Oh Gawd. Submit
Spain
Wed, 2017-10-18 23:09
#152
Thu, 2017-10-19 05:21
#153
Catalonia Leader Threatens to Declare Independence If Spanish Government Suspends Autonomy
"President of Catalonia Carles Puigdemont says the region will push for independence if repression and lack of dialogue continue..."
Thu, 2017-10-19 09:04
#154
Patriotic displays of the flag are rare in Spain, where it still reminds many of the Franco dictatorship. But Catalonia's bid for independence has fired up national sentiment, and with it demand for flags.
"We sold about 35,000 flags in 50 days. Normally we might sell 500 or 600 in a month," said Sosa-Dias, who is originally from Uruguay. "In the 38 years I have been in Spain it is the first time I have seen so many flags on balconies and houses, and at demonstrations as Spaniards said 'I am Spanish'."
Thu, 2017-10-19 12:56
#155
..when the spanish indignados declared that “none of them represent us” this was not just rhetorical. they were describing the current state of affairs. they were describing the spanish state as being co-opted by neoliberalism. that no matter what the people wanted what the get is the neoliberal agenda. any objections are met with police/military and/or economic force and brutality. when considering democracy none of this is legitimate yet it is considered so by global powers.
..so what are a people to do? what are we here in canada to do since we face the exact same neoliberal domination? a domination that is destroying our planet. destroying our economic well being.
..what we are seeing in catalonia is an answer to that question.
Pondering wrote:
Catalonia is not the answer because we don't have Canadians behind us nor do we have a country to break away from. I also don't think Catalonia is breaking away from neoliberalism. It's breaking away from Spain, or trying to. Not the same thing.
..the answer i speak of is from inside the independence movements. lessons from activists attempting to shape a direct democracy. the breaking away is from the state decision making processes that represent neoliberal interests no matter what the population wants. you can see this work within the municipalist movements in throughout spain. in catlan there are 15 mayors that are involved in this movement. breaking away from spain is something that began a while back and has legitimacy. but the struggle for a participatory democracy is the work of activist and for me primary.
..as for your people are not behind us comment..the work of the activist has always been to create processes so that greater and greater numbers of people are involved in making decisions. not to get people behind us.
Personally I think the answer is to start a campaign to educate people in a non-partisan fashion on economic facts that will collectively begin to outrage them until politicians are forced to answer to the people. In my opinion it is doable. It just has to be approached as a game and be entertaining and social. It would be a trivial pursuit type game but the cards would be provided free online to anyone who wants to print them. It would start with a hundred or more facts then be added to weekly. To begin free "cards" with the web address could be left in cafeterias or study halls of universities and colleges. They could just be printed on regular paper so wouldn't be expensive to do. The problem is it would take a team of people more informed than myself to work on the questions and answers.Some could be muliple choice, others yes/no. An example would be the difference in cost between P3s and government investments (without mentioning the Liberals). Another could be true or false, the Canadian government used to be able to borrow for free from the Bank of Canada. It would have to be scrupulously non-partisan to work. Just facts that would add up to "we are being royally screwed" without using the world "neoliberalism". I'm not saying it would work overnight but I think the idea has merit especially because it is pretty much free.
..i agree that education is important. it is not though the only factor or the world would not be the shape it is in.
The oil companies are being defeated because people became informed.
..it is so much more than this pondering. the heavy lifting is being done by indigenous folks and nations. you know, the folks you continue to claim should not be made front row center in political campaigns. that which you continue to criticize the leap for doing. all this educating doesn't seem to be changing your mind.
Thu, 2017-10-19 13:37
#156
Oh Gawd. Submit
No, I'm with Jagmeet Singh here. If Quebecers wants to separate from the rest of Canada then it should be negotiated in good faith however they also have a right to reject it.
A full 82 per cent of Quebec respondents to a survey conducted by the Angus Reid Institute in partnership with CBC agreed with the statement, "Ultimately, Quebec should stay in Canada."
When broken down by language group, 73 per cent of francophone respondents said Quebec should remain in Canada.
In addition, 64 per cent of francophone Quebecers surveyed agreed with the statement that "issue of Quebec sovereignty is settled, and Quebec will remain in Canada." ...
