Catalonia wants to be a state
In Catalonia, an informal survey of citizens. His results (the data are being specified; the counting of votes is not completed) suggests that the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of the autonomy support the sovereignty of Catalonia. Official Madrid, meanwhile, called the poll “political propaganda” and recalled that “voting” did not have legal force.
In the "sociological" event dedicated to the question of the independence of Catalonia and representing an informal referendum, about 2250 thousands of residents of the region took part. Already counted more than 4 / 5 questionnaires. More than 80% of Catalonians who voted want to secede from Spain. Only two questions were printed in the “bulletins”: 1) “Do you want Catalonia to become a state?”; 2) “If yes, do you want Catalonia to become an independent state?”
The tellers considered a double positive response. On November 10 (the day this article was written), the number of those who answered “yes” to both questions exceeded eighty percent (almost reached 81). More than ten percent of those who answered the first question positively and negatively to the second one were revealed. And less than five percent of the Catalans answered no to both questions.
The head of Catalonia, Arthur Mas, called the independence survey a “success”. “In the conditions in which we had to vote, this is an absolute success,” he said. "Vesti".
“We have made a huge step forward as a country and have demonstrated that we want to determine our future. Someday we will be able to finally determine our future in polling stations, ”he told reporters.
According to Vesti, the final results will not be known soon. It will probably happen in a few weeks. In some areas, the “vote” will last until November 25. In addition, the survey was conducted abroad.
As transmits RIA News"Spain’s Minister of Justice Rafael Catala called the poll on the independence of Catalonia an act of “political propaganda” and said that the event was not legally binding. He said this at a press conference convened in connection with the ongoing survey.
According to the minister, the head of the government of Catalonia tried to conceal “personal failure” with a poll on independence.
Mr Catala did not fail to scare the Catalans. He stated that the Prosecutor General’s Office will continue to collect data on the survey regarding the facts "subject to criminal liability."
RIA "News"Recalls that earlier in the Spanish government called the survey" useless "and" undemocratic "exercise.
"BBC" quoted the words of the Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, on the eve of the poll. He stressed that any outcome of the event will have no practical consequences. The Prime Minister also called on the Catalans to “turn to common sense.”
Meanwhile, the Catalans are unhappy with Spain for a long time. They do not want to “feed Madrid”. The fact is that the autonomous region gives about one-fifth of all revenues to the Spanish budget. Of course, not all of the money is returned back: autonomy loses about a quarter of the year to and fro.
At the same time, you should know that Catalonia is an economically developed province. Next to the Spanish crisis areas, where the unemployment rate is quite high, it looks very advantageous.
In addition, the Catalans have their own language (Catalan), their own culture, and they do not like everything traditionally Spanish, starting with a bullfight. Catalans reason, one might say, one, and think more historically and culturally than economically. As a result, the result of their survey differs significantly from the results of the Scottish referendum (which, moreover, no one forbade).
Today, Catalan politicians are unlikely to expect that the survey will push the Spanish government to change the country's constitution and the resolution of the referendum. This is unthinkable, especially since we know in advance what the result of the vote will be.
However, the Catalan politicians are entitled to rely on negotiations concerning the further expansion of autonomy. This is where the talk can be about either reducing the tax burden for Catalonia or changing the redistribution policy of budget revenues.
In any case, the beginning of the project "Referendum" is laid. Comrade Masa Madrid will not intimidate. Rather, Madrid itself is afraid: after all, trying to prosecute the person who organized the sociological event is simply ridiculous. In Europe, there is much talk about freedom of speech and human rights, and every attack on the throat of this song causes a wave of indignation. Therefore, Madrid only scares, and Comrade Mas will continue the work begun.
And now let's see what Spain can lose if Catalonia ever separates from it.
As recalled AiF.ru, The population of Catalonia - 7,3 million, or about 16% of all residents of the kingdom. The region's GDP is 195.403 million (about 20% of Spain’s GDP).
Catalonia's export volume is 41,158 billion euros, or 16,5% of Spain's exports (2009). The fifth part of the production of Catalonia sends products for export.
The resorts on the northern Costa Brava and southern Costa Dorada are popular holiday destinations throughout Europe. It built almost 5000 hotels. Every year, 15 is visited by millions of people.
The port of Barcelona is one of the largest in southern Europe.
Barcelona Airport offers direct flights to cities in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Catalan industry accounts for a quarter of the total Spanish production.
Catalonia leads the chemical and pharmaceutical industries; plastic production; textile industry; automobile production; production of household appliances; electronics manufacturing.
More than 500 thousands of entrepreneurs are registered in Catalonia (19% of the total number of all entrepreneurs in Spain).
In 2010, the Catalans contributed to the Spanish budget of Spain by 18,5% more taxes than the average collected in the country.
Finally, Catalonia spends 1,64% of GDP on scientific activities, which is almost 1% of the global total. Moreover, Catalonia is leading in terms of clinical research.
In 2011, Catalonia led the ranking “European Cities and Regions of the Future,” which makes up fDi magazine, according to AIF website.
Therefore, let us add, it is not surprising that Catalonia behaves differently than Scotland, which is used to living well and does not want to live worse than today.
The national identity and culture of the Catalans have nothing to do with Spanish. Almost all Catalans, sensing their region as one of the leading regions of Europe, do not want to “feed Madrid”.
Today, Madrid is more afraid of Barcelona than Barcelona - Madrid. Another thing is that Arthur Mas is a thoughtful and cautious politician, and he will never go on political confrontation with Madrid. However, with the overwhelming success of the survey, it becomes quite obvious that the politician will not turn off the chosen road.
We can safely predict that in the very near future, Barcelona will initiate negotiations on autonomy rights. And one of the issues concerning these very rights will be the introduction of amendments to the Spanish constitution.
