Catalonia

Spanish leader moves aggressively to clip Catalonia’s wings

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– Spanish leader moves aggressively to clip Catalonia’s wings:

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy left the nation breathless when he announced the steps he wants to take to crush the separatist movement in the prosperous Catalonia region.

Rajoy called on Spain’s Senate on Saturday to trigger a previously untapped section of the constitution that allows the central government to temporarily intervene in the running of a region if its leaders have broken the law.

Activating the constitutional authority granted by Article 155 is Madrid’s boldest response so far to avowals from Catalonia’s leaders to declare independence based on an Oct. 1 referendum that a court has judged as illegal.

Read moreSpanish leader moves aggressively to clip Catalonia’s wings

Catalonia’s Political Crisis Snowballs into an Economic Crisis

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– Catalonia’s Political Crisis Snowballs into an Economic Crisis:

Independence would be “horrific” and amount to “financial suicide,” said Spain’s Economy Minister. But financial suicide for whom?

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H/t reader Squodgy.

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“It’s A Coup”: Catalan President Slams “Worst Attack” By Spain “Since Franco Dictatorship”

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 Remember that it has been predicted that Spian will have a civil war before WW3.

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Catalan regional vice-president Oriol Junqueras and Catalan regional president
Carles Puigdemont attend a demonstration on October 21, 2017 in Barcelona

– “It’s A Coup”: Catalan President Slams “Worst Attack” By Spain “Since Franco Dictatorship”:

Update (1510ET): Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont addressed Catalans, Spaniards, and the rest of Europe on TV saying that the Spanish states’ imposition of Article 155 means “liquidation of our self-government and cancellation of the democratic will of Catalans”.

Puigdemont said Mr Rajoy had set out to “humiliate” Catalonia in an “attack on democracy” and said removing powers from Catalonia was the “worst attack against the institutions and the people of Catalonia since the military dictatorship of Francisco Franco”.

Puigdemont also said Spain “closed the doors ot a request for talks, and should set a date to discuss the attack” and “Catalan institutions cannot accept attack by Spain.”

In a striking accusation, the Catalan president said that “Catalan institutions dealt a coup by Spanish state.”

Puigdemont then switched to English to appeal to Europeans, says democracy also at risk in Europe: “Catalonia is an ancient European nation”. He also announced a session in Catalan parliament to debate “the attempt to liquidate our self-government”.

Read more“It’s A Coup”: Catalan President Slams “Worst Attack” By Spain “Since Franco Dictatorship”

Bank Run Imminent: Catalan Separatists Urge Supporters To Pull Cash From Bank

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– Bank Run Imminent: Catalan Separatists Urge Supporters To Pull Cash From Bank:

As tensions escalate in Spain, Catalan Separatists are potentially about to do some real damage and hit Madrid where it really hurts.

In a tweeted message to their 270,000 followers, Assemblea Nacional urged supporters to pull cash from CaixaBank and Banco Sabadell branches between 8 am and 9am Friday to protest at their decision to shift their legal domiciles out of the region…

Read moreBank Run Imminent: Catalan Separatists Urge Supporters To Pull Cash From Bank

Spain To Activate Article 155 Process, Suspending Catalonia Autonomy

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– Spain To Activate Article 155 Process, Suspending Catalonia Autonomy:

Spain announced it will trigger the so-called “nuclear option” of Article 155 under the Spanish Constitution, and move ahead with the process of suspending Catalan autonomy and the powers of the local government, after Regional President Carles Puigdemont for the second time in four days refused to comply with a Spanish ultimatum to clearly drop his claim to independence.

Read moreSpain To Activate Article 155 Process, Suspending Catalonia Autonomy

Catalan Leader Vows To Declare Independence If Spain Triggers “Nuclear Option”

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Civil war coming to Spain (as predicted)?

– Catalan Leader Vows To Declare Independence If Spain Triggers “Nuclear Option”:

The Catalan leader said today he would formally declare independence Thursday morning if Mariano Rajoy follows through with his threat to invoke the so-called “nuclear option” of Article 155 and suspend Catalonia’s regional autonomy – a decision that would likely lead to the arrest of Puigdemont and his government, followed by another violent crackdown on separatists.

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Spain Constitutional Court Declares Catalan Referendum Void

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– Spain Constitutional Court Declares Catalan Referendum Void:

While it will not come as a surprise to anyone following ongoing events in Spain, moments ago the country’s Constitutional Court said on Tuesday the referendum law passed by the Catalan government Sept. 6 to hold a vote on independence was unconstitutional and void, a spokesman said. The court’s full statement can be found here, while the opinion is at this link.