The percentage of voters dissatisfied with the Liberal government rose three percentage points since January to reach 65 per cent. Among francophones, who make up the majority in most Quebec ridings, 71 per cent are not satisfied.
And almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of those polled say they want a change in government in the next election.
http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/new-poll-shows-quebec-solidai...
From the same article:
Fourteen per cent of Quebecers surveyed in March said they support Québec solidaire, a five-per-cent jump compared to January. The Parti Québécois was at 25.3 per cent, a drop of four percentage points.
So some voters switched from PQ to QS based on Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois joining the party. 63% want change, but it appears CAQ will benefit.
Do the math. QS, CAQ and the PQ together will not be able to defeat the Liberals even though Quebecers want change. If they get a minority they can work with CAQ to move the neoliberal economic legislation along.
What could we possibly learn from Catalonia? Unlike Spain Canada did not send in the army to stop the referendums or threaten to arrest the premier. Unlike Catalonia the yes vote was not supressed and it didn't win enough support even though there was evidence of vote tampering to suppress the no vote. The majority of Quebecers do not support separation or sovereignty association.
Occupy and the student protests won great support in Quebec. Pots were banged across the province. It went viral.
I have recently seen a bunch of Hydro Quebec commercials bragging about how the nationalization of it benefits Quebecers, which it does. It is living proof of the benefits of nationalization over privatization of public services or collective needs. Quebecers are progressive but that is being stifled because they have no one to vote for.
Seriously. What do we possibly have to learn from the situation in Catalonia?
How about some respect for democracy or isn't that progressive anymore?
A full 82 per cent of Quebec respondents ... agreed with the statement, "Ultimately, Quebec should stay in Canada."
When broken down by language group, 73 per cent of francophone respondents said Quebec should remain in Canada.
Massive majority even if you exclude non-francophones. "Oh Gawd. Submit" is what you are saying to progressive Quebecers who prefer to drop the question of independence. We either have to vote for the mirage "sovereignty association" or for right wing governments. Right wing governments are winning.
As a Quebecer I am frustrated that the sovereignty question has hijacked elections for decades while the province turns more and more right wing. If Couliard wins again sovereignists have no one to blame but themselves for leaving the field clean for neoliberal parties to dominate Quebec politics.
Thu, 2017-10-19 19:03
#157
Putin on Catalonia (and vid)
"EU triggered rise of separatism by supporting Kosovo independence."
Fri, 2017-10-20 05:21
#158
PCPE: The Right of Self-Determination is Unviable Within the Spanish Capitalist Framework
Fri, 2017-10-20 05:54
#159
Stalinist as ever. Fuck them.
Sat, 2017-10-21 13:41
#160
Spanish PM: Powers of Catalan Administration Will Be Transferred to Central Government (and vid)
"The Spanish government will administer Catelonia directly from Madrid, subject to approval by the Senate. PM Mariano Rajoy declared on Saturday, that the government wants to dissolve the Catalan parliament and call a snap election to restore order in the region..."
Sun, 2017-10-22 03:19
#161
And when that election produces a landslide anti-centralist majority, Will Rajoy turn the PP back into the Falange and do unto Barcelona as Franco did?
Sun, 2017-10-22 03:24
#162
They haven't won a seat in the Cortes since 1986, and in the most recent election they took an overwhelming % 0.11 of the popular vote.Stalinist as ever. Fuck them.
This is the People's Front of Judea of Spanish Communism.
Sun, 2017-10-22 03:32
#163
The motion, along with considerable critical commentary in the media, is no doubt just the beginning of public discussion in Quebec over what the events in Catalonia mean for Quebec, and especially the independence movement.
The following is an initial contribution by André Frappier, an editor of Presse-toi à gauche and Canadian Dimension. A former president of the Montréal postal workers union (CUPW), he is also a member of the National Coordination Committee of Québec solidaire, although he writes here in a personal capacity. André informs me that he will be in Catalonia during the next week to observe firsthand the important events. I have translated this from Presse-toi à gauche.....
It means nothing for Quebec. There are no parallels to be drawn. Quebec has had two referendums and polls suggest Quebecers don't want to hear about it anymore. They consider the subject closed.
Maybe the lesson should be "respect the will of the people". who have rejected separatism. I don't see how we would be better off under local neoliberal tyrants who would be sure to pad their coffers while ordering mini flags to put on their cars.
