Funding and base instincts
Former regional minister Jaume Giró started the week in the Mornings 3Cat offered a comment on the financing agreement between the PSOE and ERC that any social democrat or lifelong liberal could endorse: "Is it a perfect agreement? No. Is it a good agreement? Yes, and we should take advantage of it." This message (directed at Junts, the party to which Giró now claims to be merely a rank-and-file member) was accompanied by a reflection on desire and reality, on what one wants and what one can achieve: in short, on what is often called "fishing on the horns," which, as Giró reminded everyone, was characteristic of Pujolism. Of Pujolism, and, in general, of the practice of governance in a democracy, a transactional art.
At first glance, it seems difficult to justify the refusal of a model that represents an objective improvement of thestatus quo (the Latin phrase that Minister Montero has included as a closing clause in the agreement). It means, the part aboutstatus quothat no community can lose resources, something that, if fulfilled, would be like the sublimation of Coffee for everyoneNot only is there more coffee, but no one can receive less than they were already getting. The model, for its part, is not a final destination: it doesn't preclude demanding a special economic agreement, nor the idea of independence. It's possible to benefit from the new model—if it's ever approved and implemented, which is another matter—and for anyone who's inclined to be an independentist to be one. That said, as Giró also mentioned, full Catalan sovereignty seems a bit distant at the moment. Not so much because of the actions of Spanish nationalism, but because of the decline (we'll call it that for the sake of mildness) of the Catalan independence movement.
Spanish nationalism is focused on other tasks: the main one being to overthrow the current government led by Pedro Sánchez (whom they accuse of being a traitor, a criminal, and illegitimate) and form a new one with the patriotic right. This very Monday, three polls commissioned by three newspapers (El País, La Razón and The SpanishThey predicted once again an electoral victory for the ultranationalist bloc formed by the PP and Vox, with a significant surge for Abascal's party at Feijóo's expense. It doesn't matter that Feijóo's lack of leadership is becoming increasingly shaky and erratic: it's well known that politics has cycles, trends, and inertia, and right now the cycle, the trend, and the inertia are benefiting the far right and the extreme right. In this situation, for the PP, justifying its opposition to the new financing model is sadly simple: they just need to tear their hair out, shouting that money is being stolen from honest Spaniards to give to the separatist coup plotters. This is repeated, for example, by the president of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens, playing the anti-Catalan xenophobia card like no other Balearic president has ever done: even more so than Bauzá. When discussing financing, the same base instincts always emerge, and the least intelligent thing to do is to respond with solemn but empty gestures.
