28-F's referendum campaign closes in Cardona and Bas Valley

The campaign for the February 28  independence consultations ended with an emotional ceremony at the Castle of Cardona. A particularly symbolic act, moreover, because it was the last Catalan town to be reduced by the Spanish and French troops on September 18, 1714. The ceremony was attended  the promoters of referendums. A torches march from the castle to the Cardona's village, a famous village by its salt mountain, ended at midnight the campaign.

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta took part in another closing meeting in Sant Esteve d'en Bas. It was organized by Òmnium Cultural, a cultural movement founded during the Franco's fascist regime. Laporta said: 'It is a step to achieve that Catalonia to be recognized as a state of full international level and that the Catalans could exist in a normal world'. During his speech, he claimed an own state for Catalonia in order to be recognized in its own right before the international community and especially to prosper with their own policies for managing their own resources. 'It is undeniable that a Catalan state to defend their interests will best hospitals, schools, roads and improve the welfare of the Catalans'. Also referred to the struggle for defending the rights of Catalonia as 'the most romantic one that a peoplee can aspire', saying that the Catalan people have already done all the achievements in the fight for freedom. He finally said: "We've been narcotized too much time: it is time for us to awake".

Former Scottish minister feels "horrified by the hatred and resentment" toward Catalonia by Spain

The Foreign Minister of Scotland between 2007 and 2009, Linda Fabiani, defended the legitimate right of Scots and Catalans to decide freely on their independence. This Fabiani told the conference she gave in Torroella in the framework of a conference on the future of stateless nations and the case of Scotland. The former minister admitted that she was "horrified by the hatred and resentment" that some Spanish people express respect for the aspirations of sovereignty of Catalonia.


In her talk, Fabiani said she was convinced that Scotland will get independence from the United Kingdom and was assured that, contrary to warn that some sectors, independence "will further strengthen Scotland economically and as a country." The member of the Scottish National Party (SNP) believes the future lies in medium and small nations, in contrast to large countries, "for its ability and agility to adapt quickly to changes. This year, the SNP plans a referendum on independence in Scotland and Fabiani defends the right of Scottish people to decide the role that the country wants in the world. She felt that independence of Scotland would be "accepted by the European Union, because Europe does not want a weaker, but the opposite."

The architect of modern Catalan

Finally, a taste of the Pompeu Fabra’s great work has been published in English too. “The architect of Modern Catalan” is a book of Fabra’s selected writings by Joan Costa Carreras (Pompeu Fabra’s University). Pompeu Fabra (1868-1948), as has been said in “Free Catalonia” is renowned as the person who reformed and codified the Catalan language, giving it the condition of a normativised language for the years to come.

In spite of an strong value of the Fabra’s figure at Catalan level he was almost undiscovered at international level. The volume, translated by Alan Yates (Univerity of Shetfield), includes a general presentation of the language too with an outline survey of the social history of the Catalan language, chased during five centuries by both the Spanish and the French languages. It costs 95 €.

February 28th : independence consultations third round

Firstly was the village of Arenys de Munt on September 13th.
Secondly 167 other Catalan villages with county capitals as Berga and Vic on December 13th.
All of them have voted about Catalan seccession from Spain. The results? About 95 % of people voted for independence. The turnout was about 30 % but reached more than the 50 % in many places.

On February 28th a third wave of villages will held the referendum too. About a eighty villages, just 77, are being implied.
The villages were the referendums will take place are, for instance,: Agramunt, Alella, Alforja, Alp, Begues, Bellpuig, Bescanó, la Bisbal d'Empordà, Breda, les Cabanyes, Cabrils, Caldes de Montbui, Cardona, Castellterçol, l'Escala, l'Espluga de Francolí, Gelida, Llinars del Vallès, Llorenç del Penedès, Maçanet de la Selva, Moià, Molins de Rei, Montblanc, Palamós i Sant Joan, Palau-Sator, la Pobla de Lillet, Riells i Viabrea, Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, Sant Feliu de Codines, Sant Quintí de Mediona, Sant Quirze del Vallès, Teià, Torrelles de Llobregat, Vidreres, Vilassar de Mar, Vilobí d'Onyar, Salitja i Sant Dalmai, el Vendrell i Xerta.

Euronews: Catalonia independence or autonomy?

Interest in Catalonia's independence is growing. As a major proofe Euwonews channel broadcasts the next report :
"Catalonia is a major economic engine within Spain. However, many Catalans are tired of the taxes they hand over to Madrid. It is a region with a proud histroy and language and calls for independence are growing louder. Is Catalonia serious about a split from Spain?"
An interesting question is that Euronews tags the report not in "Politics" but in "Economy".

