In Spain today the issue is clearly extremist. The independistas who are a minority have always insisted that the issue to negotiate is ¿Free Catalonia, Yes or Yes? of course the constitutional government in Madrid can not negotiate what that the Constitution of 1978 does not allow: the arbitrary change in status of any of the constituent parts of the Spanish nation. The Catalonians voted en mass in favor of that document when it was approved, first by popular vote in a national referendum. Now, the hosts of the cause insist that the law od the land is less then regional elecyions in which they did not win a majority of votes. 100 leftist Catalan intelectuals have come out clearly in today´s EL PAIS declaring the intellectual fraud of M. Puigdemont and his government. For the first time in history the left supports the centrist national government in the urgent need of firm action against sedition. Madrid has always been willing to hold a constitutional convention to study possible changes in the Law of the Land but Barcelona insists that Madrid admit its desires in spite of anything in the Constitution. As the leftist state in El País today, without laws there can be no real freedom nor human rights. THe lies never end. Yesterday the regional vice president declared that the EU would recognize a free Catalonia at once. What he said was that the EU would recognize Catalonia´s right to request membership. Of course the regionalists did not mention that with one vote against them they would become another Albania, ou in the cold. Nor does he want to hear about the promise to abandon Catalonia of those companies that trade outside of Catalonia. THe New York Times coverage of the issue is pro dream world a la nationalism where common sense, truth and real negotiation are out of the question because official Barcelona only understands take it or take it as we wish things to be. To me it sounds like South Carolina back in Lincoln´s time.
e what the Constitution
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