Catalan News Roundup Oct 18-19

BBC: EU 'reticence' on independent Scotland
"Would it simply inherit membership or would it have to apply? One source told me privately here [European Commission], there's just no road map in this case."
Stephan Fuller, EuroCommish in charge of 'enlargement': "I don't know exactly what is going to happen, so let face it when we come to that."

AFP: Catalonia chief says Scotland deal sets an international standard
Mas had declared in September that Catalonia, its capital Barcelona, should hold a referendum on "self-determination" even if Spain's central government does not allow it.

"First you have to try to hold it according to the law, and if you can't, you hold it anyway. The consultation should take place in any case," Mas told the Catalan regional parliament then.

eGOV Monitor: Catalonia pushes for independence referendum in 2014
"Mas said he would like to follow the Scottish example and negotiate a referendum with central government, but Rajoy's conservative People's party (PP) government has vowed to use Spain's constitutional court to declare any referendum illegal."

CNN: Scotland leads charge as Europe's separatists push for change
"Spanish politicians and commentators are particularly struck by the willingness of the UK Government to facilitate a referendum on Scottish secession"

CNN Europe (video): The Business of Independence
[I got the impression that the reporter was looking for people who were against independence. But even these folks he interviewed made it clear that they are unhappy with the current situation with Spain.]
Víctor Grífols, director of health insurance company: "Something changed on September 11th, our National Day, when one million, five hundred thousand people went to the streets in Barcelona. This is something. You cannot ignore it." [and then goes on to advocate for federalism]

Javier Nieto Santa, medium business owner: "I don't see any good reason to think that this kind of independence will benefit business. This is clear. All these things began with the new fiscal agreement between Catalonia and Spain which is much needed. Now this is true. But independence is a new territory, there is no plans there. We have a lot of motives to be very sad against Madrid and Spain, unfortunately."

Montse Muñoz, small business owner: "Reduce the taxes by half, if that means independence, then independence."

News.Scotsman: Catalan Scots could face both home and away referendums, by Stephen Burgen
"I think they feel they’ve been silently working as the motor of Spain for a long time and have been under-appreciated and criticised again and again. It’s quite understandable they’re saying enough is enough, we can do better on our own. I think they feel they’ve tried to have a dialogue and it hasn’t worked."

NewsScotsman: Leading the way into a bright, new Europe, by George Kerevan
"it is difficult to see how Brussels can throw the Flemish out of the EU when the EU capital is marooned deep inside Flanders."

CNBC: Catalonia Independence is a Myth: Report
, by Liza Jansen
[Lots of reporting of the Spanish saying no, with just a little of the Catalans saying yes, topped off by a picture of the Costa del Sol. Whatever. ]

More on Scotland, with a nod to Catalonia:
Joan O'Groat Journal and Caithness Courier: Catalonia can follow Scotland on road to 'day of destiny'

Catalan News Roundup 16 Oct 2012

It's getting hard to keep up! (Updated 11:56am ET)

Herald Scotland: As others see us: the view from Spain, by David Leask
"Suddenly the Scottish vote isn’t just a possibility. Regardless of who wins in 2014, Scotland’s plebiscite is a stick with which to beat any polity unwilling to allow a democratic settlement to a national question. Mas and others in Spain know this."

The Guardian: Catalonia leader threatens to draw EU into independence row with Spain, by Giles Trimlett in Madrid
"Mas threatened to "internationalise the conflict" if Rajoy blocked the referendum.

"In that case, we will have to go to Brussels to explain that they don't even let us consult with the people," he told the regional public TV channel TV3 on Monday."

Financial Times/Business Day: Spain, Britain and the forbidden fruits of independence, by Gideon Rachman
"On the grounds of justice and prudence, the British government’s approach seems wiser. Cameron, like Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, is a conservative and a patriot. Both men would be appalled to preside over the breakup of their nations. But the UK government has recognised that, by winning power in Edinburgh, the Scottish nationalists have earned the democratic right to hold a referendum on their goal of independence. There is no point in trying to find legalistic ways of thwarting them."