It's enough to leave it at neutrality on that. Sovreignty isn't going to happen, so there's no need to demand that people renounce it and concede defeat(and with it conservatism and subservience).
And you've got an NPD-Q to vote for, so your "I'm being denied a chance to vote for what I want" screed is no longer valid. I hope you'd agree that there's no good reason for the NPD-Q to try to beat any of the sitting QS MNA's, given that any swing from QS to NPD-Q would be a significant swing to the right.
Sun, 2017-10-22 04:55
#164
'It's A Coup': Thousands Protest Power Transfer From Barcelona To Madrid (and vid)
"The head of the Catalan parliament, Carme Forcadell, has denounced Madrid's decision to transfer the powers from the regional authorities to the central government as a 'coup' as hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Barcelona to protest..."
Catalan Leader: Madrid's Steps Toward Direct Rule Are 'Worst Attacks' Since Franco's Dictatorship
"The EU considers the Catalan dispute an internal matter for Spain, but protesters accused Brussels of turning a blind eye on what they see as oppression by the government. 'We had talk of possible support from Europe, for example, but it seems that the EU is not interested at all in what's going on here."
Catalonian Independence: Catalans Put the Case For and Against
Sun, 2017-10-22 05:43
#165
EU Summit Endorses Spain's Threat of Police-Military Occupation of Catalonia
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/10/21/eusu-o21.html
"The two-day European Union (EU) summit of heads of state that ended yesterday in Brussels unambiguously endorsed Madrid's plans to invoke Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, imposing a new regional government backed by Spanish police and army units.
Madrid and the EU overwhelmingly bear responsibility for provoking this crisis and the EU powers are backing Rajoy's drive for a crackdown and a turn to deal with growing political opposition in the population with authoritarian measures.
The crisis provoked by the October 1 referendum is the outcome of the deep crisis of European capitalism, after nearly a decade of savage EU austerity devastated social conditions and left tens of millions of workers unemployed across the continent. A crisis of revolutionary implications is emerging in Catalonia, in Spain and all of Europe."
Sun, 2017-10-22 06:23
#166
progressive17
..when the spanish indignados declared that “none of them represent us” this was not just rhetorical. they were describing the current state of affairs. they were describing the spanish state as being co-opted by neoliberalism. that no matter what the people wanted what the get is the neoliberal agenda. any objections are met with police/military and/or economic force and brutality. when considering democracy none of this is legitimate yet it is considered so by global powers.
..so what are a people to do? what are we here in canada to do since we face the exact same neoliberal domination? a domination that is destroying our planet. destroying our economic well being.
..what we are seeing in catalonia is an answer to that question.
Pondering wrote:
Catalonia is not the answer because we don't have Canadians behind us nor do we have a country to break away from. I also don't think Catalonia is breaking away from neoliberalism. It's breaking away from Spain, or trying to. Not the same thing.
..the answer i speak of is from inside the independence movements. lessons from activists attempting to shape a direct democracy. the breaking away is from the state decision making processes that represent neoliberal interests no matter what the population wants. you can see this work within the municipalist movements in throughout spain. in catlan there are 15 mayors that are involved in this movement. breaking away from spain is something that began a while back and has legitimacy. but the struggle for a participatory democracy is the work of activist and for me primary.
..as for your people are not behind us comment..the work of the activist has always been to create processes so that greater and greater numbers of people are involved in making decisions. not to get people behind us.
Personally I think the answer is to start a campaign to educate people in a non-partisan fashion on economic facts that will collectively begin to outrage them until politicians are forced to answer to the people. In my opinion it is doable. It just has to be approached as a game and be entertaining and social. It would be a trivial pursuit type game but the cards would be provided free online to anyone who wants to print them. It would start with a hundred or more facts then be added to weekly. To begin free "cards" with the web address could be left in cafeterias or study halls of universities and colleges. They could just be printed on regular paper so wouldn't be expensive to do. The problem is it would take a team of people more informed than myself to work on the questions and answers.Some could be muliple choice, others yes/no. An example would be the difference in cost between P3s and government investments (without mentioning the Liberals). Another could be true or false, the Canadian government used to be able to borrow for free from the Bank of Canada. It would have to be scrupulously non-partisan to work. Just facts that would add up to "we are being royally screwed" without using the world "neoliberalism". I'm not saying it would work overnight but I think the idea has merit especially because it is pretty much free.
