New Year Resolutions (Spain)
Welcome to 2018!
It feels a lot like yesterday. I spent most of my holidays back in Belfast, in search of a white Christmas that did not involve palm trees and hot desertic winds blowing nearly 24/7. Ceuta does enjoy a mild climate: yet for some reason, I was called in by the classic northern cold winter to wait for Santa by a fireplace and hot cinnamon chocolate.
However, I did spend a week or so in Barcelona. My sister is the fortunate receiver of an Erasmus scholarship to study in one of Europe's capital. Even more so, she got enough luck to live this life-changing year in one of Catalunya's own life-changing moment. If you've read this blog enough, it'd come as no surprise my jealousy in this regards. Doesn't happen so often to personally witness the end of a century-long independence claim. The uproar might have not developed within Catalonian independentists' desires, yet it is producing a strong divide within Spain and in the EU. To the point that my now very clearly Andalucian accent in Castellano wasn't particularly welcome in the streets of Barcelona. I've got more than a few death stares for my inability to pronounce S in vrtually half of my speech.
The feeling is reciprocated by people proudly defending a decade-old idea of a unified Spain. The issue is unspeakable of in Ceuta; the price the careless political debater will pay is to witness a fired up version of proud Spaniards, showing no mercy whatsoever to the claims of Catalunya. A fire that almost eradicates principles of decency and critical thinking, let alone obscuring basic human rights notions such us the right of self-determination of people. Although the issue is politically a lot more complex than whatever claim might be done by either side on social media or in the press, socially it highlights deep divides and socio-political behaviours that are strong reminiscences of Franco's dictatorship. In a time of great economic uncertainty, neither side can afford the creation of a new nation-state without the support of the other - producing a deadlock situation that is creating no winners.
I disagree with the iron-fist reaction undertook by Madrid. I believe it was a stupid, hot-headed decision that has only made Madrid into the bad guy at the eyes of international public opinion. Nevertheless, such reaction was to be expected. It is exactly the same offensive realist approach that it's applied daily at Ceuta and Melilla's frontier; a no-go zone where the interest of the strongest is truly the only thing that matters. It shuts down any opportunity to create a dialogue, find an alternative policy, and avoid nearly anti-humanitarian conducts by national military forces. It is also breeding an exceptionally close-minded and authoritarian society, fed on nationalist notions promoting a forced homogenisation of culture, people and institutions. In the wake of 2018, is this truly the path to follow, or assimilation and flexibility should be taken into account as to allow the country to grow along with its changing population?
Will stay tuned. I hope 2018 brings in new resolutions to Spain and the wider world equally. Up until then, people who believe in an inclusive and open society will keep on fighting to see this truly happen. Next up, resolutions for Northern Ireland.
It feels a lot like yesterday. I spent most of my holidays back in Belfast, in search of a white Christmas that did not involve palm trees and hot desertic winds blowing nearly 24/7. Ceuta does enjoy a mild climate: yet for some reason, I was called in by the classic northern cold winter to wait for Santa by a fireplace and hot cinnamon chocolate.
However, I did spend a week or so in Barcelona. My sister is the fortunate receiver of an Erasmus scholarship to study in one of Europe's capital. Even more so, she got enough luck to live this life-changing year in one of Catalunya's own life-changing moment. If you've read this blog enough, it'd come as no surprise my jealousy in this regards. Doesn't happen so often to personally witness the end of a century-long independence claim. The uproar might have not developed within Catalonian independentists' desires, yet it is producing a strong divide within Spain and in the EU. To the point that my now very clearly Andalucian accent in Castellano wasn't particularly welcome in the streets of Barcelona. I've got more than a few death stares for my inability to pronounce S in vrtually half of my speech.
The feeling is reciprocated by people proudly defending a decade-old idea of a unified Spain. The issue is unspeakable of in Ceuta; the price the careless political debater will pay is to witness a fired up version of proud Spaniards, showing no mercy whatsoever to the claims of Catalunya. A fire that almost eradicates principles of decency and critical thinking, let alone obscuring basic human rights notions such us the right of self-determination of people. Although the issue is politically a lot more complex than whatever claim might be done by either side on social media or in the press, socially it highlights deep divides and socio-political behaviours that are strong reminiscences of Franco's dictatorship. In a time of great economic uncertainty, neither side can afford the creation of a new nation-state without the support of the other - producing a deadlock situation that is creating no winners.
I disagree with the iron-fist reaction undertook by Madrid. I believe it was a stupid, hot-headed decision that has only made Madrid into the bad guy at the eyes of international public opinion. Nevertheless, such reaction was to be expected. It is exactly the same offensive realist approach that it's applied daily at Ceuta and Melilla's frontier; a no-go zone where the interest of the strongest is truly the only thing that matters. It shuts down any opportunity to create a dialogue, find an alternative policy, and avoid nearly anti-humanitarian conducts by national military forces. It is also breeding an exceptionally close-minded and authoritarian society, fed on nationalist notions promoting a forced homogenisation of culture, people and institutions. In the wake of 2018, is this truly the path to follow, or assimilation and flexibility should be taken into account as to allow the country to grow along with its changing population?
Will stay tuned. I hope 2018 brings in new resolutions to Spain and the wider world equally. Up until then, people who believe in an inclusive and open society will keep on fighting to see this truly happen. Next up, resolutions for Northern Ireland.
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