Catalan independence
To The Guardian
Whatever the merits or otherwise of Catalan independence, Sunday’s referendum was unquestionably illegal, unconstitutional and illegitimate by every relevant national, European and international standard. The Spanish state had no alternative, therefore, but to suppress it using whatever force was reasonably necessary and proportionate. It is debatable whether police conduct always met this standard. But attempting to prevent the poll was not itself antidemocratic or a human rights violation. Nor, given the radically different contexts and in spite of the superficial similarities, was it “Francoist”. Neither Spain nor the rest of Europe can afford to endorse attempts at secession on such terms. Professor Steven Greer and Dr Albert Sanchez-graells, University of Bristol Law School
To The Guardian
Anyone watching in horror, as I did, the videos of the treatment of voters in Catalonia can see that the police did not act with “firmness and serenity” as Spain’s prime minister said, but with brutal force. They literally seized voters and threw them onto the streets, in some cases even hurling them down steps. One poor old man was thrown down with his dog, and his fears for the animal are visible. This would have been bad in a riot, but as a government attempt to stop voting it was disgusting. Spain should be hanging its head in shame. Sara Neill, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
To The Times
Pointing out that as a matter of Spanish and international law the separatists do not have a case overlooks the strong moral case for self-determination, over which wars have been fought. The law of Spain holds the Catalan people in a union with the rest of Spain, whether they like it or not. In China, a similar law applies to Tibet. That 90% of Catalans voted for the Spanish constitution in 1978 should not bind future generations to the same project. The right of the Catalan people to choose their own destiny is the same as that of the Scots, a right which they exercised in 2014, and of the British as a whole, a right which they exercised last year. Keeping people in a political union without their consent, be it in the EU, the UK or the kingdom of Spain, is morally unacceptable. Either you believe in democracy or you don’t. Tim Spencer, Wimborne, Dorset
To The Guardian
If Catalonia, like Scotland, wants to separate from its parent state then, instead of blaming the Spanish government for mishandling the current crisis, shouldn’t we be seeking the root cause of the problem in the paradoxical nature of the EU?
The EU unites nations but, at the same time, it also carries within an incentive for break-up. Ambitious politicians belonging to various composites that make up the EU would always ask: why share your sovereignty with your national capitals, and remain forever a “bridesmaid”, when you have the option of becoming a “bride” by sharing your sovereignty with Brussels?
The EU – its claim to unity notwithstanding – is seen by many as a potential wrecker of a “marriage of convenience” between Europe’s composite states. Perhaps it is time the EU acted and introduced a law, barring seceding states from ever becoming a member. Randhir Singh Bains, Gants Hill, Essex