Spain approves Catalonia autonomy

[Zrinski]

Spain's parliament has approved proposals to grant greater autonomy to the north-eastern region of Catalonia.

Under the proposals, the affluent region would be called a nation and given the right to control taxation and change laws passed by parliament.

The plan passed its first reading by 197 votes to 146, but has to be amended to comply with Spain's constitution.

It has divided the ruling Socialist Party and infuriated conservatives, who say it will cause Spain to break up.

The BBC's Danny Wood in Madrid says many Spaniards see the Catalan plan as the strongest test their democratic political system has had to face.

A Basque independence plan was overwhelmingly rejected by the national parliament as anti-constitutional, earlier this year.

National 'entity'

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said the vote on the latest proposals meant "Yes" to the Catalan reforms and "Yes" to ensuring they comply with the Spanish constitution.

He wants amendments to the financial and judicial parts of the plan and says the word "nation" must be changed to "national entity".

But the prime minister's ability to make changes is limited by his minority government's dependence on the support of two Catalonian parties.

The leader of the opposition, Mariano Rajoy, questioned how the proposal could be approved when such important elements have to be modified.

Catalan politician Josep Lluis Carod Rovira accused the conservative Popular Party of Catalonia-phobia. Other Catalan MPs insist the autonomy proposal is about bringing their region into the 21st century and improving conditions for their language, their people and their economy.

The slogan of the regional government in Barcelona, which has already backed the proposals, is "times change, so change the statute".

'Independence'

Our correspondent says the Catalans want more tax revenue, to reflect an increased population, and more say over what happens to that money - for example, where it is spent in education.

Men argue in Madrid
The Catalan proposals have provoked heated debate in Spain

It also demands more control over ports, airports and immigration.

One Catalan MP told the BBC the statute represents the "first step to a full reform of the state".

She said her party the republican left (ERC) hopes it is the first step towards independence.

Critics say that increasing the limited autonomy that the region was given in 1978, after the death of General Francisco Franco, will encourage other regions to press for more powers - especially in the Basque Country.

A final vote on the changes may take several months.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4398702.stm

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I was wondering does this mean that other Catalan regions such as Baleares and Valencia regions are not included?

A short update to understand this joke..

ERC, the "Left Republican of Catalonia" is a party with medium to low representation pushed up by the socialists in order to gain support to, at the same time, get into power. As Zapatero defined himself: I'm a red and a feminist..

[Zrinski]

Yes but the fact is Catalonia is getting greater autonomy. Now my question - does this means it will include all Catalan speaking regions or just Catalonia?

Only Catalonia. Though Catalan secesionists claim the other regions of Catalan language (Roselló and the French-occupied part of Cerdanya, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Andorra, the so-called Western Strip [a Catalan speaking area in the region of Aragon], and L'Alguer [aka Alghero, a Catalan speaking town in Sardinia]), these regions oppose to Catalan secesionist-annexionist claims. Except for Roselló (aka Roussillon) and the part of the Cerdanya, occupied by the French where it is the French State which opposes.

I'm not following the news these days, but at the last moment it seems that the Socialists have dropped the agreement with the left secesionists of ERC and come to an agreement with the Christian-Democrat/Populist coalition of CiU instead.

The one time when a part of Catalonia rose for secession, they looked support on the French, then realized of their mistake, had to beg for readmittance in Spain, but had already lost a part of core Catalonia which was seized by the French State (Roselló and a part of Cerdanya). Idiots never learn..

Also, the Conselh Generau dera Val d'Aran, the local government of a Pyrenean valley of Occitan language, semi-autonomous from the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalonia's autonomous government), warned last year that if Catalonia seceded from the rest of Spain, they might as well decide to secede from Catalonia.


Today I read on a paper here that The New York Times had criticised the Spanish Army chiefs who warned the central Spanish Government that the Army might take into the issue if the new estatut went ahead.. "the rumour of the sabres" as is known here. Those yankee retards called them paleolithic generals or something like that. What they will never understand is that those men spoke out knowing that the personal consequences for themselves would be of importance, out of honour (not something that one can expect the Americans or the Socialists to understand), and in compliance with their duty to defend the Nation from any danger.