Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

Breaking News
posted by takyon on Friday October 27 2017, @11:15PM   Printer-friendly
from the freedonia dept.

This afternoon, Catalonia declared independence. At the same time, Spain invoked article 155, to strip Catalonia from its governing powers putting it under direct rule from the federal government. A vote for independence was raised in Catalonian parliament, with part of parliament leaving before the vote on independence started. The motion declaring independence was approved with 70 in favor, 10 against, and two abstentions of the normal 135 total.

From RT: https://www.rt.com/news/407956-catalan-parliament-votes-independence/
From Aljazeera: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/catalan-parliament-begins-vote-independence-171027115908493.html
From BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41780116

It will be interesting to see how things unfold. In my opinion, Madrid using violence to stop a referendum gave it the legality they later claim the referendum didn't have. The lack of dialogue paved the way into the only possible outcome, Catalonia declaring independence and Madrid denying it. Whatever happens next, I hope will be peaceful. As to how the EU reacts, I'm hoping they ask for an official referendum, and whatever the outcome, pledges that both Catalonia and Spain will be able to remain in the EU if they desire. That may release tensions a bit.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 28 2017, @01:14AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 28 2017, @01:14AM (#588493)

    So the EU needs to sort things out, becoming a proper nation.

    But nationalism is eeevvvviiiillll!

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by jmorris on Saturday October 28 2017, @06:57AM

    by jmorris (4844) on Saturday October 28 2017, @06:57AM (#588596)

    Empires are usually evil, and that is all the EU can ever aspire to since there is no commonality in the mismash of nations it seeks to dominate in Germany's name. Does this EU everyone is so enamored of have a common language? A common culture, a common people, a common history, a common enemy, ANYTHING in common? No. The correct word for a single political entity ruling over a bunch of beaten peoples is EMPIRE.

    Nationalism can be a good thing, can be a bad thing. I'm afraid the U.S. is in almost the same shape though, other than a mostly common language (that is quickly vanishing into a Tower of Babel) and history, we are losing the common culture and starting to split into warring tribes who hate each other. Nationalism here might very well end up with several nations but our warring tribes don't neatly split along geographic boundaries so much unpleasantness will result as that sorts itself out.

    On the other hand, it does appear that there ARE a lot of natural nations in Europe, problem is they don't all neatly fall along the existing borders. Catalonia seems to meet most of the qualifications as do at least a half dozen more such examples. But since they want to be in the EU it makes it mostly pointless and impossible. Every fragment would rather be a direct EU member and cut out the middleman but the EU can't function now, it knows it can't with twice the voting membership. So this will be a lot of noise and drama that accomplishes nothing, nobody is going to take this to a shooting war over Catalonia's place in the EU org chart. Nobody is going to enlist and possibly die in that cause.