..i agree that education is important. it is not though the only factor or the world would not be the shape it is in.
The oil companies are being defeated because people became informed.
..it is so much more than this pondering. the heavy lifting is being done by indigenous folks and nations. you know, the folks you continue to claim should not be made front row center in political campaigns. that which you continue to criticize the leap for doing. all this educating doesn't seem to be changing your mind.
Indigenous action is definitely a contributor to the demise of oil. So is the increasing concern by the population as a whole about fossil fuels and climate change. But money seeks the best potential return, and this overwhelms all other concerns in the neoliberal system which rules the world. Alternative energy is cheaper than hydrocarbons, and that trend will continue. Hence money will go into alternative energy. Coal is almost dead as a viable business proposition. Only Australia seems to produce it cheaply enough to be profitable, and that is because the machinery they use is gargantuan. Even there, most people want the country to get out of the coal business. Soon, oil will follow coal. Some (light, "sweet") oil is marginally cleaner than coal, Other oil (such as bitumen-derived) is as dirty as coal, once you coke it and refine it. Natural gas is about half as dirty as coal and dirty oil. But natural gas is hard to find, and there is not much of it, relatively speaking. Ammonia can be used as fuel, and more people should look up what Japan is doing in that respect. Its byproduct is harmless. Solar and wind power are getting cheaper and cheaper, however the wind turbines do not seem to last as long as they have been originally promoted to do. Solar has no moving parts, so there is more hope there. We also have much untapped tidal power, especially in Canada. We have to find a better solution than rare earths (like lithium) for battery storage. Mining rare earths is disgusting from an environmental standpoint. There is still a huge hydrocarbon input into the manufacture of electric cars, so they are not the panacea they are made out to be.
It concerns me greatly that humanity will implement the solutions to greenhouse gasses after millions of people have already suffered and died from the effects of climate change.
Sun, 2017-10-22 12:02
#167
EU Summit endorses Spain...Lantier of wsws.org
In an extraordinary gesture of support to Madrid, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council President Donald Tusk, and European Parliament President Antonio Tajani all traveled to Oviedo in Spain yesterday after the summit, to attend as Spanish King Felipe VI awarded the EU a Princess of Asturias prize. They listened as the king declared that Catalonia was an “essential part” of Spain—a remark that provoked sustained applause from the audience......
The move towards autonomy vs. globalization can only gain momentum from theses events....as Lombardy prepares its autonomy vote in Italy...granted that such Territories are engaged in worldwide globalized capitalism...it´s crucial to investigate the powers at the base to build socialist alternatives
Sun, 2017-10-22 18:07
#168
'It's A Coup': Thousands Protest Power Transfer From Barcelona To Madrid (and vid)
Sorry, but I can't help recalling Venezuela, where lots more than just "thousands" protested the (Absolute) Power Transfer to the Totally New, Government Friendly "Citizens' Assembly". Not to mention the stripping of power from any recently elected Governors who refused to swear fealty to that Assembly.
Adding that to the similarities between Catalonia's "unofficial" refrerendum and Venezuela's "unofficial" referendum, I find the similarities interesting, as well as the difference in opinion of them.
Sun, 2017-10-22 19:18
#169
Catalan Independence and the Crisis of Democracy - by Peter Gelderloos
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/10/20/catalan-independence-and-the-cri...
"In Catalunya, outside the sodium glare of the Spectacle, there is another kind of independence..."
Mon, 2017-10-23 04:56
#170
dp
Mon, 2017-10-23 04:55
#171
Catalan Officials Won't Follow Madrid's Orders, But Will Of Catalan People - Region's Spokesman
"According to the official, EU democracy cannot be trusted if it allows Madrid to impose direct rule on Catalonia."
Spain Annuls Catalan Self-Government, Prepares Military Rule From Madrid
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/10/23/spai-o23.html
"The implementation of Article 155 will inevitably involve the Spanish regime in a violent confrontation with broad masses of the Catalan population, where there is deep opposition to Madrid's turn to dictatorship."
Fire Fighters From Catalonia Need International Support
http://www.firefighterscatalonia.cat
"We the firefighters of Catalonia ask for your support protecting the fundamental rights of our citizens."