The court had originally suspended the referendum law as it studied its legality, though the Catalan government went ahead with the ballot regardless.

According to the Court, the Catalan legislation, approved by the region on Sept. 6 and suspended by the court the following day, usurped powers of the State to hold referendums. It also violated the principle that the Spanish nation is indissoluble.

Read moreSpain Constitutional Court Declares Catalan Referendum Void

Catalan Independence Movement Furious After Spain Jails Two Leaders For Possible Sedition

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– Catalan Independence Movement Furious After Spain Jails Two Leaders For Possible Sedition:

Political prisoners in Europe used to be a thing of the past; as of Monday afternoon, Spain has two.

Spanish judge Carmen Lamela has ruled that the leaders of the two biggest grassroots pro-independence associations in Catalonia should remain in prison without bail on possible charges of sedition for which, if convicted, they could face prison sentences of up to 10 years.

Read moreCatalan Independence Movement Furious After Spain Jails Two Leaders For Possible Sedition

Pepe Escobar: The Spanish Civil War, revisited – Puigdemont’s political twist could invoke a lethal response from Madrid

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– The Spanish Civil War, revisited:

Puigdemont’s political twist could invoke a lethal response from Madrid: suspension of Catalonia’s government

By Pepe Escobar

Call it theatre of the absurd – with a lethal subtext. Under pressure from all corners – even Donald Tusk, president of the EU Council – in his fateful date with destiny Carles Puigdemont, President of Catalonia, came up with some last-minute judo dialectics. He issued a non-denial denial Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Spain. What was declared was immediately suspended; the Republic of Catalonia lasted for six seconds.

The deft political gambit left Madrid predictably bewildered. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, a.k.a. nano-Franco, issued an ultimatum; you have five days to say if you declared independence or not.

Independent of the answer, Madrid’s nuclear option remains on the cards; infamous article 155 of the Constitution, which calls for the suspension of Catalonia’s government and parliament from six to 12 months.

Yet that may come with a twist; a 155 in slow motion, parallel to the hazy offer of starting a process, in six months maximum, leading to Spanish constitutional reform. Madrid needs Catalonia for this reform to succeed. So, essentially, Puigdemont just needs to say “no” for the train to start rolling.

Read morePepe Escobar: The Spanish Civil War, revisited – Puigdemont’s political twist could invoke a lethal response from Madrid

Madrid Gives Catalonia 5 Day Ultimatum To Clarify If It Declared Independence

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– Madrid Gives Catalonia 5 Day Ultimatum To Clarify If It Declared Independence:

With Spain’s prime minister having opened earlier in the day the path for Madrid to use a constitutional “nuclear option” to suspend Catalonia’s autonomy, demanding that the regional government makes clear whether it considers itself independent, moments ago Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy gave Catalan President Carles Puigdemont a five day ultimatum to clarify whether he actually declared the region’s independence in his speech devoted to the highly controversial referendum, and another 3 to “rectify it.”

Spain’s leader said that it’s important for Catalonia’s leader to get his answer right on whether he declared independence or not. Rajoy, addressing Spain’s parliament, says that that Catalan president Carles Puigdemont “just needs to say he didn’t declare independence.”

Read moreMadrid Gives Catalonia 5 Day Ultimatum To Clarify If It Declared Independence

Pepe Escobar: The future of the EU at stake in Catalonia

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– The future of the EU at stake in Catalonia:

A new paradigm has been coined right inside the lofty European Union: ‘In the name of democracy, refrain from voting, or else’

By Pepe Escobar October 2, 2017 

Fascist Franco may have been dead for more than four decades, but Spain is still encumbered with his dictatorial corpse. A new paradigm has been coined right inside the lofty European Union, self-described home/patronizing dispenser of human rights to lesser regions across the planet: “In the name of democracy, refrain from voting, or else.” Call it democracy nano-Franco style.

Read morePepe Escobar: The future of the EU at stake in Catalonia

Catalan President To Declare “Gradual Independence” On Tuesday

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– Catalan President To Declare “Gradual Independence” On Tuesday: 

In the latest twist ahead of tomorrow’s much anticipated “next step” announcement to be made by the Catalan secessionists, which is still to be formalized, Spain’s EFE newswire reports that Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont has reportedly drafted a declaration of “gradual independence”, that will be “gradually effective” and which will plan to start a constituent process.

The declaration, which will cap what El Periodico dubbed “the most critical moment for Catalonia” will allegedly insist on Catalonia’s wish to negotiate with central government and the need for mediation, although in an indication that Puigdemont may be back tracking from his hard-line “binary” stance, EFE adds that the Declaration won’t lead to parliamentary vote, and as such may be non-binding.

