Catalan premier chides state for region slight
"Treating the regions like bad students is a serious mistake," says Artur Mas
Catalan premier Artur Mas sent a message of goodwill to the new central government Tuesday but also a warning not to under-estimate the regions.
"This habit of treating the regions as though they were underage or bad students is a serious mistake," Mas said on the occasion of his first year in power. He said he was talking about Madrid authorities in general.
Mas, who has incurred Catalans' wrath by slashing education and health services as part of a major austerity drive to reduce the regional deficit, sought to justify the move by conjuring up images of meddling by Madrid.
"We did not spend the last 30 years thinking about self-government to now run the risk of intervention by the state," he said.
