Nobody expected that passing the referendum bill would be a mere formality, but Wednesday’s session in parliament, with the opposition filibustering and the majority struggling to give the debate the pace they had hoped for, was hardly the best way to present to the world the desire of a majority in Catalonia to vote on their nation’s relationship with Spain.
Those who wish to build a better country should have secured a better process in parliament. Nevertheless, we mustn’t allow ourselves to be impressed by the gnashing of teeth coming from the groups that have always refused to debate the referendum, nor by Spain’s deputy PM —who cried outrage over the way events panned out in Barcelona. Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría is the recognisable face of a State that has sent police officers to watch her political opponents, has used the Constitutional Court for partisan ends, has fined political leaders over a non-binding consultation, and has scorned millions of Catalans who only wish to have a say, peacefully.
