Friday, October 16, 2015

400 mayors

400 mayors gave their support to Artur Mas current, although pending of postelectoral accords, president of the Catalan government on his way to court. He has been indicted on four counts by the Catalan high court as organizer of last November the 9th of a straw poll referendum-like on the independence of Catalonia from Spain. The poll was prohibited by the Spanish Constitutional Court but on shaky legal grounds.
Together with other members of his government, an assorted group of parliamentary representatives and a large (6.000 plus) crowd, they accompanied Mr. Mas as he walked to the court house brandishing their batons, the symbol of their authority.
In many European countries the town mayors are the root of the popular power. In France, no politician will ever succeed in his career without being first mayor of his home town. About a year ago up to 900 mayors of the 943 Catalan municipalities showed their support, practically taking over the Generalitat palace medieval building.
All this is just another episode of the Catalan road towards the independence of this small Mediterranean nation from the kingdom of Spain.
The repeated political errors of the current Spanish government in handling the Catalan challenge are the main reason for this episode. The Nov9th 2014 straw poll was followed by close to 2.5 million people despite all the difficulties posed by the government. Its organization, however irregular as it was not accepted as a referendum, should never been taken to court. The discrepancies between the Spanish central government and the Catalan are political matters, not a judicial one. Yet the Spanish central government, stubbornly tries to solve it by taking them to the courts.
Even though the results of the last (September 27th) elections were not clearly defining of the will of the Catalans, episodes such as this, will only foster the independence bid and enlarge the public figure of Mr. Mas.

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