Homage to Catalonia

One of the largest demonstrations ever seen in this country was held on Tuesday in Barcelona, behind a banner demanding independence for Catalonia. And this demand is what most directly mobilized the demonstrators, though the Catalan premier, Artur Mas, at first sought to portray it as one of support for the “fiscal pact” (tax-sharing scheme) that he will soon propose to the central government in Madrid. The novelty of Tuesday’s event, with respect to previous celebrations of the Diada (Catalan national day), was that this year it was the demand for independence that produced so massive a turnout.

It is as absurd to deny the obvious fact of such a demonstration of pro-independence sentiment as it is to trivialize the demand made on a day that opens a political season littered with challenges and risks. This massive rally requires — particularly of the Spanish government, but also of the opposition — a responsible and intelligent response. It is also a serious occasion for the conservative Catalan nationalist party CiU, which now forms the Catalan regional government, and for its leader Artur Mas, who appears to have been somewhat taken aback by the turnout, though he may attempt to capitalize on it by turning possible early elections into a plebiscite.

The opportunism of CiU, which proposes a fiscal pact as a condition for staying in Spain, has contributed to the success of the demonstration. But this is not the only explanation. In Catalonia a profound malaise has existed of late due to the 2010 Spanish Constitutional Court ruling that frustrated expectations of more self-government; due to the crisis, which has clipped Catalan economic wings; and due to the ruling Popular Party’s recent recentralizing, interventionist strategy. It is a general malaise, which has served CiU to divert attention from its social cutbacks and its responsibility for the region’s indebtedness. But it is also a huge political failure for recent Spanish governments, since Aznar, which have been incapable of a suitable political response, and indeed have nourished the spiral of radicalization. True, one factor is the emergence in Catalonia of a new generation, not cowed by the memories of the past, who see the European crisis as a window of opportunity for Catalonia to dispense with Spain.

The situation may be further complicated after October’s Basque elections. And the challenge requires more than the poor and insulting response of Mariano Rajoy in his televised interview. To term what many Catalans consider a serious national grievance as mere “noise” is the sort of frivolous remark that ought never to be made by a public figure.

Spanish democracy has reached a level of maturity sufficient to cope with this challenge, but it must be handled with clarity, respect for the rules of the game, and with viable alternatives to the independence option — with which many Catalans who did not attend the demonstration do not identify. It is not true that all the roads are closed. Serious, constructive debate on how to structure a mutually satisfactory relationship between Catalonia and Spain is still possible and necessary. The existing model of regional autonomy has given Spain the longest epoch of prosperity ever known; but nothing is untouchable, and many voices are calling for this model to be deepened into a system of a more federal nature. In a democracy any proposal is legitimate, including independence. But those who advocate it must clearly explain what they want to do with it.