The Catalan stand-off has been extended until Thursday as both sides hold their ground.
After days of expectation and talks with his separatist allies, Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont stood by his decision to keep his region’s declaration of independence from Spain “in suspension” despite a demand for clarity from Spain prime minister Rajoy, effectively challenging the central government to follow through on promises to forcibly take control of the region by sending an evasive reply to the central government's Article 155 notification, which on Wednesday began the process of suspending home rule in the region.
The Spanish Prime Minister's office was seeking a simple "yes" or "no" reply by 10 a.m. on Monday on the question of whether Mr. Puigdemont had or had not declared independence last Tuesday. Anything other than "no", the First Minister was warned, would lead to the activation of the so-called faced the use of Article 155 of the Spanish constitution. This article is the so-called “nuclear option” which allows Madrid to dissolve the regional government and call fresh regional elections. The central government can also take over the local police force and television channels.
Eventually, Puigdemont chose more obfuscation and defiance: his four-page reply, obtained by Catalan radio stations Catalunya Radio and RAC1 and released by The Spain Report, neither confirmed nor denied he had proclaimed a new Catalan republic last week, but said the declaration remained “in suspension” and proposed two months of dialogue arguing that the Spanish people and Europe will only understand “dialogue, negotiation and agreement.” He did not say what he would do if talks did not take place by the middle of December.
The full letter is below.
President Puigdemont's response to Prime Minister Rajoy regarding the political situation in #Catalonia pic.twitter.com/0R1ej2LQic
— Catalan Government (@catalangov) October 16, 2017
"The situation we are living through", the letter begins: "is of such transcendence that it demands political solutions and replies that are up to the job". Both "the majority of society" and Europe would only understand a solution based on "dialogue, negotiation and agreement".
Puigdemont says he was "surprised" by the central government's decision to begin the process of suspending home rule, and that his proposal of dialogue was "sincere" and "honest", not "a demonstration of weakness". He also argued that despite "violent police action", "more than two million Catalans" entrusted the regional parliament with a "democratic mandate to declare independence".
Most "no" voters stayed at home on October 1 and opposition parties refused to take part in an illegal referendum campaign. 90% of those who voted chose "yes". "The priority of my government is to seek the path of dialogue with all intensity... The suspension of the political mandate that came out of the ballot boxes on October 1 demonstrates our firm will to seek a solution and not confrontation."
Furthermore, in addition to again not replying clearly to the Article 155 notification, and demanding dialogue with the central government, Puigdemont made two specific requests of Madrid.
- First, he asked the Spanish government to lift "the repression of the people and government of Catalonia". That means he would like sedition charges against the chairmen of Omnium Cultural, Jordi Cuixart, and the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), Jordi Sánchez, and Catalan Police chief Josep Lluis Trapero, dropped. He also says fundamental rights in the region have been violated, the Internet and media outlets "censored" and public accounts frozen. He makes a second mention of the "brutal police violence against a peaceful civilian population" on October 1.
- The second thing Mr. Puigdemont wants is a meeting with Mariano Rajoy, "that allows us to explore the first agreements" pleading to "let us not allow the situation to deteriorate further."
* * *
In response to Puigdemont's non-confirmation - and non-denial - Spanish Prime Minister Rajoy said that Puigdemont's response was a step toward Article 155, while Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said the Catalan government now has until its second deadlin, at 10 a.m. on Thursday, to disown its claims to a mandate for independence, and that Catalonia can still avert next steps by Spain.
"It is not difficult for Puigdemont to return to a sensible position" by then, said the Deputy PM, framing the Article 155 process as seeking to return legal government to the region rather than suspend home rule, one which aims to ensure regional self-govt is excercised according to law. She also said that Spain regrets that Puigdemont didn’t reply to PM Rajoy’s demand and that the second deadline of Spain’s demand is now activated.
"It has never been easier for someone to avoid the Constitution being applied."
She concluded that dialogue can only take place within the law, in parliament, and that Puigdemont cannot keep population in uncertainty.
As for Prime Minister Rajoy, in his response to Puigdemont - also in the form of a letter - he said that he says laments not getting a response from the Catalan leader on whether or not they have declared independence, and said he now expects a clear response in the coming hours before the new and revised Oct. 19 deadline.
And so, today's Catalan showdown has been pushed back by another three
days as neither side appears ready or willing to back down.
What do they call a Mexican Standoff in Spain?
Los Catalanos
Don't be fooled into violence and war.