Bloomberg (Editorial): To Keep Catalonia In, Spain Should Allow a Vote to Secede
"The central government should also cede more regional control over infrastructure such as Barcelona’s airport. Above all, Spain should follow the U.K.’s example by granting Catalonians the right to hold a referendum on independence and conduct a legal, orderly secession if they want to. Last week, Spain’s parliament voted against doing so, and it was a mistake."

Business INsider: Millions of Spanish Are Fleeing or Trying to Secede, by Wolf Richter
"So, 84% of the people have “little” or “no” confidence in Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. The fate of Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, leader of the opposition, is even worse: 90% of all voters distrust him! Those are the two top political figures of the two major political parties, and the utterly frustrated and disillusioned Spaniards are defenestrating them both."

EuroNews: Catalonia looks for a boost from Scots’ charge
"“It might serve as an example and a reference and it might add some impetus to our awareness as we need a date here too for our referendum. The sooner the better,” said one man, in Catalonian."

NZWeek: Spanish minister warns Catalan nationalist leader
"Speaking on La Sexta television channel, Gallardon said that calling a referendum in Catalonia would be considered an act of disobedience and could be punished with three to 12 months’ disqualification from office and a fine."

Less interesting:

Reuters/Chicago Tribune: Analysis: Europe's separatists gain ground in crisis, by Paul Taylor and Robert-Jan Bartunek (with additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels, Fiona Ortiz and Tracy Rucinski in Madrid and Jon Boyle in London; Writing by Paul Taylor; Editing by Peter Graff, but notably no one in Catalonia)
[Frankly I found the reporting, at least on the Catalan portions of this article to be rather generic, when not drifting off into untruths. It's not just about money, Reuters.]

Catalan News Roundup 12 Oct 2012

CNN: Spain's next threat: Losing 20% of its economy, by Oliver Joy
"But then: "In 1981, after the military coup attempt, the monster woke up," the Columbia professor added. "All the Spanish institutions reinterpreted the constitution in ways that did not allow Catalunya to feel comfortable within that country.""

Deutsche Welle/European Journal: Spain: Calls for Catalan Independence:

"Catalonian separatists are peaceful and democratic"

Catalan News Agency: The Catalan Government’s will finally request €5.43 billion from the Spanish Government’s Liquidity Fund

ANSAmed: Spain: anti-independence demonstrators protest in Barcelona
"Friday's demonstration mobilized about 6000 people from Valencia, Aragon, Madrid and other Spanish cities, according to police."
[Note the conspicuous absence of people from Barcelona in a Barcelona demonstration.]

The most interesting article perhaps was this one in El País (in Spanish) which showed the King reprimanding the Spanish Prime Minister for the Education Minister's comments this week saying it was his aim to "Spanish-ize Catalan school children". Interesting days.

Catalan News Roundup Oct 11, 2012

Updated: 10:09am, 11 October 2012

Catalan News Agency: The Spanish Education Minister: "Our interest is to 'Spanishise' Catalan students"
"Wert’s last statement has provoked many outraged reactions in Catalonia. The Spokesperson for CiU at the Spanish Senate Committee for Education and Culture, Joan Bagué, considered Wert’s words to have “a colonial touch” and that they “treat Catalans as if they were a colony”. Furthermore the Spanish Education Minister is “despising the work of Catalan teachers” and his statement has “Francoist and post Civil War dregs”."

BBC (Video) Scottish independence: A view from Catalonia, by Niall O'Gallagher
"If Madrid steps in to prevent a vote, Catalan Parliament will come under pressure to declare independence unilaterally"

Catalan News Roundup 10 Oct 2012

Updated 4:41pm ET, Oct 10.

Financial Times: Madrid sparks Catalan language debate, by Miles Johnson and Sophie Cohen in Madrid [free registration required]
“Our interest is to Hispanicise Catalan students, so they feel as proud to be Spanish as they do to be Catalan,” Mr Wert said in response to a question in Spain’s parliament on Wednesday."

Reuters: Spain cuts short Catalonia's hopes for independence referendum
[I hate the headline, but love all the italics and scare quotes. There is a perceptive understanding of what I think will be an important difference between "consultations" and "referendums".]
"The Catalan vote was instantly slammed by the central government, which pledged to halt any “illegal” referendums.

