How young people are spearheading the Catalan independence movement

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The Spanish region of Catalonia is set to hold a referendum on independence on October 1st. Catalan leaders are pushing ahead with the vote in defiance of a ban by the central government in Madrid. In Barcelona, young people are among the staunchest pro-independence supporters and have launched a passionate campaign for their separatist movement known as the "smile revolution". From fiestas to flash mob demonstrations, our correspondents followed them on the campaign trail.
A programme prepared by Yong Chim and Florence Viala

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[TheReactor]

How stupid and uninformed some people can be, maybe blinded in their disgust of the EU.

1) There is no majority amongst the Catalan people for indepence.
* Opinion polls before the illegal referendum never led to a majority and stood at 42 percent.
* The referendum (if the outcome would be correctly stated) had 36% of all voters infavour of independence.
These discions should not be decided by a 50/50 coinflip decision with an outcome that could differ from day to day. It should need 2/3 majority for a decision that holds its majority.

This and this alone should end every discussion. But stupidity can be punished even further...

2) Economic reasons are flawed.
* 16 Bn Euro would be the contribution to Spain that could be kept in Catalonia when independent. This is wrong:
a) Catalonia wont be in the EU (because Spain can and will block this).
b) This means companies will leave, young people cannot study easily in the EU.
c) Catalonia will have to build institutions that Spain and EU now service, this cost money.
d) Barcalona FC wil go broke, as ludacrous ideas of joining the French or English competition is an illusion.
e) Politics will be fiercly divided and fight as the right wants a different Catalonia then the Left, this will lead to more uncertainty. The left dream of a more social society => Companies will leave so does the wealth.
f) Spain will hit Catalonia with trade tariffs and Pension payments will stall as Catalonia would be unwilling to take their share of the national debt.

3) Moral and social reasons are flawed.
* The notion of people should be able to decide whether they should be independent or not.
This looks sympathatic and logic. But it is not:
- If there is exists Catalonians as a people then we could talk about it. But there is no such thing as Catalonian people. There is however a Catalonian SUB culture. The Basques are a people.
But then again there are a lot of different SUB cultures in Europe. Should a provence that happens to have natural recources in the ground the right of independence. Should a town have the right of independence? There is no moral ground if the reason is MONEY.
And I just mentioned it is a MONEY ILLUSION, made up by politicians.
- If there was oppression one could argue independence, but there is NOT. In the whole history Catalonia now is the most independent and free.

4) Could it be that independence would lead to a village closed for all the bad things in the world but all the benefits of a free and open society?
The world becomes either more and more connected, if you dont want that you will become a poor neglected region.

Please think twice. We got to learn to live together or perish like fools.

[chowdhurya.haider]

Go ahead Catalonians. We Bangladeshi are with you

[christopherrose]

The government in Madrid says that Catalans trying to exercise their basic human and democratic right to choose their future are UNDEMOCRATIC because it opposes the law. This is like saying that you are being violent if you don't obey a law that tells you to kill people - it is absurd, as any intelligent person can easily understand. Madrid is obviously very worried that the majority in Catalonia favours freedom from the tyranny, a tyranny they are now becoming clearly aware of if they weren't before; no self-respecting people can possibly tolerate such an appalling denial of freedom to citizens of a so-called democratic and progressive country in the twenty first century. I thought Franco was dead; obviously not.

[pascallefrancq]

Amazing analyses before the referendum.

[chowdhurya.haider]

Spain must respect the opinion of Catalonians (C.A. Haider -Dhaka, Bangladesh)

[frejap]

Does Nuria Marin Valls (the first woman being interviewed) speak Spanish or Catalan?

[me]

catalonia opens the door for other european countries to separate

[urouno]

The principle of territorial integrity constitutes a basic element of contemporary international law. This is a principle that is laid out as a limit to any secessionist pretension that rests on criteria other than those of negotiation with the state in question. By the same token, the right of peoples to self-determination, expressly recognised in the Charter of the United Nations, is only permitted in certain very specific circumstances: former colonies; peoples annexed by conquest, foreign domination or occupation and peoples oppressed by massive and flagrant violations of their human rights. The exercise of these rights must be done in accordance with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and the other principles of international law that regulate the matter, including, in this regard, the principle of territorial integrity. In summary, it is a right that is not applicable to Catalonia.
Constitutions do not accept the right to secession. It is a constant in comparative constitutional law confirmed by the pronouncement of the High Courts of the countries concerned (Supreme Court of the United States, Supreme Court of Canada, among others). In the case of Spain, the Constitution is based on the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation, the common and indivisible homeland of all Spaniards, and the right to secession is not only not contemplated in our Supreme Law, the constituent legislator expressly rejected the motion put by Deputy Letamendia in the sense of expressly recognising a right to self-determination of the peoples of the state that allowed them to choose between continuing to form part of Spain or forming an independent state (265 vote against, 5 votes in favour and 11 abstentions).
A constitutional reform that entails a substantial change in the model of state must be the product of a decision taken by the Spanish people, where national sovereignty resides, and in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Constitution itself. Nobody denies the possibility of amending the Constitution: only a few nationalists and secessionists deny it, because they deny that right to the citizenry as a whole, demanding that only a few be entitled to exercise it. All citizens are entitled to participate in political affairs, not just some of them.

[paske]

we're different but I'm speaking spanish..

[DavidrKun]

Taino Indian, should have the same rights as Native American. Since our land was taken from the Spanish, then once again taken from America. What does that tell many Puerto Ricans about our status.

[ericlouclair]

No worry! Freedom is like a prague which spreads world so easily and quickly!
In hk, in Saudi Arabia, in iran, in Egypt, in syria, in catalonia, in Corsica, in bayern, in texas, in quebec, in everywhere!
Freedom!

[chowdhurya.haider]

Bangladesh achieve independence from a 9 month war. We are supporting you.
go ahead to have your own country

[quantumeseboy]

I wonder if Russia is involved in this like in most separatist movements west of its borders.

[chowdhurya.haider]

Don't fear at EU. Independence achiev your fundamental Right. ( Chowdhury Ahshanul Haider --Dhaka-Bangladesh)

[chowdhurya.haider]

Youngersters are the power n energy of a nation . All youngsters must come to road; avoid spainish government.

[chowdhurya.haider]

Don't bother what spain is doing.

[chowdhurya.haider]

Catalonian can start their own government. U have to boycott spainish

[mgtowrules]

Well it's there Future! so they have a huge say in the matter not the old Dinosaurs of the past!

[arthurlewis]

The glorious EU will not allow this. Madrid will be told they must cone down firmly against any self-determination and I suspect we will see EU sponsored violence against any people who want independence.