Read all about it - Emeli Sande #Catalonia

Un altre resumen personal de la situació actual a Catalunya, pels que parlen anglès ... i la cançó, pos, si apreteu les semblances podriem dir que parla d’algù que havia tingut por a parlar fins ara però per fi vol explicar-ho tot  al món....

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Regular visitors to the blog will be wondering why Brian hasn’t been rabbitting on about the Catalan independence movement for some time. Well, firstly, time is short, and secondly, I would not wish to bore you with a mono-themed blog – but, anyway, it’s time for a quick update.

As you should know (by clicking here), 1.5 million people marched for Independence on 11^th September which led the Catalan PM to call elections. His (winning) party, and the second-placed party in the elections, have a clear objective of holding a referendum on this issue. Together with a couple of smaller parties, maybe 75% of MPs believe a referendum should be held, and the government is committed to holding it in 2014.

Meanwhile, in Madrid, they insist this would be illegal and anti-constitutional, and that they’d probably not allow it and Catalonia would lose all its current autonomous powers, as well as other nasty things which may or may not happen – prison, military threats etc.

Catalonia insists that it will try to get Madrid to agree to the referendum, but if they don’t, then legal support from international legislation will be the way to move forward.

And as many experts have said, the top and bottom of it is; how can a people be denied the right to have a democratic peaceful say on their own future, especially after such wide and deep support has been shown?

What will happen? Who knows! It seems like the plans for the referendum are still on track, though maybe not at the front of the government’s mind at present as it is struggling to deal with recession, no cash to pay for its obligations (public servants and services being cut right, left and centre), plus numerous cases of corruption. Maybe these cases will all be proven, but it seems like Madrid has had a hand in many of them coming out to public knowledge just now .... so, interesting situation!

The song, at a (drastic) push, you could find a weak link today as she sings of someone losing their fear to speak out ....