After the successful referendum in Arenys de Munt many towns and cities around Catalonia have decided to join the initiative. We haven't yet figured out what the outcome of this wave of local non-binding referendums on the independence of Catalonia will be, but from my point of view it will serve at least two goals. In the first place, it pushes the independence issue up in the political agenda, forcing parties to take a position (ICV, for example, has joined PP and PSOE in several towns on the side against referendums) and boosting the public debate in the media as well as in the street, which hopefullywill keep its momentum until the next Catalan elections next year.
Secondly, these referendums force the collaboration of all those in favour of a Catalan state, from political parties (mainly ERC, CDC, CUP, Reagrupament, etc) to local entities and associations. Since we must ensure each referendum is a success in terms of participation, each of them needs close teamwork, implication and responsability, which is something we haven't cultivated much lately. Actually, despite the feeling that the number of Catalans supporting a Catalan state has been growing, we have managed to keep divided and uncoordinated. Now, every new referendum is both a challenge and an opportunity to bring people back together around the same goal, trying to forget about past differences that have made us historically weaker.
Secondly, these referendums force the collaboration of all those in favour of a Catalan state, from political parties (mainly ERC, CDC, CUP, Reagrupament, etc) to local entities and associations. Since we must ensure each referendum is a success in terms of participation, each of them needs close teamwork, implication and responsability, which is something we haven't cultivated much lately. Actually, despite the feeling that the number of Catalans supporting a Catalan state has been growing, we have managed to keep divided and uncoordinated. Now, every new referendum is both a challenge and an opportunity to bring people back together around the same goal, trying to forget about past differences that have made us historically weaker.
We must exercise this cooperation, make it stronger and enduring because it is exactly what we will need the day we celebrate the official, binding refeferendum. It is thus time to be generous and wise enough to put priorities first because we might very well be at a decisive turning point.
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