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| The shape of modern Spain is being questioned | The shape of modern Spain is being questioned |
| (6 months later) | |
| As work crews on Wednesday cleared the debris left behind by violent clashes between police and protesters outside las Cortes, the parliament building in Madrid, Spain's long-running crisis had definitively spilled beyond everyday politics and economics. | As work crews on Wednesday cleared the debris left behind by violent clashes between police and protesters outside las Cortes, the parliament building in Madrid, Spain's long-running crisis had definitively spilled beyond everyday politics and economics. |
| Tuesday night's violence reflected a first radicalisation of protest in a country whose peaceful and plentiful indignados were the inspiration for Occupy movements from Wall Street to the City of London. Key indignado groups, indeed, had refused to back the demonstration. | Tuesday night's violence reflected a first radicalisation of protest in a country whose peaceful and plentiful indignados were the inspiration for Occupy movements from Wall Street to the City of London. Key indignado groups, indeed, had refused to back the demonstration. |
| But the violence, which saw 64 people injured, also showed a hardening of government policy towards protest since the election of a conservative, reformist party headed by prime minister Mariano Rajoy at the end of last year. | But the violence, which saw 64 people injured, also showed a hardening of government policy towards protest since the election of a conservative, reformist party headed by prime minister Mariano Rajoy at the end of last year. |
| Even before the march, government officials had loudly claimed that protesters were troublemakers from both the left and the right. | Even before the march, government officials had loudly claimed that protesters were troublemakers from both the left and the right. |
| Perhaps that is why riot police felt they could hide their identity badges – a move that protesters say proves they feel themselves to be above the law. A startling example of police culture came in a tweet from José Manuel Sánchez of the Unified Police Union (SUP). "We support them not wearing badges for violent demonstrators," he said during the demonstration. "Give it to them hard." Television pictures of baton charges and rubber bullets suggest they did exactly that. | Perhaps that is why riot police felt they could hide their identity badges – a move that protesters say proves they feel themselves to be above the law. A startling example of police culture came in a tweet from José Manuel Sánchez of the Unified Police Union (SUP). "We support them not wearing badges for violent demonstrators," he said during the demonstration. "Give it to them hard." Television pictures of baton charges and rubber bullets suggest they did exactly that. |
| Organisers had said the attempt to ring the parliament building would be peaceful, but they also clearly expected arrests. Authorities said on Wednesday they had found 260kg of rocks that had been hurled at police – not indignado behaviour. | Organisers had said the attempt to ring the parliament building would be peaceful, but they also clearly expected arrests. Authorities said on Wednesday they had found 260kg of rocks that had been hurled at police – not indignado behaviour. |
| Opposition politicians warned the protest could not be ignored. "The country is slipping out of the government's hands," the socialist opposition leader Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba said. "After yesterday's demonstration it would be a mistake for politicians to talk only about public order." | Opposition politicians warned the protest could not be ignored. "The country is slipping out of the government's hands," the socialist opposition leader Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba said. "After yesterday's demonstration it would be a mistake for politicians to talk only about public order." |
| But while events in Madrid caught headlines, the settlement between Spaniards that has allowed them to enjoy almost four decades of democracy since the 1975 death of dictator General Francisco Franco was crumbling in a more serious fashion elsewhere. | But while events in Madrid caught headlines, the settlement between Spaniards that has allowed them to enjoy almost four decades of democracy since the 1975 death of dictator General Francisco Franco was crumbling in a more serious fashion elsewhere. |
| In Barcelona it was legislators, not demonstrators, who were challenging the post-Franco settlement. Artur Mas, leader of the Catalan regional government called early elections for 25 November as politicians of all colours adapted to a game-changing demonstration for independence that brought hundreds of thousands of Catalans onto the city's streets earlier this month. | In Barcelona it was legislators, not demonstrators, who were challenging the post-Franco settlement. Artur Mas, leader of the Catalan regional government called early elections for 25 November as politicians of all colours adapted to a game-changing demonstration for independence that brought hundreds of thousands of Catalans onto the city's streets earlier this month. |
