We have witnessed a tense debate in our Congress on two serious issues: 'Brexit' and the Catalan independence movement. As president Pedro Sánchez, said; "both walk along parallel tracks and with a similar rhetoric", with a tale of invented grievances magnified by manipulation. In both cases it is intended to force the population to make binary decisions ... Here and there, we have witnessed the exaltation of a handful of topics, covered with nostalgia for the past. And always at the service of a rhetoric consisting of and "us versus them'.
In contrast, I remember Josep Tarradellas proclaiming from the balcony of the Generalitat: "'Citizens of Catalonia, I am back!'"
(Comment: Josep Tarradellas was Catalonia´s president in exile during the Franco dictatorship and its first president after democracy was reestablished in Spain as was Catalan self-rule).
The 'President' said 'ciutadans', (citizens); an inclusive concept which stems from the French Revolution. Citizens; free, equal and fraternal. Citizens out of choice. In this case, Citizens of Catalonia.
The Call to 'A Single People' from the Catalan Assembly (comment: formed by the opposition during the Franco dictatorship)
This term was intrinsic to the initial declaration of the Catalan Assembly ("Assemblea de Catalunya"), and stemmed out of the intellectual debate which gave birth to the concept of "Catalanism" which encompassed the different views present in Catalan society. An idea synthesized in the call for "'A single people'", which is now instead being used to refer only to part of the Catalans.
"Catalanism" has been the main common denominator of most of Catalan politics up to 2012. For "Catalanism" the definition of nation is that of citizens who share a set of common values; the civic, inclusive and solidary nation, while instead the independentists believe that the sheer existence of a nation, concedes the right to secession, something which is not recognized by any legal system, neither the constitution, nor European law nor international law.
Nevertheless, the pro independence movement has scored the success of an idea, a message, a communication, a common argument without apparent fissures, at least until now. Far from being transversal, it has homogenized its space within a block made up of 47% of the people, excluding the rest. On the other hand, the non-independentists have continued with their ideological differences and their different traditions. Four messages, four programs, which in political communication equals to inaudible noise.
To reach secession, the independence movement needed to blow up the bridges of transversal Catalanism, a task to which it has devoted itself with great zeal during recent years.
In such a way, politics turned into permanent confrontation becomes binary; there are no possible nuances. White or black, Independentist vs. Unionist, October 1st. That is; Frontism.
Needless to say, such a strategy has had its consequences, the most serious being a deep social fracture.
The weakening of the Catalanist space has led us to what we are now living: a division of Catalonia which must be avoided before it becomes firmly rooted in spirits, making coexistence impossible.
Fortunately, taking a distance from noise and silence, the central space once occupied by Catalanism exists, it survives, and therefore has a duty to recover a social majority in Catalan politics. Out of the two million voters for pro-independence options, many of them are temporary pro-independence voters, who could change their opinions and options, if they are offered an opportunity for reform in Spain in which Catalonia participates.
In order to achieve the above, the key word is and always will be; dialogue. Only through dialogue can agreements be reached between those of us who hold different positions on the future we want for our country.
On the other hand, we have witnessed an increase in tension in order to hinder the dialogue opened up by Spain´s new socialist government, with the sole aim of preserving unity within the fragmented pro independence bloc. Also making absurd comparisons with the Slovenian experience, which the prime minister of that country has made a point at directly rejecting, and a sterile insistence on a unilateral path that leads nowhere. Some who now recognize that they do not even have a social majority, at the time were enthusiastically supportive. Others instead continue to propose such a unilateral path throughout Europe.
On the other hand, as President Sanchez said, "a third party is being blamed while disregarding one´s own direct responsibilities in undertaking cuts in education and health which erode social cohesion and trust in institutions," whilst at the same time calling to reject a (Spanish) budget that contributes to reverse such cuts.
The recognition by the independentists of the part of Catalonia who doesn´t think like them would also constitute the first step to reestablish coexistence and dialogue between Catalonia and the whole of Spain.
And as well to returning to the climate of "Ciutadans de Catalunya". To become again "a sol poble ' (a single people) in a "' Catalunya grande, oberta i inclusiva '" (A great, open and inclusive Catalonia)
https://www.elperiodico.com/es/opinion/20181215/ciudadanos-de-catalunya-articulo-opinion-josep-borrell-7204045
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