'El País', the taboo of Ceuta... and that of Catalonia

My naive hopes of finding fresh topics upon returning from vacation collide with the harsh reality of stagnant politics. Ceuta and Melilla continue to dominate the conversation. But there are interesting movements. El País has published a column by the Franco-Moroccan writer Tahar Ben Jelloun in which he argues that returning the two autonomous cities would be “a historical and realistic gesture” on the part of Spain, which would thus resolve “a colonization that no longer makes sense”. Not all the thunderbolts of Zeus can be compared to the avalanche of criticism received by the newspaper for publishing this opinion. The issue is so taboo that merely considering it already merits being sent straight to the stake.

Two considerations. Every media outlet has the right to propose the framework of what is debatable—of course—while assuming that the public may react accordingly. But it is funny that El País is now taking this step: during the Process, the newspaper considered that the idea of a Catalonia legitimized to decide its own political future fell outside the perimeter of what could be thought or discussed. Several columnists ended up burned or running for the hills. Why does it now dare to take up a proposition that hits squarely on the sacrosanct territorial integrity? The second reflection is prompted by various messages on social media: one invokes the Penal Code so that proceedings are opened against the newspaper. Another asks directly for the Civil Guard to intervene. Some wise guys invoke the metaphorical Overton window—the range of ideas acceptable to society—to say that El País is introducing the implosion of Spain into the collective consciousness. It is ironic that they are not aware that they have ripped off the shutters, the lintels, the doorframes, and even the hinges of the poor window when they demand the irruption of the tricorns if unpatriotic opinions are published. Nostalgics of the "¡se sienten, coño!" are living their heyday these months.