Saturday 28 June 2014

King Felipe VI reaches out to Catalonia


His Majesty shakes hands with the President of the Generalitat de Cataluña, Artur Mas (local leader of the separatist party which forms a minority government in Catalonia).
The autonomous region Catalonia was the destination for King Felipe VI’s first domestic trip as the country's new Monarch. At an award ceremony for young entrepreneurs in Girona on 26th June, the newly proclaimed King sent out a conciliatory message to the Catalans.
"Sincere and generous collaboration is the best way to fulfil the legitimate aspirations of each person and achieve great collective goals for the common good. Just hours before his visit, the Catalan regional assembly approved a motion calling for a popular referendum on the monarchy. The same parties behind the motion also called a protest against the king’s presence in the city. Around 500 people turned out for the demonstration As the crown prince, and from now on as the king, I have used these visits to make the Crown even more present in this land, and to convey a message of respect, mutual understanding and coexistence, which as I said in my proclamation address, are inherent values of our parliamentary democracy,” he said, speaking in Catalan.
His message of reconcilliation did not find open ears among a majority of the region's assembly. Just hours before his visit, the Catalan regional assembly approved a motion calling for a popular referendum on the monarchy. 81 voted in favour, 26 against and 18 abstained. The same parties behind the motion - the Catalan secessionist part CiU, the republican left ERC and smaller marxist parties - also called a protest against the King’s presence in the city. Around 500 people turned out for the demonstration.

Among the nasty comments below an English language report on the day's events was this remarkable comment:
I have been victim of the catalonian nationalists, they have discriminate me because I do not share their tought. I am not the only one that have suffered their intolerance, the catalonian nationalists behave like nazis, they can not cope with persons that not share their ideas. The truth that is happening in Catalonia is very different from the catalonian nationalists´version, they have done a business with the victimism. The catalonian nationalists behave like nazis, they can not cope with persons that not share their ideas. The idea of a referendum in Catalonia it is not healthy because in Catalonia there is no democracy, you need informed citizens and the truth is that in Catalonia since the nationalists run the education system they have created many generations of zombies that only stand for their fascists ideas. In Catalonia there is not education, there is indoctrination in the hatred of the nationalists.

1 comment:

iamloddy said...

It might be worth noting that while Spaniards complain that Catalan Nationalist behave like Nazi's that Fascism and Nazism are not only legal in Spain but they are prevalent across the country.

It seems oddly hypocritical to complain about something they consider a national liberty when they outwardly express extreme views, but get upset when the opposite view is fed back.

If the Catalans were truly considered equal to Spaniards then , just as it is a 600,000 Euro fine for burning the Spanish flag, so too should it be an equal fine for burning the Catalan flag. However, this is not the case and Catalan flag burnings have taken place with people throwing fascist salutes behind the swastika flag and flags of the fascist Falange party.

Also, if Catalans were truly respected as Spaniards, they would not be called "Los Polacos" (the Polish) would they?

Catalonia lost in the Spanish war of succession because they were utterly betrayed by the English at the Treaty of Utrecht. England's politicians prioritised securing exclusive rights to sell black slaves to the Americas over their previous, signed and sealed royal guarantee to protect their freedoms against King Felipe V of Bourbon. You must excuse the apprehension of the Catalans now that exactly 300 years later, in the year they vote on self-determination that there is now King Felipe VI ruling Spain, the son of the King groomed by Franco himself.

The significance of all this can be quite disconcerting.

I am not an anarchist, I do not believe that Monarchy is an outdated system providing monarchs rule well. When it comes to the Catalans, Spanish monarchs do not rule well.