospital Brussels, a 20-hour coach journey from thatjustice isgoingto be tough with them,”
waiting lists and have better schools,” she Catalonia, where tensofthousandsof sup- points out Lluis Orriols, a Catalan political
said. “We cannot stretch out the indepen- porters marched during a long holiday scientist at Madrid’s Carlos III University.
dence process any longer.” weekend in Spain. The “deep state”—the police and security
These promises have brought a surge in In calling the election Mr Rajoy soft- services, judiciary and prosecutors—felt
support for Ciudadanos. According to the ened the blow of his suspension of self- humiliated by the chaotic referendum and
opinion polls, it may win the most votes in government. The government also hoped has hit back. But some Spaniards think the 1
a regional election that will take place on
December 21st (see chart). In a normal con-
test it might have a hope of forming a co- The rematch
alition government. But this is the most pe- Spain, parliament of Catalonia Pro independence
culiar election Spain has seen since the Election results 2015, seats Party support for 2017 election, %*
1970s, and not only because it is the fourth
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 5 10 15 20 25
one in Catalonia in just seven years.
Together Republican Left †
It was called by Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s for Yes
prime minister, who was granted extraor- Popular Unity 72 Together for 46.8
†
Catalonia
dinary powers underArticle 155 ofthe con- Total Popular Unity
stitution to suspend Catalan self-govern- Ciudadanos seats Ciudadanos Total,
%
ment after the regional parliament Socialist Party Socialist Party
declared independence. This followed an Catalonia 63 Catalonia 51.5
unconstitutional referendum on October in Common in Common
1st organised by the Catalan government People’s Party People’s Party
headed by Carles Puigdemont, in which it Sources: Parliament of Catalonia; *Weighted average of polls from October to December 11th 2017
†
says 43% voted amid police violence. Kiko Llaneras/El País Previously part of Together for Yes