But Catalan leaders said they would go on preparing for their “consultations” regardless of Madrid’s position. The referendum is likely to follow snap regional parliamentary elections set for November 25, which are coming two years ahead of schedule."

Centre d'Estudis d'Opinió: General Policy Debate Poll 2012
"74.1% would be in favor of calling a referendum so that the people of Catalonia can decide whether or not they want Catalonia to become a new state in Europe (19.9% against)."

Vilaweb [translated here at News Catalonia]: Letter from MEP Ramon Tremosa to European Parliament Members
"Something curious happened yesterday afternoon. While the Spanish Parliament vetoed a possible referendum in Catalonia, in London, the British government agreed on the conditions for the referendum in Scotland on 2014. In my view; the right to self-determination is more important than independence, and above all, it should be respected."

Vilaweb [translated here on NewsCatalonia]: Spanish Minister of Education, Wert, wants to "Spanish-ize" Catalan school children
"Spain's Minister of Education, José Ignacio Wert, said today that the priority of the Spanish executive is to "Spanish-ize Catalan students so that they are as proud to be Catalan as they are to be Spanish, so that they can have a balanced lifestyle with both identities, since both are enriching and strengthening"."

Vilaweb [translated here on NewsCatalonia]: Co-official status for Spanish puts Catalan in danger
"Sociolinguistics warns that when two languages coexist in the same territory, one always ends up eliminating the other"

Opinion. Vilaweb [translated here on NewsCatalonia]: Danger: A Ukrainian Catalonia , by Vicent Partal
"...language is one of the red lines that definitively separates the better country that I have always wanted to construct from the hypothesis of a Ukranian Catalonia."

Catalan News Roundup 2 Oct 2012

Updated 1:15pm ET, I'll update further during the day if necessary.

BBC: Unrest drags Spain towards buried unpleasant truths
"The "pact of silence" instituted after the fall of General Franco was seen as a price worth paying for rapid, peaceful transition to a functioning democracy - a democracy that, moreover, found space to accommodate a strong, previously clandestine Communist Party alongside the rapidly moderating socialists of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party)."

New York Times Editorial: Spanish Protests, German Prescriptions
"Spain’s current debt problems are not the result of profligate government spending during the boom years. They came from the abrupt collapse of a reckless housing bubble in the private sector, fueled by artificially cheap credit. The bursting of that bubble wiped out millions of Spanish jobs, dragging down tax revenues and consumer spending. It also forced the government to pledge billions of euros that it did not have and could no longer raise to rescue its tottering banking system. New cuts to remaining jobs and spending power will not bring recovery. It would only bring further misery and turmoil.

The Sunday Times: Will Spain Be Torn Apart? (subscription)
"What had seemed only a decade ago like the far-fetched dream of a few on the fringe of Spanish political life has suddenly become a mainstream aspiration as the eurozone financial crisis fuels demands in the northeastern region of..."

Catalan News Roundup Oct 1, 2012

Looking at Catalonia from different angles: investing, film, and from the government's point of view.

Updated 6:07pm ET

Financial Times: Debate over Catalan secession hots up, by Julius Purcell in Barcelona
"The Catalan Socialist, and conservative Popular party, both running on anti-independence tickets, however, look set for heavy losses."

Seeking Alpha (Investment advice): It's Time for Madrid to Pay the Piper, by Kyle Spencer
"Considering Catalonia's enviable debt-to-GDP ratio under the last four administrations, it's not difficult to understand why Catalonia would want out of the Spanish brand."

Variety: Crisis-proof pix survive subsidy cuts (Regional Report: Catalonia), by Emilio Mayorga, John Hopewell
"An advantage in tough times, genre doesn't demand a conspicuous cast, Filmax chair Julio Fernandez argues. So budgets can focus on attracting top-drawer technicians.
Catalonia has these in droves, many of whom are Escac film school alums."

Catalan Government Press Office: President Mas: "The voice of a people cannot be silenced by creating fear"
"In response to a question by a Swiss television channel regarding the reaction of the financial markets to the snap elections, President Mas explained that Catalonia “even though it lacks the instruments of a state and over the past thirty years has been subjected to an unprecedented fiscal deficit with the Spanish state” has managed to convert itself “into one of the most open economies in Europe”. As an example, he mentioned the fact that Catalonia has become a centre of attraction in southern Europe, not just in the field of tourism, but also in research and science thanks to its universities and business schools."

