Barcelona Fighting

[JudgeDredd]

Any nation with 'Cat' in it's name has got to be expected to want to do it's own thing. If they try to leave Spain, just get some laser pointers and draw them right back in again. Problem solved. 

lol 

[JudgeDredd]

I saw a headline earlier but can't find the link now...something about Madrid refusing to let Catalonia's Parliament meet to vote on independence?

That is the case. Problem is, the more they clamp down, the more the local population will get the impression the Government doesn't give two pennies for them and, worse, doesn't respect their view and so turn more against them.

It's a very hard process to reverse and cannot be done by force - certainly not in the long term. That will forever be in the annals of history for the region and people will be brought up being reminded about what "the Spanish Government done to the people when the local area wanted to discuss self determination".

You can do it with fear. You can do it with money. You cannot do it with force.

[bayonetbrant]

can't be seen to be allowing parts to break away and have that at a benefit of those parts because that could start a tumbling process.

I'm pretty sure Yugoslavia set that precedent a while ago

[Gusington]

'Balkanization' or 'domino theory' - you choose.

[OJsDad]

Well one thing that might disincentivize them would be if the EU played hardball.  Even if recognized as a new nation by individual member states, the EU has an incentive to discourage any favorable  participation in the Eurozone similar to how they are viewing Brexit.

Even if they are a wealthy region of Spain, they may think again if it's worth it when all their prices go up because of tariffs.

The EU has every reason to support Catalonia.  For that support Catalonia is gong to have to give up a lot to Brussels. Spain will be a lot poorer, and they'll also have to give up a lot to be supported after they lost their richest province. 

[Gusington]

The EU stated that the whole thing is an internal Spanish matter.

[BanzaiCat]

Think they'd have anything to say to Scotland if another separation vote comes?

[Gusington]

They would be better off talking to Flanders first. And I don't mean Homer's annoying neighbor.

[mirth]

[Gusington]

Quite.

[BanzaiCat]

Every time I see this thread title, I think (and hum) to myself, "everybody was Barcelona fighhhh-tiiiiing"

[Sir Slash]

Those Catalons were fast as lightning.

[Staggerwing]

It was una mica frighting.

[bayonetbrant]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/08/world/europe/catalonia-independence-tractors.html

[Gusington]

Today tractors, tomorrow...tanks?

Lot of mixed signals coming out today. Latest I have read is a hardline quote from the Spanish PM basically saying the Spanish government is hell bent on stopping Catalonian independence 'at all costs.'