Read moreCatalan President To Declare “Gradual Independence” On Tuesday

Spanish Government Issues Veiled Death Threat To Catalan Leader

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– Spanish Government Issues Veiled Death Threat To Catalan Leader:

In a quite shocking escalation of the rhetoric in Spain, a spokesman for the ruling People’s Party just issued a (barely) veiled death threat to the President of Catalonia.

“Let’s hope that nothing is declared tomorrow because perhaps the person who makes the decalartion will end up like the person who made the declaration 83 years ago.”

For those whose Spanish history is a little shaky, here’s a reminder:

Read moreSpanish Government Issues Veiled Death Threat To Catalan Leader

Spain Teaches Catalonia a Lesson about the Power of Money

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– Spain Teaches Catalonia a Lesson about the Power of Money: 

Within 48 hours this week, Catalonia, Spain’s largest regional economy, lost three of its seven biggest homegrown multinational corporations and several large national companies — if only on paper — to cities in other regions of Spain.

The first important company to “leave” since Sunday’s referendum was mid-sized pharmaceutical company Oryzon Genomics SA, which announced on Wednesday that it was departing Catalonia for Madrid. The same path has been traveled recently by firms like Derby Hotels, Unico Hotels, WPP and Schibsted.

But it wasn’t until Banc Sabadell, Spain’s fifth largest bank, announced that it was changing its registered company address to Alicante, a provincial city on Spain’s south-eastern coast, that the threat of a corporate exodus from Catalonia began to be taken seriously.

Read moreSpain Teaches Catalonia a Lesson about the Power of Money

Hundreds of thousands rally against Catalan independence in Barcelona

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– Hundreds of thousands rally against Catalan independence in Barcelona:

Hundreds of thousands of people rallied in central Barcelona on Sunday in opposition to any declaration of independence from Spain, waving banners that said “I am Spanish,” “Catalonia is Spain,” and “Together we are stronger.”

Police said around 350,000 people took to the streets of the Spanish capital, though organizers put the figure closer to 930,000.

The rally, designed to defend the unity of Spain, was organized by the Catalan Civil Society (SCC) group, with the slogan‘Let’s recover our common sense!’

“Everyone has the right to say their opinion. [Until] today I had the impression that [people] who were against independence couldn’t speak. Today is a great day when everyone in Catalonia can speak,” a French woman living in Barcelona told RT.

Read moreHundreds of thousands rally against Catalan independence in Barcelona

“You’re On Your Own!!!”

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A (planned) financial collapse & hyperinflation, (planned) civil war, which will be directly followed by (planned) WW3 is coming our way…

… and we will be on our own.

Related info:

– We Are On Our Own

– The Jewish Supremacist Doomsday Cult That Connects Trump and Putin

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“A fortunate few will be able to band together with other individuals of similar beliefs. Decentralization in full efflorescence will obliterate many of the current buffers—particularly the welfare state—between actions and consequences, meaning individuals will be forced to take responsibility for what they do, whether they want to or not.”

– You’re On Your Own:

If the world seems incomprehensible now, just wait…

Within a twenty-four-hour span the Catalonian people voted 90 percent in favor of secession from Spain, despite the Spanish government’s effort to violently squelch the referendum, and a man in a Las Vegas hotel room opened fire on a concert, killing fifty-nine and wounding over 500. There’s no tangible connection between the two incidents, but they illustrate incipient forces still gathering steam that are transforming the world.

Read more“You’re On Your Own!!!”

How Catalonia separatists pulled off vote despite crackdown

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– How Catalonia separatists pulled off vote despite crackdown:

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The ballot boxes arrived from France under the cover of night, were stored in homes and improvised hiding places, and then secretly shuttled to polling stations right under the nose of police.

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H/t reader squodgy:

“It will end in tears.”

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Spain’s top court halts Catalan secession parliament meeting

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– Spain’s top court halts Catalan secession parliament meeting:

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s Constitutional Court on Thursday ordered Catalonia’s parliament to suspend a planned session next week during which separatist lawmakers wanted to declare independence — further fueling Spain’s worst political crisis in decades.

Catalan regional authorities previously have ignored Constitutional Court orders, so it was not immediately clear if the session would go ahead and if all parties would attend. The court said its order could be appealed but also warned Catalan parliament speaker Carme Forcadell and other members of the speakers’ board that they could face prosecution for failing to halt the session.

Speaking to reporters, Forcadell called the suspension a “violation of freedom of speech.” “I won’t allow censorship to enter Parliament,” she said without clarifying if the meeting would go ahead or not.

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H/t reader squodgy:

“Getting worse.”

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