Catalan News Roundup 30 Sept 2012

Each day there are more and more articles published about Catalonia. And searching for them reveals that many of these are copies, perhaps from a wire service like AP or from cooperating newspapers in different countries. Often, the headline is the only difference from one source to the next, and it is the byline, or a specific quote that really identifies the article. Nevertheless, I find it interesting that it is just a few articles (though many more than ever before) that are being picked up by so many newspapers across the globe. Again, I started this blog because I couldn't find *any* English-language news about Catalonia. Now, there is so much it's hard to keep up with.

As ever, updating throughout the day. Posted 4:39pm ET.

Ara.Cat (translated here at News Catalonia): Vice President of European Commission Denies that an Independent Catalonia would be Forced out of EU (Original article in Catalan here)

AP/Washington Post/Daily Beast/Houston Chronicle/Cleveland Plain Dealer/NPR/Yahoo News/Palm Beach Post: Spain crisis fuels Catalan Sentiment, by Joseph Wilson

Al Jazeera: Catalonians press for secession from Spain by Sam Bollier
"For instance, Giner told Al Jazeera that although the Spanish constitution obliges the state to protect the Catalan language, "they don't do anything about it. It's us or nobody. We have to look after it. This is a treasure for us." "

The Telegraph/Sydney Herald: Catalonia's growing calls for independence add to Spain's worsening euro crisis woes by Harriet Alexander
"But what most angers people is that Catalonia is responsible for managing public services, but Madrid retains regulatory and tax-and-spend powers"

And here on News Catalonia, a translation of Vilaweb's reporting on First Post-September 11th Polls Confirm Pro-Independence Surge
"That same poll indicates that 83% of Catalans agree with holding a referendum on independence, and 55% would vote in favor."

Only peripherally about Catalonia, but interesting:

Guardian: Behind Spain's turmoil lies a cronyism that stifles the young and ambitious, by John Carlin

Live Trading News: Spain, EuroCrisis, Wall St and Investing by John Mauldin
"The situation is complicated by the fact that the Basque region of Spain has been given a great deal of autonomy in its budget. If Spain were to compromise and give Catalonia the same deal, it would cost the Spanish government a great deal of money and enlarge the already gaping hole in their budget."

The Independent: The Square Mile: A breakdown of trust is Rajoy's biggest headache, by Margareta Pagano
"An unspoken practice in Spain is that most workers get two salaries. One is the official salary, the taxable one, the other is cash in a brown envelope – the black market if you will. Many private-sector workers are paid in this two-tier manner."

Business Insider: Why they protest in Spain by Joe Weisenthal
"It's not the cuts, per se (though they don't help, when unemployment is already where it is), it's the feeling that people have no power over government, that the government favors elites, and that the country is losing sovereignty that drive people mad."

Catalonia News Roundup Sept 29, 2012

Here are a few articles from today. The Financial Times continues with excellent coverage.

Financial Times: Catalan with Spain's future in his hands, by David Gardner (free registration required)
"With an economy the size of Portugal’s, it has acquired the heaviest debt burden of any region. Catalan officials and economists say they would be solvent if they had a similar agreement to the Basques, who transfer up to ten times less per capita to the Spanish fiscal pot than they do. Catalonia, they say, hands over to Madrid about €18bn a year, or 9 per cent of economic output – an amount that exceeds the demands of equitable transfer to poorer regions, which many federal systems cap at around half that level."

The Wall Street Journal: Don't Underestimate Spanish Democracy
"So it smells like the 1930s all over again. Except it isn’t the 1930s all over again. So put away George Orwell, Ernest Hemingway and Laurie Lee."

Los Angeles Times: Latest threat to the Eurozone: Catalonia Independence Quest, by Carol J. Williams
"Catalonia secession is neither a sure thing nor an imminent one, analysts note. Catalans for centuries have been bandying about the idea of independence for their thriving bastion of manufacturing, shipping, tourism and culture."

