Spain Notes, Sept 11: Catalonia day
0/ Puigdemont’s amnesty. Are the separatists going to try again?
0/ Also, read this from the trial in 2019 on elites and power and constitutions.
1/ Today is Catalonia’s regional/national Diada Day. Spain is the only nation in Spain, nationalities, a plurnational Spain, multiple identities, a Spain of Spains, indeed. The eternal debate.
2/ Sánchez, of course, made sure to note the special day: Catalonia, he tweeted, “has opened a new path of progress, understanding and coexistence”. Which he hopes will end up with him as PM until 2027.
3/ Puigdemont’s amnesty isn’t enough, said Pere Aragonés, the current First Minister of Catalonia, in his speech: “the conflict will continue” as long as there is not vote on independence.
4/ Hang on a minute, says Asens (Sumar), we were talking about the amnesty, not a referendum…he reckons there would be just enough parliamentary time to ram through the amnesty before Sánchez is reappointed PM.
5/ Catalonia, said PP leader Feijóo, still trying to become PM even though everyone knows he doesn’t have the vote, is “a land that has always contributed to enriching our country”. Perhaps he could have phrased that better…
6/ The Objective says senior old socialists are preparing a public event against the amnesty…and therefore against the path Sánchez is taking.
7/ Rubiales resigned….on Piers Morgan’s show.
8/ Spain sent a team of 56 soldiers and 4 dogs from its specialist emergency rescue battalions to Morocco to help with the aftermath of the earthquake. Morocco asked for help from Spain and the UK…but not France.
9/ El Mundo wonders in an editorial what was going on with Moroccan King Mohammed VI in the 18 hours after the earthquake, noting his frequent absences from the country “have encouraged rumours about his possible abdication”. He lives “with his back to his people”, writes the paper.
10/ A Spanish NGO worker, Emma Igual, was killed in Ukraine in a Russian attack on a vehicle she was in. Catalan media and leaders described her as Catalan.