Visca Catalunya?

[Sporting]

The Guardian article accepts, as you seem to do, the ridiculous idea that burning bins is violence and armed thugs beating people is not.

No, I don't accept this idea.

[DCI Harry Batt]

I'm glad to see that. A concentration on the horrific violence of the paid, uniformed thugs seems the least one could expect.

[gintsr]

I was at Barcelona from 12th to 17th of october so I was lucky with flying in-and-out. During day Barcelona was another Mediterrian city, during dark it was police against hooligans. I'd say police was slow, soft and reactive - it looks like everybody knew there would be problems after announcement of that politically affected verdict except municipal police of Barcelona.

[Diable Rouge]

A busy news day on the Catalan front - firstly, Junqueras' political immunity as an MEP has been recognised by the European Court of Justice:

https://twitter.com/EUCourtPress/status/1207583208092684288

Secondly, the current Catalan President, Quim Torra, has been stripped of his office for hanging yellow ribbons on the Generalitat, so the two events in combination appear to open the window for Puigdemont's return.

[DCI Harry Batt]

And a delay, at the very least, to a parliamentary vote on investiture for the new PSOE/Podemos government.

[Lang Spoon]

Oh ffs. What's the cause?

[DCI Harry Batt]

I think those uppity Catalans have some unreasonable idea that their elected politicians should be allowed to represent them in the European Parliament, and will want to see how the Spanish state reacts to the ECJ ruling before standing back to enable the new government.

[Lang Spoon]

Fair dos. ECJ trumps National Law as well with immediate effect, no ignoring like Ireland did on abortion rulings in the ECHR.

[Diable Rouge]

Queue Vox types throwing their toys out of the pram today, and #Spexit trending.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Fair dos. ECJ trumps National Law as well with immediate effect, no ignoring like Ireland did on abortion rulings in the ECHR.

As I understand it, the ruling doesn't tell them what to do now, it just says they did wrong then.

[Lang Spoon]

Ach. A bollox fudge.

[Lang Spoon]

Queue Vox types throwing their toys out of the pram today, and #Spexit trending.

That would be hilarious. And hasten a Catalan and Basque state in no time. Good luck holding the rest together.

[Lang Spoon]

The Extredmaduran Powerhouse.

[DCI Harry Batt]

The Central Electoral Board has agreed Friday to dismiss the president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Quim Torra , from his post of regional deputy , after his non-firm sentence a year and a half of disqualification for the crime of disobedience. This decision, requested by PP, Vox and Citizens, implies the cessation of Torra as president , since the Statute of Catalonia obliges the head of the Catalan Executive to be an autonomous deputy. The agreement of the body responsible for ensuring the transparency and neutrality of electoral processes implies a shock of unpredictable consequences on the Catalan political board and on the investiture of the socialist Pedro Sánchez as president of the Government.

https://elpais.com/politica/2020/01/...98_459983.html

[Sporting]

https://elpais.com/elpais/2020/01/03...05_633743.html

[Diable Rouge]

And now Junqueras has been stripped of his mandate as an MEP by the same body:

https://www.lavanguardia.com/politic...odiputado.html

[Sporting]

So another election is looming:

https://english.elpais.com/elpais/20...62_280050.html

[DCI Harry Batt]

And Sanchez has now "postponed" talks until after that election.

[Nefertiti2]

[URL]https://twitter.com/assemblea_int/status/1222932700144832512?s=21[/URL]

[Diable Rouge]

The talks between Sanchez and Torra officially begin today - whether any common ground will be found in future sessions is entirely another matter.

[Diable Rouge]

Almost 200,000 attend a Puigdemont rally in Perpignan - about as close as is geographically possible to Catalonia without actually crossing the border.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Perpignan is in Catalonia, hence the name of their Super League team innit.

[Diable Rouge]

Well, Northern Catalonia at any rate.

[ad hoc]

Well, Northern Catalonia at any rate.

You could just say "Yes, sorry, my mistake"

[Sporting]

Let's see where this leads:

https://english.elpais.com/politics/...-immunity.html