Mon, 2017-10-23 07:21
#172
Thanks for the firefighters. The Montréal firefighters' union has voted solidarity with their fellow firefighters in Catalonia. Note that Perpignan is the major city of le Pays catalan in France.
Mon, 2017-10-23 08:14
#173
EU Summit endorses Spain...Lantier of wsws.org
In an extraordinary gesture of support to Madrid, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Council President Donald Tusk, and European Parliament President Antonio Tajani all traveled to Oviedo in Spain yesterday after the summit, to attend as Spanish King Felipe VI awarded the EU a Princess of Asturias prize. They listened as the king declared that Catalonia was an “essential part” of Spain—a remark that provoked sustained applause from the audience......
The move towards autonomy vs. globalization can only gain momentum from theses events....as Lombardy prepares its autonomy vote in Italy...granted that such Territories are engaged in worldwide globalized capitalism...it´s crucial to investigate the powers at the base to build socialist alternatives
I wouldn't be bothered if it were not for their rank hypocrisy. See Yugoslavia.
Tue, 2017-10-24 05:08
#174
Catalonia's Pro-Independence Alliance Vows To Challenge Madrid's 'Dictatorship' (and vid)
"Self determination activists plan massive civil disobedience actions this week..."
Tue, 2017-10-24 11:57
#175
One can only applaud the decision of the political authorities in Catalunya to develop a legal challenge to the imposition of the Spanish Constitutional authority over regional right to autonomy...in the long run, this will benefit all of us, seeking a decentralist political economic alternative.
One must be reminded of Canada´s own Supreme Court of Canada decision to grant the conditional right to autonomy, something which ought to be followed up, certainly by Indigenous Nations in Canada who´s Territories have been devastated...a Supreme Court decision which The Barcelona Government might want to pay attention to!
Tue, 2017-10-24 12:22
#176
It's enough to leave it at neutrality on that. Sovreignty isn't going to happen, so there's no need to demand that people renounce it and concede defeat(and with it conservatism and subservience).
I have never suggested that the NDP should renounce the Sherbrooke Declaration just stop pumping it. Mulcair raised the issue to try to make brownie points against the Liberals but nobody other than sovereignists wants to hear about referendums. Trudeau responded exactly as the NDP wished. He defended the Clarity Act and expressed his opposition to Quebec nationalism which everyone agreed would doom him in Quebec. The Trudeau name alone was supposed to be a huge strike against him.
Jagmeet Singh is much more diplomatic. He expressed his support for self-determination be it Catalonia or Quebec without reference to the Sherbrooke Declaration nor the Clarity Act.
And you've got an NPD-Q to vote for, so your "I'm being denied a chance to vote for what I want" screed is no longer valid. I hope you'd agree that there's no good reason for the NPD-Q to try to beat any of the sitting QS MNA's, given that any swing from QS to NPD-Q would be a significant swing to the right.
Because of where I live I will be voting QS. I am in one of the few ridings they win.
Anywhere else I would definitely vote NDP-Q beyond the shadow of a doubt. There is no other party I would even consider for any reason. I would not even vote strategically. If there were no NDP-Q and I lived in another riding I would vote Liberal but it would be very painful. I've even voted PQ when I thought they were more progressive though obviously not as a vote for independence. It has always annoyed me that the ROC thinks a vote for the PQ is a vote for separation.
Next election I may join the NDP-Q or just volunteer to help them in some other riding where QS doesn't have a chance.
Tue, 2017-10-24 20:03
#177
Catalonia & the Rest of Us
http://thesaker.is/catalonia-and-the-rest-of-us/
"I want to try a mission-impossible: make the case for Catalonia from a pro-Spanish position to yield results on the longer run. If - Inshallah- the anti-imperialist forces in Spain engage with Catalonia there can be hope, It will be a long process, and there is no reason why it shouldn't be..."
Wed, 2017-10-25 03:38
#178
Independence and Self-Determination: Weapons for Empire Building or National Liberation - by James Petras
https://petras.lahaine.org/independence-and-self-determination-weapons-for/
"The guiding principle behind an imperial decision to support or reject 'self-determination' is based on class and imperial interests. In other words, when 'self-determination' benefits the empire, it receives full support.
The Catalans' peaceful exercise of self-determination via free elections, independent of imperial manipulation, was rejected by both the EU and Washington as 'unlawful'..."