| Mas has called for Catalonia to have its own state. The upcoming elections will be seen as a plebiscite on that, however much his nationalist Convergence and Union coalition wraps itself in euphemisms and refuses to actually use the word "independence". Once let out of its cage, the independence tiger may now prove impossible to put back – with polls showing a slim majority now in favour. | Mas has called for Catalonia to have its own state. The upcoming elections will be seen as a plebiscite on that, however much his nationalist Convergence and Union coalition wraps itself in euphemisms and refuses to actually use the word "independence". Once let out of its cage, the independence tiger may now prove impossible to put back – with polls showing a slim majority now in favour. |
| A sign of how serious the debate is was the reappearance of Spanish monarch King Juan Carlos in the political terrain. The man widely seen as the chief facilitator of modern Spanish democracy warned Catalan separatists against chasing "chimeras". | A sign of how serious the debate is was the reappearance of Spanish monarch King Juan Carlos in the political terrain. The man widely seen as the chief facilitator of modern Spanish democracy warned Catalan separatists against chasing "chimeras". |
| Angry voices on the far right make more frightening noises, reminding Spaniards that the constitution calls on the army to protect the integrity of Spain – and recalling a 1934 state of war declared by the republican government after a previous sovereignty grab by Catalans. | Angry voices on the far right make more frightening noises, reminding Spaniards that the constitution calls on the army to protect the integrity of Spain – and recalling a 1934 state of war declared by the republican government after a previous sovereignty grab by Catalans. |
| Rajoy, meanwhile, has to worry about Spain's recession-hit economy as it struggles with 25% unemployment. Further deterioration, worsened by government spending cuts, will see the economy shrink 3% over two years. But Spain's deficit, of nearly 9% last year, needs to be reduced as borrowing eats up ever-larger parts of the budget. | Rajoy, meanwhile, has to worry about Spain's recession-hit economy as it struggles with 25% unemployment. Further deterioration, worsened by government spending cuts, will see the economy shrink 3% over two years. But Spain's deficit, of nearly 9% last year, needs to be reduced as borrowing eats up ever-larger parts of the budget. |
| On Thursday his government will present yet another austerity budget, this time for 2013, together with a reform package designed to prepare Spain for a probable bailout by fellow eurozone countries. On Friday a report will reveal the size of the hole blown in Spain's banks by a housing bubble which left them awash with toxic real estate loans. | On Thursday his government will present yet another austerity budget, this time for 2013, together with a reform package designed to prepare Spain for a probable bailout by fellow eurozone countries. On Friday a report will reveal the size of the hole blown in Spain's banks by a housing bubble which left them awash with toxic real estate loans. |
| As the interest rates that markets demand for lending Spain money jumped again on Wednesday, perhaps egged on by Tuesday's violence, a bailout looked ever more necessary. | As the interest rates that markets demand for lending Spain money jumped again on Wednesday, perhaps egged on by Tuesday's violence, a bailout looked ever more necessary. |
| While Rajoy is expected to turn to Europe for help, Catalan nationalists also want Europe to ease them into a new relationship with Spain that could include anything from full independence within the European Union to a new federal or bilateral arrangement. | While Rajoy is expected to turn to Europe for help, Catalan nationalists also want Europe to ease them into a new relationship with Spain that could include anything from full independence within the European Union to a new federal or bilateral arrangement. |
| The basic shape of modern Spain is being questioned just as membership of the euro prevents the country sorting out its problems alone. Yet Spaniards of all kinds, including Catalans, see Europe as their saviour. | The basic shape of modern Spain is being questioned just as membership of the euro prevents the country sorting out its problems alone. Yet Spaniards of all kinds, including Catalans, see Europe as their saviour. |
| EU leaders may want to take that into account when deciding how harsh bailout conditions must be for the continent's most ardently euro-enthusiastic country. | EU leaders may want to take that into account when deciding how harsh bailout conditions must be for the continent's most ardently euro-enthusiastic country. |
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