News and analysis on Catalonia's struggle for self-determination from 麻豆传媒 Weekly's European bureau.
Barcelona
On February 12, the trial of 12 Catalan politicians and social movement leaders involved in the October 1, 2017 independence referendum is set to begin in the Spanish Supreme Court.
The leaders face sanctions as harsh as 25 year鈥檚 jail for their alleged offences 鈥 rebellion, sedition and embezzlement of public funds.
On February 15, 2003, in the face of the looming US-led war against Iraq鈥檚 Saddam Hussein, the Spanish state saw the biggest demonstrations in its history. Part of an immense worldwide anti-war outpouring, about 4 million people turned out.
Leaders of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) were among those at the head of these oceanic demonstrations, which directly targeted the conservative Spanish People鈥檚 Party (PP) government of then-prime minister Jos茅 Mar铆a Aznar.
On the northern outskirts of Barcelona, on La Rambla de Carmel, stands one of the most visually striking and symbolic monuments to the volunteers of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade of the International Brigades.
鈥淒avid and Goliath鈥, designed by US sculptor Roy Shifrin and first unveiled in 1988, was the most prominent gathering point for the 80th anniversary of the departure of the International Brigades 鈥 anti-fascists who had come from around the world to fight against Francisco Franco鈥檚 forces 鈥 from Barcelona on October 28.
In recent weeks, senior judges in the loftiest halls of the Spanish legal system 鈥 the Supreme Court, the National High Court and the Constitutional Court 鈥 have been exposed as subverters of a fair legal process, lackeys of Spain鈥檚 almighty banking elite and bumbling incompetents, writes Dick Nichols from Barcelona.
Last December 21, Catalonia鈥檚 three parliamentary forces supporting independence 鈥 Together for Catalonia (JxCat), the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) and Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) 鈥 won a 70-65 seat majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament.
Six months of drawn-out negotiations over forming a pro-independence government then followed.
At the June 8 ceremonial handing over of portfolio briefcases from outgoing conservative People鈥檚 Party (PP) ministers to their incoming Spanish Socialist Workers鈥 Party (PSOE) replacements, the contrasts were dramatic.
A bunch of reactionary lifetime political operators and religious obscurantists were replaced by what new Prime Minister Pedro S谩nchez boasted was the 鈥減rogressive鈥, 鈥渇eminist鈥 and 鈥淓uropeanist鈥 alternative.
The Catalan parliament finally voted in a new president on May 14, 199 days after the pro-independence bloc held on to its majority at the December 21 elections imposed by the Spanish government.
Basque Homeland and Freedom (ETA), which waged a decades-long military campaign for Basque independence, released its 鈥淪tatement to the Basque Country: declaration on harm caused鈥 on April 8. The statement is an apology for the suffering arising from more than 40 years of violent operations that ended in a permanent ceasefire in 2011.
鈥淕eneral strike! General strike! General strike!鈥 In protests across Catalonia after the March 23 jailing of five MPs and the March 25 detention in Germany of Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, these words rang out loud and appeared on placards and banners everywhere.
A general strike would certainly make the Spanish government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and the senior judges doing its bidding think twice about their relentless persecution of Catalonia鈥檚 pro-independence MPs.
Except that a general strike, while desirable and important as a goal, will not happen until there is an earthquake in the Catalan trade union movement.
After the December 21 Catalan election reconfirmed a majority for pro-independence forces, it seemed inevitable a new government would soon be formed. More than two months later, however, the spectre of a repeat election haunts Catalonia.
The main war aim of the People鈥檚 Party (PP) government of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for the December 21 Catalan elections was to stop the re-election of a pro-independence government.
During the election campaign, the Spanish political, economic and media establishment even dreamed of the election of a pro-unionist administration on the back of unprecedented participation from a 芦silent majority禄 supposedly in favour of continuing the tie with Spain.
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