This historic region on the Mediterranean -- a center of European
industrial design and tourism -- has special status as an autonomous
district of Spain known as Catalonia. And as financial problems mount
for Spain, many here want to get a whole lot more autonomous. Spain is
entering its second recession in four years and some Catalans say they
are getting little for the river of tax revenue they send to Madrid
annually. The solution they say is an independent nation.
"Financially speaking, Catalonia is perfect for Spain," said Osvald
Calzada, 32, a copywriter from Lleida, in the western part of the
region. "Catalonia is the cow they constantly milk, only giving her
enough grass to survive." On Thursday, the Catalan parliament voted in
favor of holding a referendum on independence after November elections
whether allowed by the Spanish government or not (under current law,
only Madrid can call a legal referendum.) Spain is taking secession
talk seriously in the current financial climate. Even King Juan
Carlos, who last spoke publicly on politics during a coup attempt in
1981, appealed for restraint.
"In these circumstances, the worst thing we can do is divide our
forces, encourage dissent, chase chimeras and deepen wounds," he said.
The increasing demands for independence in Catalonia are the latest
consequence of the European debt crisis, analysts say. As budget
deficits grow, governments have slashed spending on education, health
services and public sector workers. More austerity measures were
announced Thursday in Spain. Catalonia, which encompasses four
provinces, has not escaped the curtailment of public services and
jobs. But many here say it is unfair given that 7.5 million Catalans
pay $15 billion to $20 billion more in taxes annually than they get
back from Madrid in social services or infrastructure.
Despite its economic vitality, Catalonia is currently Spain's most
indebted region. Recently the government here asked Madrid for $6.2
billion in financial assistance, but not in a loan. The government
wanted the money free and clear, saying it belongs to Catalans and was
wasted by the Spanish government. "There is no other territory in the
world suffering such fiscal plundering," said Marc Guerrero, professor
of international finance at European University in Barcelona. "If we
could collect and keep all taxes, this wouldn't have happened and the
standard of living of Catalans would be much higher."
Anger was on display for all to see on Sept. 11, Catalonia's National
Day, when an estimated 1.5 million people filled the streets bearing
signs that said, "Catalonia, the next independent state in Europe,"
and "We want a divorce because we are not happy in this marriage."
People sang the Catalan national anthem and marched through the city
in one of the largest demonstrations in the history of Spain. A recent
media poll showed that 51% of Catalans would vote in favor of
separating from Spain, the highest percentage ever marked on a survey.
Analysts say that the younger generation doesn't feel the ghost of
Spain's former military dictatorship of Francisco Franco â?? when any
form of separatism was persecuted â?? and have been taught in school
about the oppression suffered under the Spaniards for more than three
centuries of Catalonia's 1,000 years of existence. An unemployment
rate in the region of almost 22% is also fueling rhetoric from
pro-independence parties.
In its latest response to the debt crisis, Spain approved a budget
Thursday that froze public sector wages for the third year in a row,
cut government spending by 12% and imposed a new 20% tax on winnings
from lotteries above $3,230. Spain was also expected to raise the
retirement age from 65 to 67. If Catalonia were to leave, Spain would
lose an economic engine that makes up 20% of the national economy and
has one of the most important commercial harbors in the
Mediterranean.Mikel Buesa, an economics professor at Madrid's
Complutense University, thinks both Catalonia and Spain would suffer
with the split. "Surrounding Catalonia with borders would bring its
GDP down by 30%, Spaniards would boycott Catalan products (like in
2006), and many companies would leave the territory, possibly to
settle in Spain," Buesa said.
Others disagree.
"Catalonia doesn't need Spain," Guerrero said. "Last year we already
exported more to foreign countries than to Spain, and Catalonia alone
exported 25% of the total Spanish exports." The European Union has
already warned Catalans that if they leave Spain they will have to
seek readmission to the bloc, a process that, according to Buesa,
could take years with all EU members unanimously required to approve
the candidacy â?? including Spain.
That has left the leader of Catalonia, Artur Mas, in a tricky
position. While seeing his region leave Spain is not his top choice,
the Spanish government is refusing to negotiate while pro-independence
sentiment at home rises. "With all its refusals, Spain is showing us
the way out the door," Calzada said. "It won't be easy, but I am
convinced that we will stay afloat, just like we always have."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012/09/27/as-spain-sinks-many-in-catalonia-wants-out/57848100/1
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