This article outlines roughly how people were fooled into the second world war:
Proof that Adolf Hitler was a double agent.
http://www.preearth.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1174
It seems pretty weird when you first read it, but its clearly true.
Slack, man don't spam, be creative, if you understood your shit you can express it in multiple ways, lay out 1 fact at a time, don't spam, people hate spam here and all around.
"if you understood...."
Have you read the article? It is not difficult to understand.
Why did Hitler refuse to take Gibraltar and turn the Mediterranean into a "German lake"?
There was nothing to stop the Germans from driving through Spain (their ally) and doing the job.
This should have been as easy as the Japanese taking of Singapore. Just like the big guns in Singapore pointed towards the ocean and couldn't be turned around the big guns in Gibraltar pointed towards the straits and couldn't be turned around. Without Hitler, I doubt the Germans would have had much trouble taking Gibraltar.
http://www.preearth.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1174
A day or two ago, I grabbed a copy of David Irving's "Hitler's war."
Irving presents the view that Hitler would only attack Gibraltar if Franco gave the little boy permission.
Franco never gave the little boy Hitler permission, so Hitler couldn't attack.
Could it be more obvious that David Irving is false opposition.
"Fuckin Catalan Wine Mixer..."
Hitler was a great man. We need him now more than ever.
Hitler was a great Jewish actor.
And again ....
Omelette Espanola
Qui bono?
the non-existing grandmothers bleeding because of police violence that wasn't? the broken fingers that had to be admitted they weren't?
wake up, folks. some big spenders with deep pockets are grabbing at straws to present a picture of a "breaking up" whatever
it's... both entertainment and done in order to keep the domestic sheep in thrall and... it has little to do with affairs in Spain and other EU countries
enjoy the.... "production". believe. vent your feelings
Ghordius peddling conspiracy theories? That's a new one.
I would rather say both sides are playing games here. Doing what is necessary in their view, for their political and national survival.
What irritates me is that both sides are pro Europe, and that the solution could be an European one, following Ulrike Guérot for example, with an enhanced role of regions in Europe, but the current European Commission following an almost Gromyko-like hardline stance in favour of existing nation states. This is, strategically, very dumb, because a) there are only a small number of similar cases left (Belgium foremostly) and b) regionalists tend to be strong allies of an united Europe. Loose them, loose Europe.
If you have ever read Leopold Kohr, you would understand that a centralized Europe built on the current nation states will break up at some point.
I disagree. While Catalonia says they are "pro-Europe" they are actually acting as a suicide bomber.
I'm all for it.
Death to the EU, the EMZ, and all other things "Euro-", which seeks to destroy the diversity and uniqueness of the continent in order to make the banks and industry richer.
Death to the money changers.
"Death to the money changers"
you work in finance, for criminy. you are yourself one of them. or did I understand your comments about yourself wrongly? explain what you do, in your office, and for whom
Basically, dox myself?
Super excited for the EU to tear itself apart.
do you work in finance, yes or no?
hey, it's your CV that you give peacemeal, all the time, unprompted, for whatever reason
lately you even expressed your excitement for Brexit, even while stating that it might lead to the loss of your job in Frankfurt
I vote we replace Ode an die Freude as the EU "anthem" with this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeQyZJ5811k
(You like country music, don't you?)
no, never liked country music, so no interest in your link. meanwhile, I see you are not answering my question. meh
Yeah, if you think I'm going to dox myself you're high.
I do work in finance in FFM and feel like this guy from the Big Short literally every day. I'm the only one in the building that can think critically about the effects of what we're doing to the world. Everyone else here is either so consumed with getting rich quick or are mouth-breathing European-Unity fanatics, it is a struggle daily not to quit.
Its not because the money isn't good, or the work isn't interesting, but we've locked Western Civilization in an old barn and lit it on fire. I see what we do here and it makes me sick. I try and reason with people, not that "don't fight the guy who can print money" isn't incorrect but Christ what we are doing to this continent for the sole reason of keeping ourselves in power will be written about for generations; assuming we don't exterminate ourselves in the process.
See Ghordo, one of the reasons I hate the EU and the EMZ with literally ever fiber of my being -- is when the microphones are off, and you've got everyone on a CC behind a NDA -- these people care nothing, nothing not a fucking iota about the peoples of Europe, these nations, immigrants, Jews, history, traditions, religion -- nothing, zero, zilch. They only care about two things: staying in power and staying rich.
