Catalonia votes on independence from Spain
Adeu España.Hola Catalunya
By Sarah Rainsford
BBC News, Catalonia
Many people have already cast an early ballot in the town of Vic
This weekend, 700,000 people in Catalonia are eligible to vote in the
region's first ever referendum on independence from Spain.
Organised by activists and volunteers, the vote is not officially
binding but it is taking place at a tense time in relations with
Madrid.
Supporters hope it is the first step towards a formal ballot for a
separate state.
Deep in the nationalist heartland of Catalonia, campaigners have been
drumming up support for the vote.
In the medieval town of Vic, hundreds of residents have already cast
an early ballot at a tent in a corner of the main square.
Many say the autonomy Catalonia already has is not enough, and they
are voting "Yes" to independence.
"More and more people think we have no room in the Spanish house, so
we need a house of our own," organiser Alfons Lopez Tema says.
"[The Spanish] don't want us, they don't love us, they don't give us
what we want. So the best thing is to vote and decide."
'Subversive'
Almost 170 Catalan towns and villages are holding ballots, staffed by
thousands of volunteers.
Some hope the ballot will lead towards a formal independence vote
Vic has traditionally favoured independence but the vote will be a
first indication of whether views here are spreading.
The referendum has been the topic of daily debate on local radio.
Speaking Catalan on air was forbidden as subversive during General
Franco's dictatorship.
Today, it is an official language, used in schools and government, and
Catalonia itself has broad autonomy.
But three years ago, people across Catalonia voted for more. They
approved a new statute - the law that sets out the relationship
between Catalonia and the Spanish state - which defined this part of
eastern Spain as a distinct nation.
It gave more jurisdiction to the local authorities and what many
believe is a fairer share of the revenue collected.
For the moderate-minded majority of Catalans, that was enough.
The law was approved in a referendum, passed by the Catalan and
Spanish parliaments and signed by the king.
People are disillusioned by what's happened
Vic Radio presenter Joan Turro
But Spain's main opposition party is contesting the statute in the
Constitutional Court and many Catalans fear key provisions of the law
will soon be overturned.
"People are disillusioned by what's happened. They're fed up. That's
why so many are involved in organising this vote," Vic Radio presenter
Joan Turro explains during a break in the schedule.
"People here in the interior of Catalonia have always wanted
independence. We want this vote to show that it's not just us now."
Many people in Catalonia say they feel different from the rest of
Spain, with their own distinct language, culture and history.
Sunday's referendum will test how far that feeling translates into
actual support for a separate state.
Economic help
But frustrations about the relationship with Madrid are as much about
money as identity.
Home to some 7m people, Catalonia is a prosperous place.
Some farmers believe breaking away from Spain will help the local
economy
The pretty cobbled streets of medieval Vic are lined with boutiques
and alluring delicatessens - industry and agriculture are both strong
here.
But many complain that too much of that local wealth is drained away
subsidising poorer parts of Spain and the return investment from
Madrid is minimal.
A key provision of the new statute adjusted the balance but the
improved system has not been implemented yet.
One pig farmer told me he believed breaking away from Spain would help
the local economy.
"If you add everything up, we support the rest of Spain and they don't
support us," he said, though like many people he struggled to name
anything specific Catalonia has missed out on.
National identity
The Catalan government agrees that the balance of payments to Madrid
was deeply unjust.
But Finance Minister Antoni Castells says that the new statute does
correct that, adding more than 2 billion euros to the local budget
this year.
The Catalan government will be watching to see how high turnout is
He points out that only one in five Catalans usually express support
for independence.
Still, he says, the fight over the statute has frustrated many and
left "a strong feeling of disappointment".
For the minister, the thing to watch at this weekend's unofficial
referendum is the turnout.
"If it's high, that suggests an increased number of people think the
relationship between Catalonia and Spain should be reconsidered, that
too many things are not going in a good way and that a lot of people
think Spain is not respecting our self-government and our national
identity," Mr Castells explains.
Catalans are certainly passionate about their identity.
Back in a smoky bar in Vic, most of the young crowd watching a
Barcelona football match on TV have draped themselves in yellow and
red Catalan flags.
Their songs in Catalan are a mixture of swearing at Spain and their
own national anthem. There is a map of Catalonia on the wall, with the
rest of Spain blanked out.
Most voters in this town will clearly say "Yes" to independence.
What will be interesting is to see how many more moderate Catalans now
share their passion.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8409767.stm