Despite the peace and prosperity brought about by the EU, it continues to be seen as remote and antidemocratic. How can this be fixed ? One possibility is the creation of a Commissioner for Happiness.
After threatening to declare independence, Carles Puigdemont has stepped back from the brink. But that has caused confusion.
Spanish National Police block people trying to reach a polling station in Barcelona, Spain, on Oct. 1. Catalan leaders accused Spanish police of brutality and repression.
AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
The European Union is quick to condemn countries like Venezuela and Turkey when they engage in anti-democratic tactics. So why is it so silent on Spain’s treatment of the Catalan?
Decentralisation, advanced training, civilian control, feminisation, unionisation and cultural change: the Spanish police are not a remnant of the Franco years
For some, Spain’s crackdown on the Catalonian independence vote has raised the specter of the country’s authoritarian past.
Reuters/Susana Vera
Why did the Spanish state forcefully quash Catalonia’s referendum for independence? It is rooted in the country’s nearly 40-year dictatorship and its transition to democracy.
Catalans protest the Spanish government crackdown after voting for independence.
Reuters/Yves Herman
People raise hands during a protest as Catalan regional police officers stand guard outside the
National Police station in Barcelona.
Reuters/Yves Herman
Both regions have held independence referendums that have returned overwhelming “yes” votes. But without international support, the road ahead will be a tough one.