Yes, I know there are politicians out there that mean well and really believe in the project, the problem is these politicians can do literally fuck all about changing anything, should they want to. They have no power. There is a power structure here behind the curtain which runs the show, and it has literally fucking nothing to do with Strasbourg or Brussels or any nation's capital. These people are vampires and they're using the public's ignorance on how money works to enrich themselves at the expense of these populations. They are and act exactly like cancer. Luckily with cancer they eventually kill themselves by killing their own host.
Anyone who believes the EU is here to preserve peace and prosperity in Europe now and for future generations (TM) is either a literal idiot, or has consumed their own coolaide.
when the microphones are off, and you've got everyone on a CC behind a NDA -- these people care nothing, nothing not a fucking iota about the peoples of Europe, these nations, immigrants, Jews, history, traditions, religion -- nothing, zero, zilch. They only care about two things: staying in power and staying rich.
Not knowing any top bankers personally, but knowing enough salespeople and their ilk, I am tempted to believe you.
Abstract logic tells us that a dis-united Europe squeezed between the Anglosphere, China, Russia and some emerging superpowers is dead on arrival.
Experience tells us that most (not all) members of the corporate/money elites don't give a damn about that.
Unluckily, replacing those elites, if at all possible, just creates new elites.
See, I could deal with money-grubbing power hungry psychopaths if at least it didn't require the carpet bombing of 99% of the continent's population and actually worked for the benefit of the average guy.
So you've got some nut running the show, at least for the average Joe things are at worst staying the same, and on par getting better.
The EU we know (and the EMZ by extension) is run by said power hungry psychopaths while everything goes to shit. They have their armored cars, security details, they all live in Bad Homburg behind gates and security, their kids go to the same "invitation only" schools and for them ... everything is great.
All the while in my upper-middle class German neighborhood, the local news paper showed a picture of all the kids entering the Grundschule with their Zuckertüten ... I shit you not 35% of the incoming class was from either the middle-east of Africa. Think these bankers and EU power brokers send their kids to multicultural schools? Nope.
I hate these people with such a passion I have a hard time putting it into words. The only thing that keeps this freak-show going is the funny money we print, and oddly enough the same people that benefit from this pig-of-a-union retaining power are the same people who have the ability to print "money".
Its a small club that none of us are in.
Agree. I only doubt that the best strategy of resistance is to hit at those designated by this power elite to be scapegoats. Assuming for the sake of the argument that the power elite really operates in a conspiracy-like way. From a military standpoint, to follow your enemy's plan and to split your forces (between right populism and left radicalism eg) usually leads to defeat.
Would it not be better to make the operations and transactions of this elite transparent to the public, and take away their finance toys? With encryption and blockchain, the tools for this have been created. Look at the hate of the elites against Assange.
Perhaps we could find somewhere in the middle for some common ground........If the EU leaderships decided to gas all of their jews and muslims then we all get off their back?
As long as they keep up with the mantra "Europeans are one people" and they base "foreign" policy on the idea "Africa for Africans (because colonialism was bad)", Asia for Asians (because colonialism was bad)" and "the Middle East for Arabs (because colonialism was bad)" but hold tightly onto the idea "Europe for everyone because diversity and tolerance are virtues" ... no.
what mantra are you talking about? "Europeans are one people"? who in Europe says that?
I even whipped a search engine for that, and all I got is this "how to annoy europeans in one sentence"
why do you constantly talk about the place you tell us you live... while actually just engaging in non-european tropes?
seriously, what does a German or a French of an Italian really answer if you come with "europeans are one people"?
you get a look as if you were slightly mad. of course we are not. if we were, for example, we would allow the Frenchman living in Italy to vote there, the Italian in Germany to do the same, and so on
if you live in Germany, start to ask some serious questions to Germans, instead of annoying them with your biases. just a tip, mind
You're heard of Herman van Rumpuy, right?
you mean facts, in my book. propaganda exists. it's old, and a very human thing
Don't disagree at all. Both sides playing propaganda games. If one side would "play honest", in these times, I would think them to be stupid, and, therefore, highly dangerous.
behold, Schroedinger's Cat Principle in politics
in Catalonia, the 9 second Independence that is both. declared and not at the same time
in the UK, the gov that wants to be in the EU and not at the same time
I want it all, and hold on consequences. meh
Yeah but that is exactly what he needed to do, only way to do it is to ratify constitution through.....dialouge...initially.
Sounds millennial...
Dude. Please.