Danish paper lies and Emma Collective answer

The Danish newspaper Politiken recently published an article about the Catalonia’s language policy. The paper exposed it as a radical nationalist action against Spanish language. Emma Collective, in another excellent answer now in Danish language, explains why to defend a minor language is not to attack a major one.
Nowadays cinema (the cinema law is the origin of the article) is 97 % in Spanish but only 3 % in Catalan, justice is completely in Spanish and products are labeled in Spanish in 90 %. Only 10 % have a Catalan version too. If Catalonia was an independent state Politiken would have the same opinion?. It is always easy to attack the small.


Kære damer og herrer,
Vi har med stor bekymring læst artiklen “Censurens mange ansigter”, udgivet i jeres avis den sidste 31. januar, hvor I taler om Cataloniens anstrengelser for at bevare dets sprog og kultur (og catalanernes demokratiske vilje til selv at bestemme over deres politiske forhold til Spanien) som et eksempel på censuren og stærk nationalisme. Personligt synes vi, at sådan en sammenligning er absurd og smagløs.
Alle taler og forstår spansk i Catalonien i dag, og selv om Cataloniens eget sprog er catalansk, er det stadigvæk et stærkt diskrimineret sprog. Der er mange eksempler på dette: i biografen er det kun 2 % af filmerne, der er oversat til catalansk, i butikkerne er det 90 % af de kommercielle varer, som er etiketteret på spansk, catalanerne må næsten aldrig bruge catalansk i juridiske forhold, og i de fleste restauranter og caféer, er det næsten et mirakel, hvis man bliver forstået af tjeneren, når man taler catalansk. Kan man med udgangspunkt i dette påstå, at det spanske sprog er undertrykt? Nej, det er netop omvendt. Selv om diktaturen blev afskaffet for 35 år siden, er catalansk stadigvæk diskrimineret og dermed også catalanerne, fordi de ikke har de samme rettigheder, som indbyggerne i resten af landet.
Vi vil endvidere gøre opmærksom på, at det er helt forkert at bruge ordet “nationalistisk” for at beskrive stemningen i Catalonien. Catalanerne tror ikke, at deres sprog og kultur er bedre end andres: de vil bare gerne have de samme rettigheder, som indbyggerne i resten af Spanien har, og demokratisk at kunne bestemme over deres politiske fremtid. At være imod dette ville være, at være imod demokratiet. Derfor opfordrer vi jer om, at gøre jeres research om Catalonien noget grundigere, for netop at undgå, at I bringer artikler som “Censurens mange ansigter” i fremtiden, der ikke blot er stødende, men også er i modstrid med virkeligheden.

Diana Coromines
Col•lectiu Emma
Col•lectiu Emma er et netværk af catalanere bosiddende i en række lande, der har gjort det til deres job at følge nyhederne i den internationale presse, som relaterer sig til catalansk økonomi og samfund.

Spain, Europe’s last fascist refugee

Toni Strubell i Trueta is a well known researcher as well as a leading member of the Dignity Commission which fights for the return of documents stolen from the Catalan people by the Spanish fascists at the end of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39). Strubell, member of the association Reagrupament too, has wrote a letter to the international newspapers to explain the continuity between present Spain as the fascist Spain. In fact Franco’s dictator selected the present day Spanish king as his heir!:

Dear Sir,

I would very much like to call your attention to worrying events coming from today's Spain. Last February 4th, Spanish newspapers reported that a National Audience judge, Baltasar Garzón, is to be put on trial and possibly suspended. What was his crime? Having dared to try and open up an investigation into the mass graves and other crimes perpetrated by the Franco regime (in Valencia alone, mass graves holding over 26,300 post-war Franco victims have recently been discovered). That very day the newspapers also informed that the huge fascist monument honouring the cruiser Baleares in Palma bay (the pride of Franco's fleet sunk by the Republicans after having shelled thousands of fleeing refugees on the coastal roads of Andalusia) is not to be demolished. It is to be conserved. What must Spanish democrats and relatives of the victims make of this? Can anyone imagine the same occurring with a monument dedicated to a Fascist-manned warship in any other part of the democratic world? Furthermore, on February 5th newspapers informed that the Basque Parliament, where Spanish Constitutional parties at present hold a majority (due to the illegalization of the Basque left party) voted against instating a Truth Commission (such as the one established by Nelson Mandela in South Africa in the early nineties) to discover the truth about the crimes of Franco. What in heaven's name is happening in Spain? I think it is high time democrats all over the world be informed about the huge democratic deficit that exists today in Spain. Europe largely ridded itself of Fascism in 1945. The one place it lives on is in Spain, where 56 streets in Madrid still bear the names of Franco generals. The sooner the whole world knows the truth about Spain, the sooner we can start to put an end to so much iniquity and disgrace.
Toni Strubell i Trueta

