THE SPANISH NATIONALIST RESURGENCE

Obviously, within the frame of basic freedoms that should consecrate any democratic constitution, every citizen, personally, or through the participation mechanisms established, has the right to publicly express their views, opinions and aspirations, with the unique and inexcusable condition of respect and abide the laws in force. The strength of peoples depends precisely on the union of all its members, of mutual respect, in that there is not any cracks between public institutions, and is, in turn, prerequisite to achieve the necessary degree of confidence, internal and external, to overcome the difficulties and take advantage by the opportunities that exist in the globalized world in which we live now. When these assumptions are not met, the immediate result is the generation of internal conflicts and tensions, leading, inexorably, to the loss in the image projected abroad, and, if not corrected immediately and effectively, the consequences lead directly to the abyss of failure.

 

Movements Catalans separatist

In the Spanish case, the continuing and persistent gaffes of Catalan and Basque nationalists and, more modestly, the Galicians, which based on historical arguments pilgrims, beginning each one the story in the  moment where more suit them, with more interest to the ruling class and those who are always glued to power that for the common and current people, are putting a discordant note that could end up hurting, in serious form, to the whole State. Not is that the nationalist idea of these communities be new, but the inappropriateness of exacerbating this concept and talk openly of independence in a tender moment that Spain is passing as a nation, is a torpedo in the water line that can sink the boat in which we traveled all Spanish. The illusion that, without much success by the way, they want to transfer to the citizens of those communities, based on the idea that if they can get the independence will live better than within the Spanish nation, is false from beginning to end. The attempt to sell the idea that if they become independent states could be incorporated to the European Union as the such, when the reality is that this would require the acceptance of all current members, besides that the country in which secession occurs has veto power, the which, for obvious reasons, without hint of doubt, your project would become unviable. Without the synergy that provides Spain, and isolated in Europe, with weak structures to survive as sovereign states, the future looks not very promising; clear that, in all these situations, there's always someone that takes very good advantage, but, as usual, at the expense of many losers: those who always have to endure stoically all the hardship and scarcely involved in the benefit.

Inpossible dreams

No one should try to prevent nationalist sentiments of others, nor drown the aspirations of independence of any people, provided that all this is conducted through legal channels, in a timely manner, without causing damage to third parties and, of course, with bases, reasons and solid arguments and credible. What we must not to do is use tricks and fallacies to confuse the public and create statements of opinion made on purpose. Resorting to "historical reasons", or "differential facts", applied in the time and moment most favorable  for each, does not seem the most appropriate, nor fair, nor honest. All countries, states, regions, etc., at some point in their history, have had moments of splendor and decadence. If each people will use the more auspicious historical moments as an argument to claim what you think you are your rights, the row that could be formed for this purpose would be endless. At this time the Catalans, Basques and Galicians are trying to assert rights that are based on concessions, via statutes, that they achieved in the political system of the Second Republic, which was in force in Spain since April 14, 1931 to April 1, 1939, a period marked by several successive crises that led to the Civil War, with such disastrous consequences for the entire country and its people, of which, despite the passage of time, there are still some sequels now. The Catalans have the pretense of asserting the statute approved on 9 September 1932, then suspended by the events of October 6, 1934 and returned with the victory of the Popular Front in February 1936, and was finally repealed in February 1939 with the occupation of Catalonia by the troops of General Franco. The Basques want to focus on the statute that,  in full the war, the Republican Parliament approved the October 1, 1936, and have had so little time to enjoy. Meanwhile the Galicians, although with less intensity, have homesickness  for the lost opportunity to see their statute approved, ratified by popular referendum celebrated on June 28, 1936, and that, finally, could not be presented to the Parliament of the Republic for having been Galicia dominated by Franco's forces. All this without getting into childish language issues that, for sterile and remote from the needs of the real world we live in, don't  even deserve the briefest comment.

Times past

 Luckily that to this extensive chain of nonsense, deployed in the most inopportune time, don't are aggregated other communities that could also argue other historical reasons for feeding this deranged  controversy. What to say if, for example, Asturias will reclaim the lands gained in times of the death of Alfonso III (year 910), when the Astur kingdom included lands of Galicia, extending its borders to the north of Portugal to Coimbra, and Castile until the kingdom of Pamplona, at a time when the rest of the Iberian Peninsula was dominated by the Emirate of Córdoba, under the name of Al-Andalus? I sincerely believe that Spain, at this moment, is not for this kind of jokes, and which, united under the 1978 Constitution, is should strengthen unity among all peoples, without exception, raising the national consciousness over any other interest, direct or group, and try to push all in the same direction; without doubt that will be the only way to overcome the crisis and keep the way of progress. Remain out of time and place, staying anchored in reveries of the past, not lead anywhere, is as amazing as if someone pretend go to hunt dinosaurs, ignoring that these became extinct 65 million years ago  and that, besides, anymore will return.

C. Díaz Fdez.

Oviedo, October 2012