The Republic of Catalonia has formally declared its independence from Spain today, sort of. Top Catalan leaders signed a declaration making them an independent republic, but President Carles Puigdemont, the putative head of state for Catalonia, also suspended the declaration, pending talks with Spain.
This is leaving not just the rest of the world, but Catalans in particular, pretty confused. Puigdemont has presented independence as a done deal, at least on paper, but is holding the process up on the basis of talks that aren’t likely to ever happen.
Spanish officials have repeatedly ruled out talks under any circumstances, and threatened Catalan leaders for the declaration. The “suspension” of the declaration seems intended to temporarily avoid provoking a Spanish reaction, but doesn’t offer a clear way forward.
Puigdemont and other Catalan leaders have pushed for EU mediation, but it’s not clear the EU is open to the idea, and it’s very clear Spain isn’t open to it. This leaves the future of Catalonia as uncertain as ever, with voters who supported independence and those who opposed both as confused about what the next step will be.
Catalonia must sack-up and stand alone. If they truly desire liberty they must take it, from Spain, from the EU, even from Puigdemont himself if he continues to pussy out. No one can grant their freedom for them. They should launch a Luxemburgist revolution via general strike and take their freedom by any means necessary. The only ultimatum the state understands is “over my dead body”.
Goddamn right! I fear we may be seeing a situation analogous to Syriza’s betrayal of the Greek referendum a few years back, unless the Catalonian people take matters into their own hands and organize resistance to Spanish aggression, even if it means going over the head of the president. “Come and take it,” is the first and last statement on the matter of independence the Spanish regime should ever get from the Catalonian people.