The former head of State at a Fascist rally in Madrid in September 1975...and the current head of State at the same Fascist rally in 1975

Catalan language flame renovated

On 1968 it was commemorated the first century of the Pompeu Fabra’s born. Fabra was the man who codified the Catalan language. He is buried in Prada de Conflent, Northern Catalonia in the French state. As an homage as well as an allegiance a flame was started in his grave. Since then, every year, this flame is renovated in the Catalan sacred mountain, Montserrat. Montserrat is for the Catalans just as the Black Hills for the Sioux or the Uluru mountain for the Australian aboriginals.


A religious and vindication act was organized in Montserrat on February 7th by the Sant Feliu de Guíxols country trippers. Every year a local section of country trippers take the flame from Prada and renovate their allegiance to the language. This is the 41st edition of the Catalan language flame’s renovation.

Guest language in Expolangues: Catalan

Expolangues is the World most important saloon about languages. Every year it receives a language as an honour guest. This year the language chosen is Catalan. This is the first time that a non-state language is the guest one. The small state of Andorra is the only one where Catalan is the first language. In the Spanish state it is partially official while in the French and Italian it is not.

Expolangues 2010 is held in Paris, as usual, from 3-6 February. Several actions will recognize the Catalan language as “the language of ten million European people”. The mission is lead by the Ramon Llull Institute. Ramon Llull was an important writer in the Middle Age from Mallorca. The Institute is formed by the autonomous government of Balearic islands, Catalonia, the general council from Northern Catalonia (Oriental Pyrinees), Andorra’s state, the Valencian cities net as well as the city of Alguer from Sardinia, Italian state.
The same institute has began a public campaign to promote the recognition of the language in France. It is composed by advertisements in the subway as well as television spots with the actor Sergi Lopez well known by the French public.

Languages' law enforced in Aragon: Catalan language recognized but not official yet

Catalan language is spoken outside the limits of the Catalonia autonomous community. One of the regions where the language is spoken is Aragon. Once a confederated kingdom with the Catalan one, today Aragon is highly hispanicized. In spite of this Aragon preserves its own language, Aragonese, only spoken by about five thousand people.

Today is enforced the Aragon languages' law approved last December. After years of broken promises, the Aragonese parliament approved the so-called “languages law” on 16.12.2009. It’s the first time that Aragonese and Catalan are recognized officially. Law is considered highly weak by languages militants but introduce several improvements. Everyone can use his/her own language in his/her relation with the institutions, everyone can learn the language and Catalan as well as Aragonese are considered “originals, historical and own languages” by the parliament. Spanish language still would be the only official one.

With this recognition, Catalan is recognized in all the territories where it is spoken. In spite of this the language is not official yet in Aragon (Spanish state), Northern Catalonia (French state) and L’Alguer (Italian state). Not official yet; but it has been recognized everywhere.

Last May more than a thousand people demonstrated in Zaragoza giving support to the law. They demanded three official languages too (Aragonese, Catalan and Spanish). Half of the way done.

Swiss newspaper argues about cinema law and Emma Collective answers

The Deutsch language newspaper “Tanges Anzeiger” from Switzerland surprised us with a note questioning the new Catalan cinema law proposal. The law, proposed by the government, and still to be approved establishes half of the films in Catalan language. Nowadays the proportion is far from equality:  97 % in Spanish and 3 % in Catalan. Some members of the Emma Collective answered the article with strong arguments:

- how can the journalist compare a democratic law with the Fascist law which imposed all the films to be dubbed in Spanish?.
- Did the journalist find normal that in Germany could be no films in German language (dubbed or subtitled)?.
- Did he knows the Swiss legislation in that aspect (70th article of the Swiss constitution, as well as the Film Gesetz (2002), the Verordnung über die Förderung Film (2006) or Sprache Gesetz (2007)
- The newspaper says that Catalan people are obsessed by their language. Emma answers how the German-speaking people could be if their language was forbidden in the European parliament the so-called shrine of the “unity in diversity” slogan.

The sticker says. Is this equality?. 97% cinema in Spanish, 3 % in Catalan.

