Like in the case of Brexit, former Generalitat Catalana president just pushed for independence without thinking to the following steps and the side effects
by Emanuele Bonini
The Catalan issue showed how irresponsible leaders with nonsense decisions be fatal for everybody. Carles Puigdemont has been seen as a new revolutionary man, and perhaps is still considered in such a way by part of local population and some sympathizer here and there across the world. A premise here becomes necessary: the right of people to self-determination is still there, still valid. No question about. But people invoking such a right and nothing but that right, have not clear in their mind the world they live in. Independence is nothing without international recognition. In order to start a new life independence and sovreignity are nothing but the necessary preliminary step. Then comes the internation recognition, and only after that is possibile to start acting in world. This is something that perhaps mr. Puigdemont didn't explain in Catalonia before calling for a referendum illegal since the first moment.
Puigdemont failed, and he failed basically for two reasons: he had a suicide strategy and he played with the popular sentiment . People never pay attention to their mind, just listen to their impulse and follow the instinct. In Spain there historical problems, never-solved issues re-emerging on cyclical basis. Independentism is something typical not only of Catalonia: there's a not isolated problem of identity in Spain, and this is undeniable. But times are radically changed. Trying to act as in the past it is not conceivable. Globalization changed even the idea of independence, and in time of inter-connected societies the Catalan leaders showed to be completely disconnected from the reality. Being separated today means much more risk elements compared to the XIX century. Having different entities in times of single States could still be OK, but in the XXI century we have are unions, confederations, organizazions, associations, finance. It's totally another story, with completely different rules.
Life is about reality rather than theory. In theory everything can appear possible, easy and quick to get. But practice is what really matters. And in practice what is needed in cases such as the Catalan one, is a sure and safe international base. Puigdemont promised something they couldn't offert because nobody in his movement checked how many partners they would have found along the way. He stressed more than once that Catalonia would be remain part of the EU once got the independence. But the reality is far far away from Puigdemont's tales. In order to be part of the EU the applying country needs to be accepted in the European Union on unanimous base. But even before that, the applying country must be recognised as a Country. Did anybody explained all that to Catalans? Looking at what happened the answer seems to be no, anybody didn't. Puigdemont wasn't ready for the revolution, that's the truth. He didn't create the international consenus before starting the referendum campaign. After Batista's overthrow, a significant part of the world didn't recognise Cuba (and still does), but Guevara and Castro could count on the sustain of other players.
From the EU side more and more messages were sent to Puigdemont. First of all the European Commission stressed how in Bruxelles only the Spanish Constitution be recognised, and so did the president of the European Council. The president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, clearly said that nobody would have ever had recognised Catalonia as a Spain-separated independent entity. It can be argued that the EU didn't sustain the Catalan cause, but indeed the EU tried to help Puigdemont by offering suggestions and reminders. Puigdemont was sure to get what he was fighting for, but apparently nothing went as foreseen, so far.
In somehow, despite their differences, Brexit and the Catalan crisis are similar. What they share is the complete and total irresponsibility of the political class. In both cases was promised something without any explanation of the real meaning of was going on. In other terms, Puigdemont didn't explain the side effect of proclaiming the independence as Nigel Farage didn't talk about the side effects of Brexit. In the United Kingdom as in north-east of Spain easy solutions were offered as answer to general malcontent, and when in the end it appear clear that a mistaken had been made, the courageous captains abandoned the sinking ship (Farage stepped down from the UKIP presidency, Puidgmont fled to Belgium) leaving the population to deal the situation created. In their countries and not only there.
The Catalan issue showed how irresponsible leaders with nonsense decisions be fatal for everybody. Carles Puigdemont has been seen as a new revolutionary man, and perhaps is still considered in such a way by part of local population and some sympathizer here and there across the world. A premise here becomes necessary: the right of people to self-determination is still there, still valid. No question about. But people invoking such a right and nothing but that right, have not clear in their mind the world they live in. Independence is nothing without international recognition. In order to start a new life independence and sovreignity are nothing but the necessary preliminary step. Then comes the internation recognition, and only after that is possibile to start acting in world. This is something that perhaps mr. Puigdemont didn't explain in Catalonia before calling for a referendum illegal since the first moment.
Puigdemont failed, and he failed basically for two reasons: he had a suicide strategy and he played with the popular sentiment . People never pay attention to their mind, just listen to their impulse and follow the instinct. In Spain there historical problems, never-solved issues re-emerging on cyclical basis. Independentism is something typical not only of Catalonia: there's a not isolated problem of identity in Spain, and this is undeniable. But times are radically changed. Trying to act as in the past it is not conceivable. Globalization changed even the idea of independence, and in time of inter-connected societies the Catalan leaders showed to be completely disconnected from the reality. Being separated today means much more risk elements compared to the XIX century. Having different entities in times of single States could still be OK, but in the XXI century we have are unions, confederations, organizazions, associations, finance. It's totally another story, with completely different rules.
Life is about reality rather than theory. In theory everything can appear possible, easy and quick to get. But practice is what really matters. And in practice what is needed in cases such as the Catalan one, is a sure and safe international base. Puigdemont promised something they couldn't offert because nobody in his movement checked how many partners they would have found along the way. He stressed more than once that Catalonia would be remain part of the EU once got the independence. But the reality is far far away from Puigdemont's tales. In order to be part of the EU the applying country needs to be accepted in the European Union on unanimous base. But even before that, the applying country must be recognised as a Country. Did anybody explained all that to Catalans? Looking at what happened the answer seems to be no, anybody didn't. Puigdemont wasn't ready for the revolution, that's the truth. He didn't create the international consenus before starting the referendum campaign. After Batista's overthrow, a significant part of the world didn't recognise Cuba (and still does), but Guevara and Castro could count on the sustain of other players.
From the EU side more and more messages were sent to Puigdemont. First of all the European Commission stressed how in Bruxelles only the Spanish Constitution be recognised, and so did the president of the European Council. The president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, clearly said that nobody would have ever had recognised Catalonia as a Spain-separated independent entity. It can be argued that the EU didn't sustain the Catalan cause, but indeed the EU tried to help Puigdemont by offering suggestions and reminders. Puigdemont was sure to get what he was fighting for, but apparently nothing went as foreseen, so far.
In somehow, despite their differences, Brexit and the Catalan crisis are similar. What they share is the complete and total irresponsibility of the political class. In both cases was promised something without any explanation of the real meaning of was going on. In other terms, Puigdemont didn't explain the side effect of proclaiming the independence as Nigel Farage didn't talk about the side effects of Brexit. In the United Kingdom as in north-east of Spain easy solutions were offered as answer to general malcontent, and when in the end it appear clear that a mistaken had been made, the courageous captains abandoned the sinking ship (Farage stepped down from the UKIP presidency, Puidgmont fled to Belgium) leaving the population to deal the situation created. In their countries and not only there.
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