Difficult times

1. It is rather obvious that there is an economic crisis. It affects the financial sector as well as the one that is usually called the real economy, that is, businesses and therefore, consumption activity and capacity. It also creates very difficult and worrisome situations. As it worsens, there is a rather general opinion in Spain that this crisis could last and be deep, especially with regards to unemployment. It may cause the loss of the entrepreneurial fabric, especially in industry, but also in services. This is a loss that, depending on the circumstances, could be difficult to recover from. All this, as I have mentioned, has serious social repercussions. Fortunately, Spain has, as does all of Western Europe, a social system that softens the blow. Nevertheless, there will be a significant unemployment rate with all of its consequences. It may possibly be the highest, or nearly the highest, in Western Europe.

2. All this could lead to a political crisis. In part, we are already in one. In more than one European country the complaint is that politicians are not capable of either addressing the situation or inspiring the level of confidence needed in order for the public to overcome their fears and regain the initiative. Without sharing the vision of those that say that this could degenerate into significantly less democratic and demagogic populist approaches, indeed it has to be admitted that there is the possibility that such a policy is incapable of getting us out of the crisis, of avoiding serious tensions and a marked degradation in the quality of our Welfare State. If the political as well as the organised labour world are not capable of confronting this and re-establishing confidence and credibility, our society will seriously suffer because, as we have said many times in this editorial , and we will repeat, without policy, a country will founder.

3. But this can and does hit Catalonia especially seriously because, in addition, we have another crisis: a serious national crisis. During March, we dedicated five consecutive editorials to this (“The Seven Years of Fat Cows and their Sins”, “But Egypt had Good Governance”, “Attitudes and Values for a Catalan Response”, “The Botch” and “Conclusions”). Not only has the approach created at the time of the Transition with regard to the structure of the State and the role of recognizing Catalonia in the whole of Spain been broken, but, in addition, now there is powerful pressure on its image, its linguistic and cultural identity and the degree of Catalonia’s self-governance. Three is also strong resistance to applying the financial aspects of the Statute, in short, there is pressure to squash Catalonia politically and slows its economy.

Three serious crises.

In the long term the most serious crisis is the one that could affect the very existence of Catalonia as a nation. The other two will end up being overcome as they will be overcome in all of Europe. Although at the end of the tunnel it could be that our economy and our social safety net are weakened.

Therefore, in times like this we have to see what we have to overcome the situation. Despite the worrisome tone of the editorials, we keep insisting that we have assets that when well used, can enable us to get out of this crisis. On the other hand, what is sometimes said, among these important assets is a good part of our youth. It is true that there are young people who are afraid and not very willing to make the effort and have the patience that youth always needed. But also, there are many young people better prepared than ever and part of them very ready to collaborate in moving the country forward. .
In our editorial of 10 March 2006 we published an editorial that makes more sense today than ever. It is entitled, “A New Youth is Emerging. We quoted from an anecdote: a well trained young man with experience that been living outside of Catalonia decided to return to Catalonia along several others. “Because we believe in Catalonia", they said
In 2006 the social and economic situation was good –at least outwardly-, and indeed we had entered into what was later called the Roller Coaster stage. Catalonia’s political and national situation was better than now. But these young people were very discerning and even their optimism sounded a harsh warning. They said, “We are going through relatively easy times although difficult times lie ahead. The more the country sleeps and the politicians become distracted, the more difficult these will be.”

Indeed it must have happened that the country slept and the politicians became distracted.
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Three crises... and change.
In many respects there is change. Everyone says that the economic model should be changed and measures taken to save the Welfare State.
Everyone talks about it, everyone says it is so but it is not so clear that everyone thinks about it in a resolute and responsible way. On the other hand because of necessity and honesty it is urgent that this should be done. We will see to it in whatever way we can.

As to the political crisis, it cannot be said that it results from politicians. Clearly, it is partly the responsibility of the politicians but not only the politicians. It is also the problem of the communication media and society's attitude in general. And as to Catalan politics, we have to bear in mind that our politicians run into particularly serious difficulties - from within as well as from without.
Nevertheless, the political class undeniably shares the main share of responsibility.
It should be emphasized that the crisis of Catalonia as a nation is the most dangerous in the sense that its effects could be less reversible than the other two and because we are a special case.

We cannot count on external aid or that there will again be general positive development. The economy of the world, Europe and Spain and even Catalonia will straightened out and the Welfare State will not be abolished. Among other reasons because in one way or another there are many people involved in it and who use it. Nobody goes against it. But in Catalonia, President Companys said in 1939, we only have ourselves as defenders and on the other side there is a desire to start weakening and pushing aside a good part of Catalonia.

Three crises... and change. Which change?

In the case of the economic and social crisis, we have already said: confront it seriously by making use of what everyone knows has to be done. In the case of the Catalan crisis, those young people from 2006 already had put forward a response. They said: "Many of us have come back because we believe in Catalonia". From that time forward they have worked hard and well. There are more young people like this than it appears and they are part of this change that we will need to overcome the most dangerous crisis of all, the crisis of the nation.

But we will have to keep talking about it.