Fri, 2017-10-27 19:00
#179
'Long Desired Step': Catalonia Parliament Declares Independence From Spain (and vid)
"Following a secret ballot, MPs in the Catalan parliament declared independence from Spain, with the regional leader Carlos Puigdemont saying the people had completed 'a long desired step.' Lawmakers opposed to independence boycotted the vote.
The assembly's speaker announced that the motion was passed with 70 votes in favor, 10 against, and two blank ballots, according to Reuters. Earlier, MPs from the three main national parties - the People's Party, the Socialists and Ciudadaros - staged a walkout in protest at the vote.
The declaration of independence led to a celebration among thousands of cheering supporters in the streets of Barcelona, the region's capital. Before the secret ballot, the Catalonian regional parliament also voted in favor of starting the 'constituent process' to split from Madrid.
'In the days ahead we must keep to our values of pacifism and dignity. It's in our, in your hands, to build the republic,' Catalan President Charles Puigdemont told the crowd..."
Sat, 2017-10-28 08:50
#180
'Madrid Can Only Act By Force': Spain & Catalonia On Collision Course [LIVE UPDATES]
"Spanish authorities won't be able to fix the situation by only invoking Article 155, as Catalonia has already become an independent republic, Enrih Folch, Secretary of the International section of the separatist Catalan Solidarity for Independence movement told RT..."
As Trudeau Supports 'United Spain', Quebec Nationalists Nearly Alone in Backing Independent Catalonia
http://nationalpost.com/news/politics/as-trudeau-supports-united-spain-q...
"Most of the world, including Canada, backs Madrid's stance against Catalonia..."
Sat, 2017-10-28 09:18
#181
Spain Dreads Losing Power Over Wealthiest Region, Catalonia - Professor (and vid)
https://twitter.com/RT_America/status/924074234841829376
Professor of Iberian and Hispanic Studies Thomas Harrington interviewed.
Sat, 2017-10-28 11:37
#182
Trudeau support for Madrid´s attempt to quash the independent republic of Calalunya is a clear violation of the Supreme Court´s conditions for guaranteeing sovereignty...
An important question now is what will the other autonomous state´s of Spain, such as Valencia, Aragon and the Basque Territory have to say?
Sun, 2017-10-29 11:50
#183
Scuffles With Police Erupt in Barcelona After Pro-Unity Demonstration (and vid)
Alex Salmond Hammers The EU's 'Guilty Silence' Over Spanish Violence
"The EU and UK government will be forever condemned for their guilty silence over state violence conducted in Catalonia, Alex Salmond said..."
Sun, 2017-10-29 12:18
#184
Alex Salmond Hammers The EU's 'Guilty Silence' Over Spanish Violence
"The EU and UK government will be forever condemned for their guilty silence over state violence conducted in Catalonia, Alex Salmond said..."
And the Scottish government of Salmond's own party...?
Mon, 2017-10-30 02:07
#185
Madrid Moves To Assert Direct Control Over Catalonia
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/10/30/madr-o30.html
"Over the weekend, the Spanish government moved to assert direct rule over Catalonia. With Catalan nationalist officials in Barcelona announcing plans to defy Madrid after declaring independence on Friday, a crackdown by the Spanish security forces in Catalonia is looming..."
Catalonia Independence Ruled Out, But More Autonomy Possible - Spanish FM (and vid)
"The political standoff between Madrid and Barcelona will not result in an independent Catalonia, but Madrid, could, however, expand the region's autonomy, Spain's Foreign Minister said after his government sacked the regional authority and ordered snap elections..."
Mon, 2017-10-30 23:43
#186
Tue, 2017-10-31 00:34
#187
Kosovo Led To Catalonia
"But West won't admit it..."
Did Quebec?
Mon, 2017-11-20 20:21
#188
Leader of Barcelona Terror Attack Was Spanish Intelligence Informant
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/11/20/barc-n20.html
"Spanish media have confirmed that Abdelbakri-es Satty, the mastermind of the August 17 IS terror attacks in Barcelona was a police informant..."
