What has the answer been?
Jordi Pujol
Editorial / March 18, 2008
In our last editorial of eight days ago we said it was not the right time to analyse the outcome of the elections. That time begins from today.
How have things turned out?
Although it is not this bulletin’s job to give a political analysis of the results, we should take note of the PSC’s excellent result. As for the PPC, despite having gained two seats, it had mediocre results, while ERC performed dismally – worse than predicted. Two conclusions can be drawn from CIU’s results. A positive one, that it fared well, is what many people on the street and certain analysts of the nationalist Federation have read into it (given that it was competing in what was virtually a two-party race and in a climate of fear, logically its results can only be regarded as a success). However, there is a more disturbing interpretation if we consider the results – those of the parties as a whole – from the perspective of the current state of the country.
It is the latter aspect that we will analyse in this editorial.
To what extent are we a country? What is our capacity to continue formulating, defending and driving forward our own ambitious and optimistic plan for a country? How much self-confidence do we have? How much energy and willpower do we have? What is the prevailing attitude in Catalonia? What ideas, what convictions? These are the questions that our Foundation has to address in order to provide a response. We now need to reflect more in this area than in the strictly political arena. With a clear word of warning, though, to politicians in general – and above all nationalist politicians – and also to society and that is if there is no appropriate political response to our reflections the country will not recover. The root of the evil that now smites Catalonia can be traced back to a crisis of values, to a loss of confidence, to a rather general mood of disappointment, and this is what we must fight first of all. But in the final analysis this calls for a political translation.
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From this point of view, it is clear that the 9 March elections results cannot be regarded as good. At least, we repeat, from the viewpoint set out in this bulletin. We said that given Spain’s extremely aggressive treatment and her antagonistic approach to Catalonia, the systematic slander, the distortion of our image, the PP’s threats against the new Statute of Autonomy and linguistic immersion, etc.; and that in light of Rodríguez Zapatero and the PSOE’s policy of systematic deceit and constant non-fulfilment of policies, it would have been a bad sign had these two parties emerged reinforced from these elections. It would have indicated to the rest of Spain that it was open season on Catalonia. And we said that in the 9M elections the Catalan people would have to make a clear choice as to whether or not they wanted to react. Whether they reacted or chose to renounce their aspiration for self-respect and their project for a country. Whether they would resign themselves to being watered-down. And we appealed not only to sensible political, economic and social proposals, but also to a response that conveyed a demand for dignity and respect.
The outcome has been bad. Certainly, CiU can be merited for having resisted. But those responsible for the deceit and non-fulfilment have enjoyed a clamorous victory, and even the PP has made a slight recovery. That is one part of it. On the other side, the prevailing climate of fear has a significant effect on voting. Not the “optimistic Catalonia” votes, but the “watch out the others may return” votes. No single proposal or project was put forward by the PSC/PSOE (which would anyway not have been credible), but merely fear. The PP should ask itself how it could have fostered such a climate. And the country – and the Catalan nationalist parties in particular – should ask themselves how sensible and constructive proposals and a call for the respect for and the dignity of a country was unable to compete with fear.
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We could say, therefore, that the 9M elections disclosed an alarming situation. True enough. And all the more so if we bear in mind that for other reasons Catalonia now faces immense challenges. On such a scale that they might give rise to a process of recession in all senses. This could imply the dissolution of Catalonia. There is no exaggeration in what we are saying.
It seems, therefore, that neither the situation nor the mood nor the degree of self-respect is appropriate for the present situation. Nor the politics that are being practised in Catalonia, but as we said we will not enter this terrain for the time being.
And yet, there is a possibility of a solution to this situation. Provided we are aware of the seriousness of the moment. But also of the resources and assets we have at our disposal. We must also take note that Catalonia– and more specifically in the Catalan nationalist camp – abounds with energy and creativity even if right now they are diluted and lack cohesion and are not sufficiently exploited. And obviously we need to know how to behave in the political arena, but we also need to work in the other areas that make up a nation and a society.
Of these assets and our possibilities we will speak next Tuesday.
