Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Sunday Globe Special: Spanish Secession

Don't worry; they can't steal it like they did Scotland because there will not be a vote:

"Catalan leader signs decree for Spain secession vote" by Raphael Minder | New York Times   September 28, 2014

MADRID — Spain’s prime minister Mariano Rajoy and regional leader Artur Mas, have been at loggerheads for two years, after Rajoy turned down a request for Catalonia, which accounts for almost one-fifth of Spain’s economy, to receive more favorable fiscal treatment from Madrid.

The signing of the decree Saturday allowed Mas to begin the referendum campaign as early as Sunday — at least until the process is suspended by Spain’s constitutional court pending a decision over the Madrid government’s appeal.

Mas, however, has also been under intense political pressure in Catalonia, both from secessionist hard-liners who want him to stand firm against Rajoy, and from opposition politicians demanding that he shed light on a major tax fraud scandal centering on Jordi Pujol, the founder of his Convergence party.

Pujol, the patriarch of Catalan politics, told lawmakers Friday that money he had admitted hiding offshore was inherited and not earned from kickbacks and other corrupt practices during his 23 years in charge of the regional government. He did not, however, reply to specific questions about his current wealth and possible involvement in past Catalan corruption cases.

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Rajoy was returning to Spain on Saturday from an official visit to China, [while] Mas is pushing ahead with his independence plan after voters in Scotland rejected their own referendum this month on separating from the United Kingdom.

Did they?

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RelatedSpain court prevents Catalonia independence vote

It was scheduled for November 9.

NEXT DAY UPDATE: Catalan pro-independence alliance splits after vote blocked