Irish Examiner: The pain in Spain, by Richard Fitzpatrick
"Catalonia, the region in the north-east of Spain where the Sant Andreu graveyard deaths occurred, recently cut its disability support budget by 57%. Meanwhile, suicides in Catalonia increased by 10% in 2011 from the previous year admits the Catalan government, which reflects a nationwide trend. "

The National: Catalan independence "impossible to stop", by Eric Randolph
"But that began to change in September 2009 when the local council in a small town called Arenys de Munt tried to hold a referendum on independence that was blocked by the Spanish authorities." (Note that Randolph's claim that they voted Thursday to hold referendum on 25-N is mistaken.)

Time: Why Catalonia Isn't Likely to Leave Spain Anytime Soon, by Lisa Abend

Catalan News Roundup September 27

Updated 5:02pm ET

Keeping track of news about Catalonia is becoming a full time job! As always, check back later as I will be updating throughout the day.

Photograph of President Mas addressing Catalan Parliament by Lluís Brunet

The Guardian: Spain heads toward confrontation with Catalan Parliament
"Spain's deputy prime minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaría, warned that the government would stop any attempt at a unilateral referendum, effectively challenging the Catalans to either desist or break the law and face the consequences."

Financial Times: Catalan teachers add voice to protests by Julius Purcell in Barcelona (free registration required)
"The risks, Mr Feriche argued, could even energise the Catalan economy: “Personally, I adore Spain. But independence might galvanise us. It could inject creative energy into the way we do business.”"

NASDAQ: Catalonian Parliament Approves Independence Referendum Plan
"Just as the Catalan parliament voted, Spanish deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said the country's government is dead-set against such a referendum, and will use "every tool at its disposal" to stop the referendum from being held."

Washington Post/ABC News/Associated Press: Catalonia plans vote on self-determination but Spain warns it will use courts to stop it
"Catalonia’s regional parliament has voted to stage a referendum on self-determination with a view to possibly seceding from Spain but the national government has warned it will have it stopped by the country’s top court."

Reuters: Madrid and Catalonia clash over independence referendum
"The vote was held minutes after Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria told reporters the national government was prepared to prevent any referendum."

USA Today: As Spain sinks, many in Catalonia want out, by Meritxell Mir
"Financially speaking, Catalonia is perfect for Spain," said Osvald Calzada, 32, a copywriter from Lleida, in the western part of the region. "Catalonia is the cow they constantly milk, only giving her enough grass to survive."

Reuters: Spain's Catalonia forbidden to hold independence referendum: government

National Review Online (Opinion): Independence for Catalonia? and Catalonia, Again, both by Andrew Stuttaford
"Well, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with “nationalist sentiment.” If a majority of Catalans wish to go their own way, all power to them. "

"There’s nothing particularly unusual about one part of a country subsidizing another. The problem starts when those doing the subsidizing don’t believe that they are really part of the same nation as those who are receiving their largesse. Many Catalans clearly feel that they do not belong within a united Spain. "

Wall Street Journal: Madrid Struggles with Homage to Catalonia, by Richard Barley
"In an echo of the wider euro-zone crisis, Catalonia's case for greater control of its finances rests on the fact that it subsidizes the rest of Spain, paying more to the central government than it receives back. It accounts for 18.7% of Spanish GDP, the highest of any region, making it bigger economically than Ireland or Portugal."

Reuters (Opinion): Catalonia shows euro's weak links, by James Saft

Business Insider: Catalonia's push for independence spooked the markets, by Walter Kurtz
"What market participants are beginning to realize is that Catalonia’s independence could push Spain out of the Eurozone – no matter what the ECB does. The region’s economy is critical to Spain and the Spanish government desperately needs the tax revenue from Catalonia. The government’s budget target for 2012 looks untenable as is. Without Catalonia, the Spanish economy and Spanish government finances would simply collapse."

Bloomberg: Catalonia to Hold Election, Seizing Chance to Force Rajoy on Autonomy, by Ben Vickers
"The regional election will effectively be a referendum on the political future of Catalonia, and neatly sidesteps Madrid’s objection that referendums should cover all of the Spanish territory. "

Vilaweb (translated on this very site): US and German Diplomatic Personnel Attend Catalan Parliamentary Debate Original Catalan version

News Roundup September 26

Updated 7:32pm ET

Again, I will post news articles about Catalonia here throughout the day. Come back later for updates!