Here are some of the answers (in German language):

1) Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren

Ich habe Ihren oben erwähnten Artikel von Herrn Martin Dahms, Madrid, über die Förderung der Katalanischen Sprache seitens der autonomen Katalonischen Regierung sehr sorgfältig gelesen. Ich füge einige Bedenken bei. Herr Dahms bezieht sich auf den historischen Präzedenzfall, als General Franco in Spanien zwang, sämtliche Filmproduktionen auf Spanisch zu übersetzen. Wagt es Herr Dahms eine faschistische Diktatur mit der Regierung eines demokratischen Parlamentes gleichzusetzen? General Franco zeichnete sich aus durch das Verbot der Verwendung einer Sprache (Behörden, Schulen, Reden im öffentlichen Leben) in ihrem eigenen Sprachraum (Katalonien) während das Katalanische Parlament nur den Gebrauch der eigenen Sprache auf ihrem eigenen Sprachgebiet verteidigt ohne eine andere Sprache zu unterdrücken. Das neue Gesetz verlangt lediglich, dass nur 50% der Filme auf Katalanisch übersetzt werden! Herr Dahms hätte einen besseren Präzedenzfall gefunden im spanischen „Film-Gesetz“ von 2007, wo es heisst, dass Filme in sämtlichen Sprachen von Spanien übersetzt oder mit Untertitel versehen werden. Weiss Herr Dahms nicht, dass der Artikel 70 der Schweizerischen Bundesverfassung, Film-Gesetz (2002), Verordnung über die Förderung Film (2006) und das Sprache Gesetz (2007) regelt, wie in der Schweiz die reiche Sprach- und Kulturvielfalt geschützt werden müssen? Würde es Herr Dahms normal finden, wenn es in Zürich (oder muss ich wohl eine deutsche Stadt nehmen aus seinem Heimatland?) keine TV, Radio, Schulen und Kinos in Deutscher Sprache gäbe? Würde es Herr Dahms normal finden, wenn einem Zürcher Politiker verboten würde, im Bundeshaus in Bern Deutsch zu sprechen? So geschieht es derzeit mit dem Katalanischen im Spanischen Parlament. Würde er dann nicht auch besessen (um seine Terminologie zu gebrauchen) seine Muttersprache schützen? Und zum Schluss, Herr Dahms, die Katalaner und ihre Politiker mögen sich einige male oder vielleicht auch viele male geirrt haben im Prozess, ein Gleichgewicht zwischen lebendiger Sprache und die Verteidigung der kulturellen eigenen Identität zu schaffen. Aber es freut mich doch sehr zu wissen, dass es auch Leute gibt, die die grosse Leistung anerkennen (Europarat, Ministerkomitee, European Chapter für die Regional- und Minderheitensprachen; Bericht vom Experten-Ausschuss – 2008)!

Carles Torres

2) Sehr geehrte Herrn Direktor: ich habe zufälich eine Kopie von ihres “Tages Anzeiger” auf einem Stuhl in wiener Flughafen Schwechat gefunden, und ich war erst schokiert, dann nacher überreutsch, endlich ärger über den Artikel über Katalonien das ich gefunden habe auf seinen Seiten.

Nur ein paar Sachen: Katalanisch ist die Sprache von etwa 10 millionen Menschen, die in Spanien, Frankreich (Nord Katalonien) und sogar in Italien (Alghero, für uns l'Alguer) leben. Ein paar Wochen her Politikern von alle diese Örte haben eine Zusammentreffung um unsere Sprache zum konsolidieren durchgeführt.
Ich bin Urenkel eines Deutsches, Sohn von einem Vater aus Baskenland und eine Mutter aus Katalonien, und beide Spräche haben unter die militärisch Stiefeln übergelebt, gegen antidemokratische Regierung und Journalisten die kaum Idee haben, um was darüber schreiben.
Mit freundlichen Grüssen aus Mallorca, wo man auch katalanisch redet.

Natxo Knörr i Borràs

3) Meine Damen und Herren

Ich habe heute, den 24. Januar, Ihren Artikel über Katalonien gelesen. Ich bin empört über einige Ihrer Aussagen.
Katalonien ist eine alte Nation mit eigener Sprache und Kultur. Nach einem Krieg, im Jahr 1714, verliert Katalonien seine Institutionen und wurde gezwungenermassen Teil des Spanischen Staates. Seitdem hat das Katalanische Volk mehrere brutale Repressionen gegen seine Sprache und Kultur erlebt. Früchte dieser Repressionen gegen unsere Sprache ist die aktuelle Situation: wir können im eigenen Land nicht in unserer eigenen Sprache leben. Es ist zum Beispiel sehr schwierig einen Film in der eigenen Sprache besuchen zu können oder sogar einen Kaffee in der eigenen Sprache zu bestellen.
Die Generalitat von Katalonien versucht nun diese Diskriminierung etwas zu mildern.
Katalonien versucht nun nach Jahrhunderten von Diktaturen und Repressionen jetzt mit demokratischen Mitteln seine Sprache zu schützen , das ist ein Recht jedes Volkes auf eigenem Boden auf seine Sprache leben zu können und dieses Recht ist heutzutage in Katalonien nicht garantiert.

