tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post3381258968375861185..comments2024-01-16T08:40:53.682+00:00Comments on <a href="http://www.openeurope.org.uk">Open Europe</a>: Catalonia's symbolic independence referendum: What it means and why it would be wrong to ignore itOEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00556463374230498875noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-4674842552555780682014-11-12T21:49:07.424+00:002014-11-12T21:49:07.424+00:00Like in the UK, Rajoy and his cabinet won't de...Like in the UK, Rajoy and his cabinet won't descend to actually talking to ordinary voters in Catalonia and listening to their concerns. So they resent more and more the distant Spanish government which uses the constitution to suppress democratic self-expression. This could still be turned into a victory for democracy if a legitimate referendum is permitted and Spanish politicians make their case for union to the Catalan people.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15353531065245803687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-12306448737104624092014-11-11T11:20:54.028+00:002014-11-11T11:20:54.028+00:00The rise of populism is basically the alienation o...The rise of populism is basically the alienation of traditional politics from the electorate.<br />This is another group of voters that likely will be alienated (at least a lot of them), while the sustainable voter base as such of the traditionals in Spain is simply already way too small.<br />Plus it creates a more confrontational atmosphere in the country which makes solutions of several big problems considerably more difficult.<br /><br />Looks clear that Rajoy (and the Socialist as well) are absolutely unable to manage the rise of populist parties. What they do is make those look increasingly attractive for an increasingly larger number of people.<br />The 2 main parties simply need a serious rebranding if they want to survive and that is not going to happen. At least in not the way that is required to make it work.<br />Riknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36227136.post-58311080657022302772014-11-10T10:56:18.181+00:002014-11-10T10:56:18.181+00:00After 2 years of intensive propaganda from the cat...After 2 years of intensive propaganda from the catalonian government in all media (8 catalonian TV public channels, newspapers, radio stations, volunteers knocking door by door and massive phone calling, quite democratic) only 2.2 millions of 6.3 possible came to vote. Before this fake referendum the nationalist said that over 80% of catalonian people wanted to vote, that the important number will be participation, and so it was: 71% of catalan people are simply not interested on catalan gov. adventures or clearly say NO, so...is this enough to continue damaging catalonian image, separating them from the rest of Spain and leaving the important things unresolved? Yesterday ALL nationalist voted, no one stayed at home, and now we know the real power of them, that is very few.<br />Freedom is letting catalan people being catalan and spanish, not pushing them to be only catalan and forbidding them from being spanish.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com