Disparate notions of reality and independence

After last Sunday's so-called Catalonia straw poll Mas and other Catalonian supporters of independence from Spain declared it a success, claiming that more than 80 % of the estimated 2.25 million voters back a breakaway from Spain, in the non-binding poll. Even the English newspaper The Telegraph echoed this finding in the headline of its article - Catalonia poll shows backing for independence.

When you look at the underlying numbers involved you quickly are left with quite a different impression. 1,861,753 reportedly voted, out of a total population of 7,504,881, which represents a participation rate of only 24.8%. That most likely means that a greater number of eligible voters refrained from participating, because they rejected what was proposed.

The Spanish newspaper El País stated that in the last election, in 2012, the four parties supporting secession – CiU, ERC, ICV, and CUP drew 2.1 million votes, so the results of the poll is not an indication of increased support for separation. Moreover, the voting age was set at 16 years of age, which is lower than for normal elections.

Rafael Catala, the justice minister described the poll as “fruitless and useless.”

He accused Mr Mas of organising an act of “pure political propaganda” with no validity, adding that Madrid could take more legal action against the vote. That seems indeed likely to take case as La Razón reported on November 11 that the national prosecutor indicated that Mas, along with vicepresident Joana Ortega, and the two ministers, Rigau and Espadaler, will be reported to the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Cataluña (TSJC) for disobedience and perversion of justice under the law. They will likely have to pay a fine or be suspended.

What is not mentioned in the media is the naïveté of Mas and his fellow Catalan sovereignty supporters. He has previously clearly indicated that Catalonia would want to remain part of the EU, and continue to use euros if it were to become a sovereign nation. That shows a total ignorence or disregard of the EU powers and competencer, as clearly set out in the Wikipedia article about the European Union. EU's exclusive competence includes:

• the customs union
• the establishing of the competition rulesnecessary for the functioning of the internal market
• monetary policy for the Member States whose currency is the euro
• the conservation of marine biological resources under the common fisheries policy
• common commercial policy
• conclusion of certain international agreements.

These EU powers have been clearly demonstrated in the handling of the financial crisis in Spain, where the PP has had to follow EU directives and recommendations, leaving little, if any room for the Spanish government to take independent actions and decisions.

The actions taken by Mas and his Catalan fellow sovereignists are not only caught up in nationalism, but also seek a way out of financial difficulties, caused by financial mismanagement.

Catalan nationalism appeals to people like Pep Guardiola, who flew to Barcelona, after Bayern Munich's last game, to participate in the straw poll, as he, and many other Catalans identify with the Catalan language, culture, and history, and therefore want to be perceived as forming part of Catalan, as a nation.

The reality is that today nobody is really independent, but interdependent, on a global basis. To think otherwise is just a folly.

Albert Einstein expressed nationalism this way: “Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind. “