Eurasia Diary took an interview from famous Spanish Political Analyst Caesar Vidal.
- The Parliament of Catalonia declared independence from Spain. The government of Spain dissolved the Parliament of Catalonia. Tell me, please, what is happening in Spain today? What forces are interested in the independence of Catalonia? What scenario is waiting for Catalonia and Spain? What will happen next?
- Since the XVIIIth century Catalonia has been the spoiled child of the Spanish family. Its privileges coming from the Madrid government have been increasing under the monarchy, the republic, Franco´s dictatorship and of course, democracy. The cost of this protectionist policy has been real poverty and misery of other parts of Spain. Really, Catalonia robs the rest of Spain. Catalan chantage was the way to get more privileges threatening with independence like the boy that says to his parents that he will leave home if they do not buy a new car. For example, now Catalonia receives sixty per cent of the FLA, the fund to seventeen regions in Spain even when its contribution to the national product is only eighteen per cent. Can anybody thinks that this is not a total robbery of Catalonia against the rest of Spain?
The situation is now worst because media and education were given to the Catalan Nationalists almost forty years ago. The masses educated in the hate to Spain do not know that the independence is only a mechanism of chantage of the Catalan oligarchies and do believe that the utopia is behind independence. Who can control brainwashed masses? Not the Catalan oligarchies that have left the almost independent Catalonia in the last weeks. For example, over two thousand corporations and the Catalan banks have moved to other parts of Spain.
- In your opinion, what can separatism lead to in Europe?
Europe made a terrible wrong accepting the separatism in Yugoslavia and Russia. Now they face the consequences of past sins. If EU want to survive must stop separatism.
- Is it possible to abandon the "Europe of National States" in favor of the "Europe of the Regions"? Can such an initiative lead Catalonia out of the impasse, but lead to chaos in the European Union?
That is a total nonsense. It is a huge task to coordinate a score of countries. Do you think it would be better to coordinate two hundred regions, even when a good part of them is sick of a petty nationalism?
- Agree that Catalonia is not the only region in Europe that craves greater independence ... What regions in Europe want independence?
Of course, Scotland. But UK is not in the EU now and Scotland was an independent kingdom. Catalonia was only a part of the Crown of Aragon – and not the most important – and when the Crown of Aragon married the Crown of Castile became a part of the reunified Spain. Catalonia never was a kingdom o an independent nation. Only a region. .
- The European Union has faced a new challenge - separatism, there are conflicts over possible recipes for solving problems (the conflict of Central Europe and Eastern Europe - France and Germany against Poland). In your opinion, why do internal contradictions in the European Union grow? How can you explain this?
Because the countries in the EU are very different. You cannot compare the countries coming from Reformation roots – Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Germany, Holland, even UK – with the Roman Catholic countries of the Counter-Reformation (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Poland). You cannot close a gap of centuries in decades.
- In your opinion, what kind of a recipe for solving the problem of separatism should the European Union prepare?
To refuse support to separatist movements in any part of the world and to think about the past terrible mistakes as the segregation of Yugoslavia and Russia. The EU cannot base its foreing policy in the dictates of NATO.
- What will happen to Europe? Will there be new states in Europe in the short term? (Catalonia, Scotland, South Tyrol, Flanders, Åland Islands). What can you say about this?
If EU wants to survive, it is impossible. Really anybody can think seriously in countries as Catalonia or Flanders? Do we want to repeat the disaster of creating countries artificial and impossible as Kosovo or Ukraine?
- What are the contradictions in the European Union today? Which countries are in conflict with each other in the EU?
The biggest problems are: deep differences in culture and economy and lack of an independent foreing policy. In the international waters, the EU is only a ship of NATO fleet. It would be logical that EU had an independent army, and independent position in world affairs and an independent voice, but they are like the client kingdoms in the Old Roman Empire. The only difference is that we have a US empire. Angela Merkel plays a similar role to the role played by Herod in relation to the emperor Augustus.
I think that we cannot talk about conflicts in EU, but they are very different interests that collide. For example, the Roman Catholic South wants to be subsidized by the Protestant North and, logically, there are resistances against this policy because it is really very unfair. Or, for example, countries like Hungary or Austria are against the fool policy of entry of millions of Muslims in Europe that is supporting Merkel.
- How do you see the future of this organization? Is it possible to break up the EU?
I think that the governments will do almost everything to keep alive the EU not only because of its incredible and undeniable economic advantages and benefits, but also because it is the "reward" offered to Eastern Europe to keep it apart from Russia. With exceptions like Poland or some of the Baltic countries, the Eastern Europe would like to have closer relationship with Russia but this would be the end of NATO strategy.so that the EU will remain. The situation is similar in the Mediterranean countries. Surely, Greece must be expelled from EU, but who can dare to lose this part of the strategy of NATO in the Mediterranean sea?
