The Chargé d´Affaires of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain to Azerbaijan Mr. Ignacio Sanchez Taboada commented Eurasia Diary's questions.
- We are attentively following the situation in Catalonia. How do you think what were the roots of the Catalonia crisis?
- Regionalism and the will to recover and enhance regional culture in Catalonia existed since the end of XIX Century. When Democracy is restored in Spain in 1978, nationalist and regionalist Catalonian movements and political parties play a relevant role. But all this movements happened within the framework of the Spanish Nation and Constitutional Democracy. We are now facing a new type of nationalist movement which main objective is to break the Nation, irrespective of the Law and the Constitution. This new outbreak of nationalism, based on exclusion and supremacist ideas, is much linked to recent economic crisis.
- In your opinion, how the processes in Catalonia affecting Spain itself and generally Europe?
- We hope that out of this process of crisis, we will see a stronger Spanish Nation and a stronger Democracy. We will overcome this problem, and we will come out better a democracy and a stronger nation. This is something feasible, something that can happen out of this crisis.
- Could Catalonia crisis become a precedent for Europe: for Scotland in Britain, Venedo in Italy?
- I think every political situation requires separate analysis. As a part of this analysis, you can also try to see links between them; these links could be economic, strategic, institutional or personal relations between individuals who are promoters or central figures of political movements. But essentially we consider every movement requires separate and individual analysis: every case has its own history, roots, causes, effects, and every situation takes place in a specific legal framework. Spain has a formal Constitution, it is a written Constitution. United Kingdom does not have a written Constitution. This is one of the major differences, and there are many others. So I think the main idea could be to analyze separately every separatist movement that we are witnessing in Europe.
- Azerbaijan is also suffering from separatism. What should be done to prevent separatism to start?
- I think it is a wrong idea to consider that all separatist movements are essentially linked, or even essentially the same thing, or that you can create a great theory which encompasses all of them. Even if there are some similarities, they do not represent new versions of a general idea or principle. Every separatist movement requires a separate and specific analysis.
The natural tendency of human mind is to unify different things under one single comprehensive theory. This may work in Physics or Chemistry. But it does not work so well when it comes to explaining human History or human behavior.
So once again, my main hypothesis would be an specific individual analysis for every separatist movement then, when you have these views, try to consider if there are links. But this cannot be a theory; this has to be a fact finding process. Try to see if there are actual links between individuals, organizations, movements, information.
- How do you evaluate the peaceful solution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict?
- Spain supports the efforts of the group of Minsk and OSCE for a peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict. We consider that this solution has to be based on the basic principles agreed upon in Madrid: peaceful means, respect of international law, respect of territorial integrity, etc.
There should also be more initiatives coming from civil society. Imagine doctors in both sides, teachers in both sides, university professors in both sides coming together to have a better understanding one onether.
The solution to the conflict will always be a political solution, but civil society initiatives to create confidence, common ground, better understanding of each other could help the political solution to the conflict.
Natalia Guliyeva
Photo: Gurban Bekirzadeh
