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A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 1 october 2018

A year later, Catalonia's secession vote scars region, Spain

By ARITZ PARRA pose nationalism received
MADRID (AP) — A seces- more votes than any other
sion vote in Spain's Catalo- party in the election Spain's
nia region that took place prime minister called after
amid police violence one dissolving Puigdemont's
year ago not only posed government.
a traumatic challenge to The December election in
Spanish democracy, but Catalonia and a no-confi-
nearly tore apart Barce- dence vote in the national
lona resident Teresa Reyes' parliament brought in main
family. new main players. Quim
In the weeks before the Torra became Catalonia's
unauthorized referendum president in a government
that asked Catalan voters if heavily influenced by his
they wanted to break away predecessor. Socialist lead-
from Spain, pro-unity Reyes er Pedro Sanchez inherited
was unable to keep politics the Catalan crisis from oust-
out of her interactions with ed Spanish Prime Minister
her pro-independence son Mariano Rajoy and leads a
and other people she held vulnerable minority govern-
most dear. ment. An August meeting
"We were in two irreconcil- between Torra and San-
able frames of mind," the Catalan police officers cordon off the street to stop pro independence demonstrators on their chez was viewed as a start
65-year-old matriarch said, way to meet demonstrations by members and supporters of National Police and Guardia Civil, as in repairing the damage.
recalling Oct. 1, 2017 — coloured powder is seen thrown by protesters, in Barcelona on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 Since then, gestures from
when the vote that Span- Associated Press both sides signaled a desire
ish courts had banned was for agreement; a recent
held — as "the worst day in people injured and led to the Spanish Supreme year, Puig said, express- deal secured the central
my life." six arrests, although such Court's prosecution of him ing the disappointment of government's commitment
Reyes says love won out episodes are an exception into a platform for his self- many secession supporters. to make more than $1.6 bil-
over ideological differenc- in a city that has hosted determination campaign; "We still want this indepen- lion in overdue payments
es with her son. But a year huge and largely peace- so far, Carles Puigdemont dence and will continue to to the region.
on, she keeps her contacts ful rallies. Separatists have has fought off extradition work toward it." But politicians haven't
with fervent separatists out- called to flood the streets from Belgium and Germa- Support for seceding re- given up confrontational
side of the family to a mini- again on Monday to mark ny. mains high in Catalonia, postures in public, and ob-
mum. last year's referendum. Marti Puig, 32, a teacher despite — or because of servers fear the hesitant
The charged events of last Even as the push for inde- in Catalonia, was clubbed — last year's drive and set- steps toward reconciliation
fall, when years of tension pendence continues to and bruised when he and backs. could derail over two issues:
and the unsettled indepen- shape national politics, other willing voters formed According to a July survey the status of imprisoned
dence question came to Catalonia has remained a human chain to protect by the official Catalan poll- separatist leaders and the
a head, echo in the lives part of Spain, much to the a school in a northern town ing institute, 46.7 percent of still-unresolved matter of
of most of Catalonia's 7.5 dismay of one side and where Puigdemont was Catalans support indepen- the region's future, with or
million residents. They are comfort of the other. A judi- expected to cast his bal- dence and 44.9 percent without Spain.
heard in timid efforts to re- cial investigation led to the lot. Police officers force- oppose it, rates more or less "The music and the rhetoric
build relationships at home, imprisonment of some sep- fully stormed the facilities to consistent with those in oth- are very different," Andrew
seen on streets still clad in aratist leaders, while others crush the vote. er recent years. Dowling, a Catalan history
political symbols and felt fled Spain to avoid arrest in That violence, and Puig's But the "unionists" who expert at Cardiff University
in the scars the breakaway self-imposed exile. resentment toward sep- hung Spanish national in Wales, said. "But there
attempt left on Spain's four- But for some Catalans, the aratist politicians who flags from balconies to op- can't be any real political
decade old democracy. foundation for the prom- weren't able to deliver on pose the referendum have dialogue until the question
On Saturday, clashes be- ised republic was laid with their promises, have not emerged as a strong voice of prisoners is addressed,
tween far-left separat- the referendum. From a dimmed his resolve. in the Catalan debate. A because that's the big po-
ists and Catalan police in base near Brussels, the re- "Many of us thought there center-right party that was litical wound for Catalan
central Barcelona left 24 gion's ex-president turned was a solid strategy" last started in Catalonia to op- society."q