Kierkegaard. Does that ring a bell? Either, Or?
Do you want to spend your life defying Spain or leading your cause?
We are all defined by what we say we are not. That's easy.
Get up. Get up and take the mandate of heaven because no one is going to give it to you.
Better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.
Ever see Picasso's Gurenica? What are you, a fucking douche? Why does it matter what you do?
Can anyone even find a picture of this Guernica painting that is even legible?
Go back to throwing goats out of windows, and acting like a faggot in front of stadiums with bulls, and murdering, and sortilege and being Spanish if that is your pussy ass wish.
What the fuck is there to equivocate about? Either you are a pussy Spaniard like the rest or you are a fucking leader.
Asshole!
This attempting to be poetry?
no problem waiting, any day that passes more Catalan companies are fleeing that Marxist lunatic asylum. If there are disturbances the Spanish police should wait in their ships until they beg for intervention.
Franco was received as a liberator in Catalonia in 1939, aftet three years of Catalan Red terror (George Orwell had also to flee for his life). The chances are history will repeat itself.
What chance do the Catalans have when Spain still won't give up her claim to Gibraltar?
Even after effectively giving the territory away 3x times!
Gibraltar – Spanish Myths and Agreements (1 pg):
https://www.academia.edu/34608739/Gibraltar_Spanish_Myths_and_Agreements
bob, just curious: ever... been in Gibraltar?
*ever been to Gibraltar?
thanks for the correction. and you? anybody here ever been to Gibraltar?
(my goodness, English is really the opposite of logic, most of the time. another reason why it produces such splendid humour)
I've been close enough to see it a couple of times, but I suspect the Straight of Gibraltar doesn't count.
Not that I have an opinion about Gibraltar one way or another.
if you go there watch out for the thieving apes.
Why did Hitler refuse to take Gibraltar and turn the Mediterranean into a "German lake"?
There was nothing to stop the Germans from driving through Spain (their ally) and doing the job.
This should have been as easy as the Japanese taking of Singapore. Just like the big guns in Singapore pointed towards the ocean and couldn't be turned around the big guns in Gibraltar pointed towards the straits and couldn't be turned around. Without Hitler, I doubt the Germans would have had much trouble taking Gibraltar.
http://www.preearth.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1174
A day or two ago, I grabbed a copy of David Irving's "Hitler's war."
Irving presents the view that Hitler would only attack Gibraltar if Franco gave the little boy permission.
Franco never gave the little boy Hitler permission, so Hitler couldn't attack.
Could it be more obvious that David Irving is false opposition.
David Irving was a respected historian until he started denying the holocaust. After that he was shunned.
Anyway, good question why Hitler did not take Gibraltar. And why Franco did not give him permission. I guess Hitler needed that if he wanted to attack the rock via land. They could have done it without his permission I guess. That single act could have closed off the Med.
"Anyway, good question why Hitler did not take Gibraltar."
The question has the same answer as "Why didn't Hitler allow the German tanks to encircle the British army (deep in the interior of Flanders at the time) and stop them from reaching Dunkirk and eventually escaping?"
The halt order came from von Runstedt and von Kluge, at the request of Kleist who feared that the panzers were spread too thinly, already having lost about 50%. Göring worked on Hitler on have the Luftwaffe finish off the BEF. The halt-order did not come from Hitler himself, he merely santioned it at the advise of his fieldmarshalls.
I've been to Gibraltar. Took a bus from the Costa del Sol. Brits then make you get out of the Spanish tour bus and onto their's. The Brit tour guide then takes over and delivers a hilarious schtick about 'kicking Spanish ass,' with the Spanish tour guide sitting right there, expressionless - she's heard it all so many times. It's all theatre. Truth is, Spaniards make a ton of money, far more than if they actually owned 'The Rock.' The contrived 'conflict' generates an adventure for tourists without any danger, and both sides profit greatly. That would all change if The Rock changed hands.
While the correct form of the question Ghordious asked is indeed "to", technically you could ask has anyone been "in" Gibraltar.
You have a look at a map PedoBob?
The Rock is firmly attached to Spain.
Exactly as Northern Ireland is firmly attached to Ireland, so you should get the fuck out of there as well and as you leave, remove all those you transplanted there, when your ancestors slaughtered the Irish that were indigenous to the region.
Brit Bob is a funny, harmless troll, and deserves a break. Down voting is cruel, humorless, and without merit. He is obsessed, so what harm in indulging him?