Politics

25N+2

~ Kate Wilson ~ 3 Comments

Two days on and the streets still look much the same as before the election. But of course we are now in a new phase. There was no absolute majority, Artur Mas will have to make a pact with another party in order to push things through Parliament. He seems to have two main options – ERC on the left who would not agree to continuing the policy of cuts in social services or PSC who actually lost a lot of support in this election. 

I’ve been reading as much as possible both in foreign and local newpapers. It is interesting to see how much is written about it in English. Some British papers are following the line of Madrid and seeing only how Mas lost face and therefore seems disempowered. But others have seen the more complex realities – how people voted both For independence and Against the cuts. That seemed to be what many people were balancing up in their decisions of who to vote for. The call for a referendum is just as strong but there were also other issues to reflect on and even though Mas was applauded for his stance, it was necessary to let him know his parties financial policies were hated.
Today in Granollers there was a demonstration against the eviction of a family who, having lost their jobs, couldn’t pay the mortgage. Even though the government of the PP in Madrid had promised an end to evictions of vulnerable people, still the bank was going ahead as planned.
Everything feels in a state of flux and change.

Election Day Granollers

~ Kate Wilson ~ 2 Comments

I took a walk this morning around some of the voting stations – schools and civic centres which are used for elections. It was a quiet morning, sunny and warm but autumnal. People were steadily drifting in and out of the stations, arriving on crutches and in wheel-chairs, accompanied by dogs and children. As is normal for Granollers people were dressed conservatively, in mainly blacks and blues

There are no banners proclaiming POLLING STATION. No political workers handing out leaflets outside the gates. Noone asking ‘who did you vote for’.
No cars driving around covered in banners and shouting through a megaphone ‘Have you voted?’
It was all quiet and discreet. There was a policeman outside one of the colleges but I didn’t see any others except a police car in the Porxada.

It’s rude to ask people what they voted, isn’t it?  My mother refused to tell me for many years who she voted for – though later when she began to support the Scottish Nationalists she was happy to talk about it. But I have asked several people today who they voted for as it is interesting in this election. Many were floating voters, wanting to really think about it before deciding

Older people often opt for Artur Mas. The one 18 year old I asked went for the Iniciativa-Greens in this his first election. And many other friends were strongly pulled towards the CUP. 
Who are they?
It is a fairly new party; left-wing, pro-independence, ecological, and committed to a more thoughtful democratic process. They are already represented at the municipal level – four towns have CUP mayors. But this is the first time they have stood for parliament.  They have promised that, if elected, their candidates would only serve one term, earn no more than 1600€ a month, and would base their decisions on the opinions expressed by local assemblies. They also promised not to request any loans from banks, so as to avoid being influenced by financial groups and economic élites.

So, that is my research for today. I am looking forward to sitting up tonight and watching the results. It is something I used to do with my mother when I was young and I remember election nights in 1966 and 1970 with us both sitting up into the early hours, unable to stop watching.

25-N

~ Kate Wilson ~ 1 Comment

While the voters of Catalunya try to make their minds up about which party to support on Sunday, I am having my own struggle just to understand who is who and what is what? But I feel the past week has seen me getting more to grips with it all and I now know my SI from my ERC and my CiU from my ICV-EUiA. (They do love those little i’s dotted through the names!)

I also understand now what fiscal deficit means and I can even begin to think about the importance of, not who wins but who will come second?  And would it be better to form a coalition with Mas and the CiU or to be an independent voice on the sidelines?  After all, think what has happened to the reputation of the Liberal Party in the UK?

The general idea is that Mas will win. But with what sort of majority?
I wonder if his campaign poster was a bad idea – so many have been put off by his Messiah stance

Anyway, tomorrow is the Day of Reflection. No political campaigning. Time for everyone to have a rest and to consult their hearts as well as their heads. It is a complicated election. Lots of unknown factors. Lots of opinions, everyone wants to have their say now. Even the English man I heard speaking in a cafe in Granollers has his ideas of what is best for Catalunya.
There is something exciting about an election which sparks this interest. I’ll be watching on Sunday.

Election Bits and Bobs N25

~ Kate Wilson ~ 3 Comments

The leader of the Catalan branch of the PP (The People’s Party – the right wing party which currently rules in Spain) is Alicia Sanchez-Camacho. Her face is very well known and tends to evoke gasps of disgust.  She has a rather horsey look and when speaking on the TV talks rapidly with a little self righteous frown demonstrating how hard she is trying to help those who are her inferiors.
Memories of Margaret Thatcher at her irritating worst?  With a dash of Michael Portillo before he transformed into a human being.

So, here are two interesting facts about Alicia.
1/ She trained in law and used a metronome to practice making her arguments. It shows!
2/ After her marriage broke up she decided she wanted a child so had AI by donor and now is a single mother.  She is very opposed to gay people having children by similar methods as children should have a mother and a father. Except hers!

Ethel MacDonald – a Scottish Anarchist

~ Kate Wilson ~ 2 Comments

And then on the other hand there are the anarchists. So much more interesting than the politicians who are debating right now on Catalan TV.   Here is a film about Ethel MacDonald, a Scottish anarchist who supported the Republican Cause in Catalunya in the Civil War and who was making radio broadcasts from Barcelona calling for international support. Thanks to Nick Lloyd who organises Spanish Civil War tours in Barcelona and who has a really interesting Facebook page with old photos and fascinating information about that period.

There are a couple of books too which sound interesting.
“Homage to Caledonia” by Daniel Gray. A history of Scots who went to fight Franco in Spain.
Published by Luath Press.
 “An Anarchist’s Story – the life of Ethel MacDonald” by Chris Dolan. Published by Birlinn.