The old federalists Let's stop blaming others for our problems, or at least we should not do it without also assuming our responsibilities

I was surprised that Joaquim Nadal, in his interview with Quadern, EL PAÍS, Thursday, November 15, said that "the old Spanish federalists have disappeared". I wonder if the old federalists who have disappeared are among "the Spaniards". It seems that Nadal joins a recurring topic, almost of obligatory mention in some sectors of Catalonia, which comes to say that "there are no federalists beyond the Ebro". This topic is added to others, such as that "federalism is a past screen", or that it is "too difficult", to which I celebrate that Nadal does not join, at least now that he publicly exposes his reservations about the independence process . These topics are tactical and superficial responses to the lack of arguments against federalism, which is the solution to the problems of sovereignty and identities that most people living in a democracy in the world have adopted.

Last October 6 a great Spanish federalist meeting took place in Hospitalet, organized by Federalistes d'Esquerres - which brings together most of the Catalan federalists, young and old - with the participation of many old Spanish federalists, led by Nicolás Sartorius, founder of Comisiones Obreras, and responsible for the main Spanish progressive think tank, the Alternativas Foundation. The current general secretary of Comisiones Obreras, the main Spanish union, also participated in the event. And there were representatives from Andalusia, Aragon, Madrid and other communities. Participated by video personalities such as Baltasar Garzón and Gaspar Llamazares. More recently, the presentation of a federalist collective took place in the Basque Country, with the support of hundreds of people, led by the prestigious professor Alberto López Basaguren. The Valencian country and the Balearic islands have autonomous federalist governments. Federalistes d'Esquerres has organized events in Madrid in recent years, in which representatives of different political and social organizations have participated, starting with the mayor of Madrid, Manuela Carmena. "Haberlos, haylos", another thing is that it is not convenient to see them. For example, some media, and very loudly TV3, did not echo the meeting at the Hospitalet.

It is very easy to suggest that it is the Spaniards fault that there is no federalism (in fact, we would have to say that there is no better federalism, because there is federalism). It is always better to blame others. And to reproach them that some who may be federalists, or even secretly, have not defended Catalonia enough in recent years. But it is very difficult to be a federalist and to see with sympathy the dominant discourse that has been projected from Catalan politics during these last years.

https://elpais.com/ccaa/2018/11/20/catalunya/1542738926_358866.html