“Independence or elections.” Maximum pressure for ERC and Junts. Yesterday, the most radical secessionism left no room for the secessionist parties negotiating the investiture of Pedro Sánchez. The sovereigntist demonstration on the 9/11 Day was a cry against the path of dialogue that Republicans and supporters are exploring with the socialists.
The amnesty law marks Spanish politics, causes headaches for the socialists and the PP prepares a battle on all fronts. On the other hand, the eventual and exceptional measure of grace barely appeared in the demonstration. No one shouted slogans in her favor. The most extreme nationalism is at another stage. “Independence or nothing”, “or independence or blocking of any pact”, declared the ANC. Clearer, water. For the most inflexible secessionists there is nothing to negotiate with Sánchez. As Carles Puigdemont and Oriol Junqueras said in the peak years of the ‘procés’: the only thing that needs to be negotiated are the assets and liabilities of Spain that would correspond to the future Catalan State.
The ANC launched its ultimatum to ERC and Junts in a demonstration that brought together tens of thousands of people in the streets of Barcelona. The Urban Police estimated attendance at 115,000 people – last year it was 150,000 – and 800,000 according to the organizers’ calculations. Assistance saves money, but it is declining and is very far from that of the hot years of the ‘procés’. The Diada demonstration, organized by the ANC, has already become a classic and in some way its celebration has been institutionalized.
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The independence movement is not going through its best moment. For example, in the last Catalan elections, ERC and Junts only obtained 14 of the 48 Catalan deputies, despite the fact that arithmetic has granted them the role of decisive ones. Even so, the ANC does not give up continuing to act as a nationalist ‘lobby’. In the past he demanded that the presidents of the Generalitat put in the ballot boxes (and they did so on 9-N and 1-O). Yesterday he demanded that ERC and Junts crystallize independence and, if not, that they agree to go to elections. The message is the same as last year and caused Junts to leave the Government. «We ask the pro-independence political representatives to be coherent. If they do not dare or do not know how to do it, let them give way and call elections,” said the president of the ANC. Dolors Feliu alluded to the dissolution of the Government, but the threat, in this context, can be extended to the Spanish general elections.
It remains to be seen if the parties end up joining the ANC, as they did during the ‘procés’. But just like attendance figures, we’re not in that era anymore. ERC has long since become ‘independent’ of the ANC. The question is whether Puigdemont will be able to break ties with this entire world, that of radical secessionism, which has fueled him for years and which now calls him to account. To the point that Feliu formalized the announcement that the ANC wants to promote a civic list for the Catalan elections. His speech, in fact, was rather the beginning of the campaign of this fourth Catalan sovereigntist party.
Cries against Aragonès
A formation that dares to call ERC and Junts “autonomists” and that questions their commitment to secession. This fourth candidacy will hurt Junts electorally. For this reason, Puigdemont has to decide whether to break and fully decide on a negotiation with the Government that will not result in the holding of a referendum (at least in the short term) or remain installed among the nostalgic immobilists of 1-O. Sánchez, meanwhile, has a difficult time, despite the optimism that the Government tries to convey: due to the struggle between ERC and Junts and due to the pressure on Puigdemont from separatism that is not willing to let up.
Everyone calls for unity. But secessionism is anything but a cohesive movement. It has become a kingdom of taifas, where each one makes war on his own behalf. There is no unitary strategy. And that division was staged this Monday in the street. The president of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, left before the demonstration ended. Those around them stated that they had already planned not to reach the end of the march, thus avoiding listening to the speeches. But it is also true that he left just when he was insulted with cries of ‘botifler’ – ‘traitor’ – and ‘Govern resign’. His security team prevented those who rebuked him from approaching. The Catalan Government and ERC did not participate last year. This Monday they returned to the great event of the independence movement, after the punishments at the polls on March 28 and June 23. Esquerra has already assumed the cost of betting on the pragmatic route. And the street was more hostile to her than to Junts.
The 9/11 Day leaves the image of an independence movement divided on all its fronts and, singularly, between Junts and ERC. Puigdemont’s growing role in conversations with the socialists makes Esquerra uncomfortable, which is dragged into maximalist positions. Both did not respect this Monday even the 9/11 armistice. The ANC and Òmnium Cultural did not hide their differences either. Òmnium, unlike the Assembly, does support the negotiating process of the parties with the Government.
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