Eurosport: Barça a Catalyst for Catalonia's independent streak
"That's when most of the Camp Nou crowd started singing - for Catalan independence from Spain. I've watched over 200 Barca games at Camp Nou and have never witnessed anything like it."

The Telegraph: Spain is turning into the new Greece, and Mariano Rajoy has himself to blame


Christian Science Monitor: Amid Madrid protests, Catalonia bumps up elections in independence push
"Mas asked Spain's biggest political forces, all of which have rejected Catalonia's independence drive, to respect the region's aspirations if his party wins the regional elections. "I ask that you listen to the people. If the verdict of elections is clear, accept it.""

Financial Times (free registration required) Q&A: Catalonia’s sovereignty push
"Q. Could Catalonia make it as an independent state?
A. Yes, but it would not be plain sailing. Catalans have a highly developed sense of national identity. Even many second-generation Catalans – children of Spanish speakers who moved to Catalonia from other parts of Spain from the 1960s onwards – are attracted by the prospect of independence."

Business Insider: Everything You need to Know About The Catalan Secession Movement That's Throwing Spain Into A New Crisis
"And Catalans by and large do not like being a part of Spain. A recent Roubini Global Economics client briefing highlights just how bad sentiment there was last time a referendum on the issue was taken"

New York Times: In Spain, It's Not Just the Economy
"The government faces an even graver domestic challenge, however, from developments in Catalonia, where a growing separatist mood threatens Spain’s unity."

International Business Times: Spain Faces Investor Concern as Catalonia Election Fuels Voices for Independence
"Mas has vowed to offer the Catalan people a voice on independence "with or without" the authorisation of the Spanish government. "
""If Catalonia had a Basque tax regime, it would have Basque's finances, it says," Nixon wrote in a client note. "Instead of having to go cap-in-hand to Madrid for help with its debts and payroll - to be rescued, in effect, with what it regards as its own money"."

Recommended Reads 25 September 2012

Updated: 9:26pm ET

I will be updating this list throughout the day.

Scotsman: Catalonia President calls elections
"After making the announcement yesterday, he said he would not stand again “once Catalunya had decided on its ­national objectives”, adding: “Elections are almost always a time of confrontation between political parties, but the times we are living in demand a ­higher awareness of the necessities of the state and a large dose of self-sacrifice.”

San Francisco Chronicle: Rajoy Nemesis Opens Catalonia Front in Europe
"Rajoy says Mas’s proposal to keep more of its tax revenue would violate the constitution. The document, which dates back to Spain’s transition from dictatorship to democracy in 1978, can’t be changed, Rajoy says. The constitution was amended last year for the second time when the two biggest parties agreed to add a clause on budget discipline."

Bloomberg: Rajoy Defied as Catalan Head Seeking Autonomy Calls Vote
“The impressive demonstration on Sept. 11 and the refusal to negotiate the fiscal pact oblige me to be consistent with my ideas and commitments,” Mas said today. “This is the time to take a risk, above and beyond personal comfort or party interests.”

New York Times: Protesters Encircle Spanish Parliament (but article is mostly about Catalonia)
"“The voice of the street needs to be moved to the ballot boxes,” the president of Catalonia, Artur Mas, told lawmakers at the regional Parliament. “We want to have the same instruments that other nations have in order to develop their own collective identity.”"

Financial Times: Secession crisis heaps pain on Spain
“The hour has come to exercise our right to self rule,” said Artur Mas, Catalonia’s president. He called the vote, which is likely to be cast as a proxy referendum on Catalan independence, after Mr Rajoy last week rejected his demands for greater fiscal autonomy, triggering a wave of nationalist sentiment in the northern region."

AFP: Catalonia calls snap vote in Spain crisis
"The sharing of sacrifices between the state and the regions is very unfair," Mas said. "The result is that the biggest cuts have to be made in health and education, which are the main responsibilities of the regions."

CNBC: Catalonia: The Next Independent State in Europe?
"This week, the Catalan parliament is set to approve a resolution that would create a referendum on independence. Eighty-three of the 135 deputies in the regional parliament support independence."

