Europe must speak up for Catalonia.

 In 1956 the world democracies stood by as the Soviet Union crushed the Hungarian  Revelation and again twelve years later as Czechoslovakia tried to introduce democratic change and its independence,

There will be no excuse for Europe in particular  to stand by as another state is crushed as it bids for Independence,

The presence of Josep-Maria Terricabras MEP, of the Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya party at the Plaid Cymru conference may well be the most telling part.

Mr Terricabras said: 

“Very difficult events are happening now. I suppose that next week the Spanish Government will trigger article 155 of the constitution, which is in fact [a] very vague article.

“It doesn’t say exactly what to do, but the Spanish government has a lot of fantasies so it will apply this article on it’s favour so to speak.
“But in the same week, probably next week, the Catalan parliament will declare independence because [the] people decided so.
“Also in the last referendum when over two million went to vote in spite of savage Spanish police beating people in a scandalous way.
“But people decided independence so we will accomplish the wish of the people.
“We are democrats who think that it’s much more important the wish of people than the loss on paper.”

The Spanish cabinet is expected to approve measures allowing the government to impose direct rule over Catalonia.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy meets with his cabinet almost three weeks after the region held a referendum.
The Spanish government says the vote was illegal, but Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont says he has been given a mandate to declare independence.
As a result, the central government is preparing to take back power.

It is expected to trigger Article 155 of the constitution, which allows it to impose direct rule in a crisis, taking back a region's devolved powers, for the first time.
Other moves may include taking control of Catalonia's regional police force.
However, Article 155 does not give the government the power to fully suspend autonomy.


However, this leaves Mr Rajoy in a delicate position, says the BBC's Madrid correspondent Tom Burridge., 
hGe says.

Any move, like taking control over Catalonia's regional police force, action against Catalonia's public TV channel or replacing Catalan officials with people loyal to Madrid has the potential to backfire,

Among the measures being put in place are regional elections, according to Spain's socialist party (PSOE).
PSOE politician Carmen Calvo announced the agreement to hold regional elections in an interview on national television on Friday. It has not been confirmed by Mr Rajoy's conservative Popular Party (PP).
She appealed to Mr Puigdemont to endorse the elections.
Catalonia's government would be dissolved ahead of such a vote

So the plan seems to be to seize control of the Catalan Media  and therefore use it as a propaganda tool prior to elections that will be controlled from Madris.

As this happens and the Heirs of Franco and their  socialist allies crush Catalonian democracy,

Will Jeremy Corbyn condemn  is PSOE allies ? Will he hell. 

As armed Spanish police are sent to impose Madrid rule. will UK politicians outside Plaid and the SNP even give any support the the democratic will of the people of Catalonia?

Who will stand with Catalonia?

Maybe Slovenia and  Belgium.

But there will be precious little from the other European Democracy,


The British prime minister echoed previous remarks made by other European leaders, saying the UK backed the Spanish government’s actions.

Advertisement

 

“I have spoken to Mariano Rajoy this morning, as I did earlier this week, and made clear that the United Kingdom’s position is very clear,” Theresa May said. “We believe that people should be abiding by the rule of law and uphold the Spanish constitution.”

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, gave the Spanish government his “full, entire support” and said extremist forces were “feeding” on separatism as a kind of division within Europe and a creating a “factor of destabilisation”.

On Thursday, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, offered her support to the Spanish government, adding: 

“We hope there are solutions found on the basis of the Spanish constitution.”

Scotland in particular will be paying  attention to the European Union response both Plaid and the SNP  rightly in my view  see theirNations as being "Independent in Europe".

It beginning to look that they may have to think again as the  EU stand by as   a New Nation is crushed  as Hungary and Czechoslovakia were by a collaboration  of the Spanish equivalent of the Tory Party and Labour.