During the political debate surrounding a possible amnesty law, things have been said that highlight polarized positions that even try to ignore history itself. It is legitimate to disagree; it has every reason to be in favor or against the subject being debated, but this position does not justify stating that “this thing about Catalonia as a nation” is an invention. Catalonia, amnesties aside, deserves more respect.
First of all, we must not forget that what is called “the fit” of Catalonia in the reality of Spain is a question that has been talked about for two long centuries. Spanish politics has debated this problem over many, many years with various presentations. The problem is not new and, therefore, for a problem that has been going on for more than two hundred years, it should be recognized that it is not an invented problem. Right or wrong, with different claims, it should be accepted, at the very least, that it is indeed a problem. It is not an invention or a runaway fad. It is a problem that should be solved and help to be solved.
Is Catalonia a nation or not? For some it will be, for others not. But, since the 1978 Constitution, this is an issue that should not be the focus of the debate. The Constitution explicitly recognized the national reality of several integral territories of the Spanish reality. From the podium of the Congress of Deputies, representatives of well-differentiated ideologies have spoken about the multi-national reality of Spain, even invoking the doctrine of Anselmo Carretero, who defined Spain as a nation of nations.
It will be opinionable or not; it will be answered or accepted, but Catalonia as a nation is not an invention as some pretend or an attack on the Constitution.
Just as the National Theater of Catalonia, the National Museum of Catalonia, and the National Library of Catalonia are not, all of them institutions with an organic presence of the State in their government. To discuss the amnesty there is no need to belittle Catalonia or minimize what the Constitution of 1978 wanted to set in motion.
It would be good to remember that, from positions anchored in the most absolute fidelity to the history of political Catalanism, constitutional consensus has become possible; governments of a different sign (UCD, PP, PSOE) have been facilitated with more loyalty than the manifesto of their own parties. And this behavior was at the service of the values ??of democracy and progress. All this is also Catalonia which wants to live the shared project from its feeling as a nation.
Constitutional values ??do not shield polarization as a denial of essential dialogue. Living together may not be easy; but to make it impossible is not to respect democracy. Now, the moment is difficult. But this compels us more to make respect for difference a requirement of democratic behavior and attitude. It is necessary to discuss, it is necessary to debate; consensus will not always be possible, but the will to achieve it is essential. And on this path there is no need to ignore history or to underestimate the feelings of those who experience the extent of the problem first hand.
Catalonia and its identity cannot be mistreated as a result of unshared conjunctural expressions. The discrepancy must be focused on the approach taken, not on the substance of the problem. Catalonia does not deserve it. You must try to solve the problem; don’t aggravate it. We are not talking about an invention.