Irish Times:
Spain's fiscal crisis exposes deep regional fault lines by Paddy Woodworth
"There are times when the PP seems the best ally of its worst enemies. "

Financial Times: Madrid faces regional funding backlash by Miles Johnson in Madrid
"Madrid faces a backlash from its own conservative supporters over attempts to calm separatist tensions in Catalonia, hampering efforts by Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister, to avoid a constitutional crisis."

Telegraph: Be Very Careful, Beloved Spain, by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
"Be that as it may, what we have in Spain is a disturbing turn of events."

News about Catalonia 20 Sept 2012

It's pretty hard to keep up these days. One of the reason I started this blog was because English language and non-Catalan papers hardly ever wrote about Catalonia. Now, when you google Catalonia, there are literally thousands of articles. It's wonderful and amazing. Here are some highlights though googling Catalonia is a good method too. What's the difference between this list and what you might find on Google? This list is organized by date and is static, while Google will only ever show you the most recent results. Plus, I'm going to try to pull out the interesting quotes.

The Guardian: Spanish PM rejects Catalan calls for greater tax powers
"Polls show Catalans are furious that they contribute 8% more in tax revenues than their region receives back from central government."

Reuters: Catalonia says tax impasse opens door to early regional vote
"Speaking in Catalan live on television after a meeting with Rajoy, Mas said he was disappointed by the talks."

Christian Science Monitor: After Spain nixes new fiscal deal, Catalonia considers independence push
"Others, though, warn this is the real thing and that Spain’s territorial integrity is in danger."

Lluís Brunet: Photo report from Lluís Brunet on the crowd that assembled to receive Mas upon his return from the meeting with Rajoy.

The Telegraph: Spain risks break-up as Mariano Rajoy stirs Catalan fury
"Diplomats say Mr Rajoy’s Partido Popular has provoked the latest eruption of fury by exploiting the economic crisis to break the power of the regions. This came to a head over the summer when Catalonia was forced to request a €5bn rescue from Madrid, though it is a net contributor to the Spanish state."

The New York Times: Spain’s Prime Minister Fails to Reach Revenue Deal With Catalonia
“The demands from Catalonia have developed a lot faster than anybody expected,” said Jordi Alberich, director general of the Cercle d’Economia, a Barcelona business organization. “A difficult crisis situation for Mr. Rajoy has just now got a lot more complex.”

Chicago Tribune: In Spain, economic crisis fans Catalan separatism
"The upsurge in Catalan separatism is founded on a conviction that Madrid is draining the region financially."

Financial Times: No Progress in Catalonia-Madrid talks
"However, the impasse over the “fiscal pact” is creating momentum for a snap election in Catalonia that might be won by pro-independence forces and provoke a full-blown constitutional crisis in Spain."

AFP: Spain rejects Catalonia's bid for independence
"Catalonia feels it gets a raw deal from Madrid, providing much more to the central government than it receives at a time when it is making painful austerity cuts to health and education spending."

Euronews: Catalonia threatens early elections over tax dispute with Madrid
"The head of the regional government, Artur Mas, says a fairer tax system should be implemented as the region is contributing too much to Spain as a whole. The region claims that some EUR 16 billion a year of its taxes are used to fund central government and other parts of Spain."

BBC News: Spanish PM Rajoy rebuffs Catalonia over budget powers

Irish Times: Rajoy rejects Catalan call for greater autonomy
"The logistics of yesterday’s meeting highlighted the existing tensions, with Mr Mas giving his press conference afterwards in the Catalan regional government’s Madrid headquarters, rather than in the prime minister’s building as is customary. "

Bloomberg Business: One Europe: Many Tribes
(This article misses the point that Catalans tend to be very pro-Europe.)

The Economist: Catalonia: Europes next independent state?

Expatica: Spanish leader warns Catalonia over fiscal autonomy drive
"Fiercely proud of their distinct language and culture, Catalans increasingly feel they are getting a raw deal from Madrid."

And here on News Catalonia: Full Transcript of Catalan President Mas' Press Conference, after meeting with Spanish President Rajoy
"It did not go well."

BBC World at One: Radio Show starts at 39.99