Dolors Ferrer Noguer

Valencian people climb to break the TV borders

The autonomous government of the Valencian Country is ruled by the Spanish Popular Party. Three years ago this government decided to act severely against the TV’s reception of the neighbour autonomy: Catalonia. It tried to cut the reception. In spite of these, Catalan autonomy receives well the Valencian TV which is partially in Valencian. Catalan autonomous channels are fully in Catalan language. The two autonomies share the same own language: Catalan; sometimes called Valencian too. This is not extraordinary as well as Spanish is sometimes called Castillian.



Popular protests of Valencian people and a judicial answer stopped some of the PP actions but not anyone. Some regions have lost the signal at all. This is an unique case in Europe. Popular movements begun a campaign called “Televisions without borders”. The aim is to promote the sharing of channels in neighbouring autonomies. They have reached an extraordinary number of signatures: 300.000. But they need 500.000 to be recognised by the Spanish government in this popular legislative initiative. This weekend, too, Acció Cultural del País Valencià (ACPV, Valencian Country Cultural Action) will climb to the mountains were TV reception engines have been closed: on January 23 to the Montduver and on January 24 to the Bartolo (with buses from Castelló and Vila-real). There will be popular meetings in support of the initiative at the end of the rallies. Basque and Galician associations are being to support “Televisions without borders too” so the half a million signatures could be achieved.

Burning of Vila-real (1706) remembered

The Succession war was used by Castille to transform the Spanish kingdoms in a centralist structure. It reversed the federal basis where every country had their own institutions. Catalan countries, allied with Britain, fought fiercely against the Franco-Spanish alliance to preserve their own constitutions and parliaments. One of the sadest chapters of this war was in Vila-real (Valencian Country).

On January 12th, 1706 Spanish troops were stopped by the Vila-real population. The battle was hard and died about half a thousand people. Once defeated, Vila-real was sacked by the Spanish with hate. About 10 % of the local population was killed. Never again so many people of this city died in only one day. Later the Franco-Spanish army burned the village. Just for this battle a British-Catalan army conquered València hours later because the Spanish army sent to defend the main city was delayed in Vila-real.

The local independentist movement, Esquerra Independentista de la Plana, demonstrated on Saturday 16.01.2009 with the slogan “We’ve memory. 1706. We don’t forget.”. One of the movements which form the EIP is just called Maulets, the name of the Valencian fighters who opposed the Castilians in the succession war.
About a hundred people marched by the Vila-real streets shouting songs against the Spanish occupation which, in fact, has its roots in battles as the 1706 Vila-real burning. Later, a popular lunch and a concert took place too. This is the second consecutive year that such a commemoration tooks place after a decade without a signle independentist demonstration in the Vila-real city.

"La nostra terra" republished in Mallorca

“La nostra terra” (Our land) was a cultural magazine published in Mallorca from January 1928 to May 1936. The domains of art, literature and science were reviewed in almost a hundred issues. Cultural personalities as Picasso collaborated as well as there were translations of works from Gorki or other writers of the moment. Studies about Kierkegaard, Le Corbusier, Stravinsky, Bartók shows the high quality of the magazine. More than two hundred people, from the Catalan Countries, published in “La nostra terra”.

The Institut d’Estudis Baleàrics has reprinted the issues published in five books as a evidence of the Catalan national unity as well as its will to be open to the world. Their main idea was that every Balearic island had its own identity; but all of them were united thanks to the Catalan nationality.
As many other Catalan cultural initiatives, this magazine was abolished by the Spanish nationalist dictatorship in 1936. The damage done for forty years of dictatorship and 300 years of Spanish fierce imposition is still to be reversed.

"An Phoblacht" talks about Catalan referendums

The Irish newspaper "An Phoblacht" (The Republic) talks about the Catalan referendums celebrated last December. It includes the opinion of Lluís Sales i Favà, a CUP ( Candidatura d'Unitat Popular, Popular Unity Candidature) member, about the process. The Irish paper opinion is that the referendums are steps in the way towards a Catalan national referendum.

Link : http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/39338