Dd . . . and Catalonia Commentary

Lovely to be reunited with Dd, here in Cairo. We determined to have some relaxing time together and after a lazy morning and some admin work, we went over to the Sofitel which enjoys a privileged position beside the Nile.

The always mandate-less, pro-independent and, now, ex-governors of Catalonia continue in denial about their 'ex' status. They are, in fact, caught in a classic Catch-22 situation. They either get on with governing their newly-declared republic....finding some desk space would be a good start and trying to raise some money to fund their public services from water and sewage to health and defence a sensible follow on....or enter the elections of the next door neighbour, Spain, to regain control of 'their' land which, of course, would be an immediate betrayal of the fact that they have just declared Catalonia as an independent republic.

For those interested, here's the difference with the Scotland scenario - Scotland is undisputedly a nation which happens to share its Crown and government with neighbouring countries that make up the UK. A few years ago the leading pro-independent party which has always had in its election manifestos an aim to seek independence for the country won an absolute majority in the national elections in an electoral system which was specifically designed to prevent any one party winning an absolute majority. With this clear mandate, the party asked the UK Prime for a referendum on independence which was granted on the basis of the strength of the mandate. A referendum debate was conducted in which the pros and cons were examined exhaustively and which included the production of a large book or business case by the pro-independence seekers outlining how the future independent country would prosper economically. After a very full public debate, the country did not buy the argument and the 'no' vote won. Scotland remains part of the UK.

None of the elements mentioned above existed in Catalonia including, and most importantly, a clear mandate for the ruling politicians to seek or call a referendum. So, the whole thing has been built on (opportunistic) sand. Governments do not and should not grant referenda on important matters affecting the very constitution of their land unless there is a clear groundswell of public opinion to support it. When there is a clear groundswell that indicates that something in present arrangements has to change to better meet the desires of the people which parliaments and constitutions are designed to serve, then a referendum or dialogue to change the constitution can be held. When there isn’t a clear groundswell and you grant referenda then you risk giving undue place to every opportunistic Tom, Dick and Harry there is. In Catalonian terms, you can substitute T, D and H with Puigdumont, Junqueras and Gabriel which don't quite roll of the tongue in the same way but are in the same league. The Spanish government has done no more and no less then what is needed.