Spain
Catalonia: Separatists consider founding their own party
Thousands of independence supporters march through the streets during Catalonia’s National Day. photo
© Jordi Boixareu/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
The separatists of Catalonia have chosen a new opponent: At the most recent large-scale demonstration in Barcelona, for the first time, the Spanish state and government were not the focus of the hostilities.
Almost five years after the failed secession from Spain, the separatists from the conflict region of Catalonia are considering founding their own party for the first time.
At the annual major demonstration in Barcelona, people criticized that the traditional regional parties are taking the path to independence too slowly. The president of the citizens’ movement ANC, Dolors Feliu, shouted on Sunday evening to the loud cheers of the demonstrators: “Either you achieve independence or you call new elections!”.
One wants to achieve independence “in a peaceful and democratic way,” emphasized the lawyer Feliu. But the 58-year-old also said: “If they (the parties) don’t do this, we are determined to take matters into our own hands.” There are many people who are willing to “form new (political) lists”. “The demonstration confirms the quarrel among the separatists,” headlined the well-known newspaper El País on Monday.
Police: 150,000 participants at the demo
According to the police, 150,000 people took part in the rally to mark the Catalan national holiday Diada, while the ANC spoke of 700,000 participants. Regional President Pere Aragonès and the politicians of his left-wing ERC party, who actually also support independence, had decided not to take part this time because they were being increasingly criticized for a “cosy course” with the central government in Madrid.
“False negotiations do not deceive anyone,” Feliu said of the talks between Aragonès and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The demonstrators, with whom the German Press Agency spoke, also said almost unanimously: “We need strong leaders, a strong government.” The crowd kept chanting: “Govern dimissió” (Resign regional government).
Because of the disputes, observers had expected fewer people to take part in the “Diada” than in the previous year. But that was not the case. In 2021, the police counted 108,000 participants and the ANC 400,000.
On October 1, five years ago, the separatist regional government held an illegal referendum on secession from Spain. As a result, Catalonia was temporarily placed under forced administration by the central government. The regional head of government at the time, Carles Puigdemont, and some of his fellow campaigners fled abroad. Other separatists were sentenced to long prison terms but pardoned in 2021.
The “Diada” is celebrated every year on September 11th and commemorates the loss of Catalan self-government in 1714.