With an exiled president Skyping from Brussels, where now for Catalan independence?: Shutterstock Can a self-exiled leader remotely control the politics of a region, effectively ruling by Skype? That is what the ousted Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, is trying to do from Brussels, where he escaped in October 2017 after an illegal referendum and a …
Violent scenes in Catalan referendum were not the return of Spain’s Francoist police: epa, CC BY-SA The heavy-handed police intervention against the Catalan nationalists during the unilateral referendum on October 1 produced some shocking images: police in riot gear beating unarmed protesters and seizing ballot boxes. Five days later Madrid was making conciliatory gestures, with …
FC Barcelona epitomises the Catalan struggle for independence: FC Barcelona’s motto “mes que un club” or “more than a club” is emblazoned across the team’s website, splashed across the seats of its Nou Camp stadium and embroidered on the collars of first-team shirts. The slogan dates back to the Catalan club’s formation in 1899, when …
Spain’s disregard for Catalan press freedom is setting a dangerous precedent: Protest in Barcelona against the Spanish government on September 21. Riderfoot In the run-up to the Catalan independence referendum planned for October 1, the lines between protecting the Spanish constitution and curtailing freedom of expression have become increasingly blurred. More than 140 websites promoting …