Catalonia desires what Scotland wanted "moderately" with all its heart.
In the "sociological" event dedicated to the question of the independence of Catalonia and representing an informal referendum, about 2250 thousands of residents of the region took part. Already counted more than 4 / 5 questionnaires. More than 80% of Catalonians who voted want to secede from Spain. Only two questions were printed in the “bulletins”: 1) “Do you want Catalonia to become a state?”; 2) “If yes, do you want Catalonia to become an independent state?”
The tellers considered a double positive response. On November 10 (the day this article was written), the number of those who answered “yes” to both questions exceeded eighty percent (almost reached 81). More than ten percent of those who answered the first question positively and negatively to the second one were revealed. And less than five percent of the Catalans answered no to both questions.
The head of Catalonia, Arthur Mas, called the independence survey a “success”. “In the conditions in which we had to vote, this is an absolute success,” he said. "Vesti".
“We have made a huge step forward as a country and have demonstrated that we want to determine our future. Someday we will be able to finally determine our future in polling stations, ”he told reporters.
According to Vesti, the final results will not be known soon. It will probably happen in a few weeks. In some areas, the “vote” will last until November 25. In addition, the survey was conducted abroad.
As transmits RIA News"Spain’s Minister of Justice Rafael Catala called the poll on the independence of Catalonia an act of “political propaganda” and said that the event was not legally binding. He said this at a press conference convened in connection with the ongoing survey.
According to the minister, the head of the government of Catalonia tried to conceal “personal failure” with a poll on independence.
Mr Catala did not fail to scare the Catalans. He stated that the Prosecutor General’s Office will continue to collect data on the survey regarding the facts "subject to criminal liability."
RIA "News"Recalls that earlier in the Spanish government called the survey" useless "and" undemocratic "exercise.
"BBC" quoted the words of the Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, on the eve of the poll. He stressed that any outcome of the event will have no practical consequences. The Prime Minister also called on the Catalans to “turn to common sense.”
Meanwhile, the Catalans are unhappy with Spain for a long time. They do not want to “feed Madrid”. The fact is that the autonomous region gives about one-fifth of all revenues to the Spanish budget. Of course, not all of the money is returned back: autonomy loses about a quarter of the year to and fro.
At the same time, you should know that Catalonia is an economically developed province. Next to the Spanish crisis areas, where the unemployment rate is quite high, it looks very advantageous.
In addition, the Catalans have their own language (Catalan), their own culture, and they do not like everything traditionally Spanish, starting with a bullfight. Catalans reason, one might say, one, and think more historically and culturally than economically. As a result, the result of their survey differs significantly from the results of the Scottish referendum (which, moreover, no one forbade).
Today, Catalan politicians are unlikely to expect that the survey will push the Spanish government to change the country's constitution and the resolution of the referendum. This is unthinkable, especially since we know in advance what the result of the vote will be.
However, the Catalan politicians are entitled to rely on negotiations concerning the further expansion of autonomy. This is where the talk can be about either reducing the tax burden for Catalonia or changing the redistribution policy of budget revenues.
In any case, the beginning of the project "Referendum" is laid. Comrade Masa Madrid will not intimidate. Rather, Madrid itself is afraid: after all, trying to prosecute the person who organized the sociological event is simply ridiculous. In Europe, there is much talk about freedom of speech and human rights, and every attack on the throat of this song causes a wave of indignation. Therefore, Madrid only scares, and Comrade Mas will continue the work begun.
And now let's see what Spain can lose if Catalonia ever separates from it.
As recalled AiF.ru, The population of Catalonia - 7,3 million, or about 16% of all residents of the kingdom. The region's GDP is 195.403 million (about 20% of Spain’s GDP).
Catalonia's export volume is 41,158 billion euros, or 16,5% of Spain's exports (2009). The fifth part of the production of Catalonia sends products for export.
The resorts on the northern Costa Brava and southern Costa Dorada are popular holiday destinations throughout Europe. It built almost 5000 hotels. Every year, 15 is visited by millions of people.
The port of Barcelona is one of the largest in southern Europe.
Barcelona Airport offers direct flights to cities in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Catalan industry accounts for a quarter of the total Spanish production.
Catalonia leads the chemical and pharmaceutical industries; plastic production; textile industry; automobile production; production of household appliances; electronics manufacturing.
More than 500 thousands of entrepreneurs are registered in Catalonia (19% of the total number of all entrepreneurs in Spain).
In 2010, the Catalans contributed to the Spanish budget of Spain by 18,5% more taxes than the average collected in the country.
Finally, Catalonia spends 1,64% of GDP on scientific activities, which is almost 1% of the global total. Moreover, Catalonia is leading in terms of clinical research.
In 2011, Catalonia led the ranking “European Cities and Regions of the Future,” which makes up fDi magazine, according to AIF website.
Therefore, let us add, it is not surprising that Catalonia behaves differently than Scotland, which is used to living well and does not want to live worse than today.
The national identity and culture of the Catalans have nothing to do with Spanish. Almost all Catalans, sensing their region as one of the leading regions of Europe, do not want to “feed Madrid”.
Today, Madrid is more afraid of Barcelona than Barcelona - Madrid. Another thing is that Arthur Mas is a thoughtful and cautious politician, and he will never go on political confrontation with Madrid. However, with the overwhelming success of the survey, it becomes quite obvious that the politician will not turn off the chosen road.
We can safely predict that in the very near future, Barcelona will initiate negotiations on autonomy rights. And one of the issues concerning these very rights will be the introduction of amendments to the Spanish constitution.
Catalonia desires what Scotland wanted "moderately" with all its heart.
Observed and commented on Oleg Chuvakin
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- especially for topwar.ru
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