Sat, 2019-02-16 15:36
#189
Spanish Goverment Falls Amid Catalan Crisis
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/02/16/span-f16.html
"...The principle danger in the situation is that the working class is not fully aware of the threat of police and military rule. There is no opposition from the European Union (EU) to the drive to legitimize Francoism and what passes for opposition within the Spanish political establishment are split between open supporters of the politics of the right and political indifference. Podemos has made clear it will mount no serious opposition to the right wing campaign."
Sun, 2019-04-28 22:19
#190
Spanish election: socialists win amid far-right gains
PSOE wins 123 seats on 75% turnout and is likely to seek coalition to reach 176-seat target for working majority
Sun, 2019-11-10 15:44
#191
El Pais in English: Spanish Elections
https://twitter.com/elpaisinenglish/status/1193622052634288130
"The results of the Spanish elections are starting to come in..."
Not a pretty sight.
Sun, 2019-11-10 17:06
#192
Looks like another inconclusive result.
At 87% counted, the right bloc (sum of PP, VOX and Cs) would achieve 149 seats, two more than the 147 in April. The sum of PSOE, UP and MP would decrease by 6 seats, on its part, to a total of 159.
Sun, 2019-11-10 21:49
#193
"November 10, Spanish Election full story. A poll that was meant to unblock the political situation in Spain has only served to complicate it, with losses for the left, a recovery for the PP and a huge boost for the far-right."
https://twitter.com/elpaisinenglish/status/1193660567787057152
Mon, 2019-11-11 11:40
#194
Spain’s Pedro Sánchez is paying the price for underestimating the far right
Spain’s acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is standing on a stage set up in front of the headquarters of the Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in Madrid's Arguelles neighbourhood. The quiet street has been blocked to traffic so that a few hundred PSOE supporters can watch their leader deliver what is meant to be a victory speech, but which feels like one of defeat.
quote:
The previous election in April handed Sánchez victory but his party was still short of the 176 seats needed for an outright majority. To be elected president of the parliament’s lower chamber, the Congreso de los Diputados, and become de facto prime minister, Sanchez needed the support of a party with enough seats to carry him over the threshold.
A coalition with the centre-right PP was ruled out early on by both Sánchez and the conservative leader Pablo Casado. The Prime Minister had to look to his left, where a much-weakened Podemos still commanded 42 MPs (down from 71). But negotiations with the party’s ponytailed founder Pablo Iglesias amounted to nothing.
The far-left group wanted more than token dossiers and demanded control of the labour ministry. Sánchez, meanwhile, admitted that while a PSOE-Podemos coalition would have made him prime minister, he “would not have been able to sleep at night”. And so, as King Felipe VI dissolved parliament and triggered a new election, Sánchez set himself the task of convincing more Spaniards that his political project was the only answer to the country’s volatility.
In their own speeches on Sunday, many progressive politicians used the word “irresponsibility” to describe Sánchez’s decision to choose a snap election over the formation of a left government. This weekend’s contest saw the PP gain 22 seats (winning 88 in total) and Vox surge into third place. Sánchez’s decision was, at best, a miscalculation and, at worst, proof of a lack of faith in his own abilities.
Fri, 2019-11-15 12:13
#195
Spanish elections: Vox threat scares PSOE and UP into government deal
quote:
What prospects?
What government can now emerge from an even more fragmented Congress?
The result of the PSOE-UP agreement, if a Congress majority can be found to back it, will be to give UP cabinet positions and Pablo Iglesias a deputy prime ministership.
But at what price? The 10-point agreement between the parties promises progressive policies in general terms, but makes no mention of repealing labour reforms that have destroyed wages and conditions.
But at what price? The 10-point agreement between the parties promises progressive policies in general terms, but makes no mention of repealing labour reforms that have destroyed wages and conditions.
On the burning issue of Catalonia, it follows the PSOE line, seeking “recipes for understanding and coexistence, but always within the framework of the Constitution”.
On November 13, ERC leader Pere Aragonés said his party, whose abstention will be necessary for a PSOE-UP government to form, would not do so until negotiations between Madrid and Barcelona are re-established.
Moreover, more serious problems will soon emerge from UP’s strategic choice to govern with the PSOE and leave all Congress opposition to the right.
What degree of austerity will UP ministers accept when the looming recession arrives? What degree of repression of the Catalan movement for self-determination? What degree of submission to the reactionary structures of the Spanish state? How will UP react to anti-government protest?
The wait for answers to these questions will most likely be very short.
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