Passion for some Catalonia – The World

witnessing today to the political death, or induced by the unbearable pressure of events, a man who was seen for decades as a mainstay of the Spanish democracy, and suicide in recent years, as the bastion of independence now threatens democracy itself.

Jordi Pujol that as of yesterday afternoon, it will not be seen with the same eyes of public opinion in our country, is a man who from his early youth was oriented towards political action, always focused on the recovery of the defense of Catalan identity and the demand for the recognition of the political and historical specificity of Catalonia within Spain. In 1958, at 28, he wrote and secretly distributed a paper entitled “Poble Fer, fer Catalunya” in talking about how exterior interference had prevented Catalan Catalonia life might have been argued harmoniously in all planos.Por that reason the young Pujol proposes to take action and develop a systematic plan of Catalan construction. To this has dedicated his life.

His political activism in defense of Catalan identity led him to prison in 1960 for having promoted the assistant to a tribute concert to poet Joan Maragall, public get up in the middle of the act and intoned the Cant the Senyera, hymn whose lyrics were composed by the poet. Sentenced to seven years in prison, turned two. But during the time that remains in prison begin to appear on the walls of the streets of Barcelona abundant painted with this text “Pujol-Catalunya ‘. A phenomenon that increases with age so began: the inclination to identify the person of Jordi Pujol to the very existence of Catalonia.

In 1974, when the end of the Franco regime and looked around, Pujol created a political party, Democratic Convergence of Catalonia. From his position as general secretary of the party has a decisive role in the negotiations and the agreements reached during the years of the transition. Held the first free elections, Pujol Assembly participates in the Catalan parliament which is immediately after with the intent to prepare a draft statute of autonomy for Catalonia and prepare the return of the Generalitat, Adolfo Suárez finally pact with JosepTarradellas. In October 1978, the Constitution was passed by Congress with the favorable votes of the Catalan parliament, except the Deputy ERC. Approved the Statute and held the first regional elections, the coalition CiU wins the elections and Pujol begins a long period of 23 years at the helm of the destinations of Catalonia, his great passion.

During her first term, negotiated tirelessly with the government transfers marked in the statute. The politics of education in Catalan is of utmost importance for the new regional government and the keystone in the new policy of President Pujol.

practiced a fierce opposition to the agreement reached between President Calvo-Sotelo and the PSOE leader Felipe González to channel and harmonize the regional process that resulted in the LOAPA, a law was declared partially finely contrary to the Constitution by The Tribunal Constitutional. Pujol underpinned the government of Felipe González budgets by voting when the socialist leader lost its absolute majority, but always getting counterparts on statutory transfers or assignments of even powers of state ownership.

But his greatest success in this field was won in 1996 when the PP won the elections with a very narrow majority, forcing José María Aznar to reach agreements with the Catalan and Basque nationalists. After two months of negotiations, Pujol is committed to supporting the investiture of Aznar and assumes a pact for the entire legislature. In return, you get a new system of regional financing that involves the transfer to the regions of 30% of income tax and regulatory capacity on some taxes.

But not only that. In addition, the PP accepts the removal of governors; the transfer of powers to traffic Mossos d’Esquadra; the transfer of responsibilities for the ports of Barcelona and Tarragona, and in an unwritten pact but only verbal, but faithfully performed, supporting programs of the Government of “linguistic normalization” of Catalan.

initially opposed the project of a new Statute for Catalonia, was then added to support him fiercely against the judgment of the Constitutional challenge to the independence and then taken over by his successor, Artur Mas. His passion for some Catalonia ended overflowing of rivers. And besides, he committed suicide.