catalan way

International tourism keeps growing in Catalonia. The money that each international visitor spends in Catalonia increased by 4.9% in the first 9 months of 2013 and reached €905 per person on average. Furthermore, between January and September, foreigners visiting Catalonia spent 11.9% more than they did in the same period of 2012. According to data released by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, Catalonia has been the main destination in Spain measured by total spending volume during the first 9 months of the year. It is followed by the Balearic Islands, which registered revenue of €9.59 billion (7.5% more than 2012 figures). Valencia (also called Valencian Country) was the fifth Autonomous Community, with €4.24 billion.

The rock star, who died on Sunday aged 71, participated in activities promoting Catalan culture and literature in the world. Lou Reed had stated on several occasions his admiration for some Catalan poets. The Velvet Underground founder worked with the Ramon Llull Institute (IRL) in two readings of Catalan Poetry in English. The first one took place in New-York in 2007 and the Punk icon Patti Smith as well as Reed’s life partner, the artist Laurie Anderson, also participated. The other was in Barcelona, in 2008, with only Lou Reed on stage. Some of the poems read were from Gabriel Ferrater, Perejaume, Enric Casasses, Maria Mercè Marçal and Miquel Martí i Pol.

At a meeting with Catalan President Artur Mas, the Spanish socialist party (PSOE) leader Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba offered support for constitutional reform in Spain, but rejected the idea of a referendum on independence. Mas said that the legal framework cannot be used to “abort” the plans for an independence referendum. He added that it is an “enormous” mistake to think that. Rubalcaba said that the constitutional reform offer is an alternative “to a vote for separation”.

In Catalonia, the unemployment rate decreased by 32,500 people to reach 22.84%. The Spanish Labour Force Survey has recorded two consecutive semesters of decrease in the unemployment figures after new highs had been reached in early 2013. Catalonia is currently leading the country in terms of unemployment reduction: on the Spanish Scale, the latest figures indicate a drop in 72,800 people while the rate is set at 25.98%.

In an interview with CNA, former United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore explained he saw no reason why the European Union would exclude any new state. However, David Cameron’s Minister highlighted that “it is for states and parts of states to resolve themselves politically and then the international community to respond to that decision”. The Liberal-Democrat politician added that it “is fundamental” to “recognise that this is a decision for the people in that country itself”. Moore asserted his belief in International Politics and in Democracy by referring to the upcoming Scottish Referendum for Independence.

The Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, and the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, shook hands at the entrance of the Economic Forum of the Western Mediterranean. Mas wanted to welcome all the event’s participants since the forum is held in a Catalan Government building and is co-organised by the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed), which is mostly funded by the Catalan Executive. However, in protest against the Spanish Government’s veto to authorise him to deliver a short welcoming speech, Mas did not stay to listen to Rajoy’s opening speech. Later today, in the Catalan Parliament’s government control session, Mas stated that “there are no protocol problems, but protocol impositions that generate problems”.

The Catalan Government approves a decree to transform the Catalan Institute of Finance (ICF) into a publicly-owned bank to support business and particularly SMEs. With this change, the Catalan Executive’saim is “to strengthen the ICF’s role as a tool to support business and the productive economy”, as the Government’s Spokesperson, Francesc Homs, told the press on Tuesday. The measure is part of the Parliamentary Stability Agreement signed between the Left-Wing Catalan Independence Party (ERC) and the governing Centre-Right Catalan Nationalism Coalition (CiU).

The Catalan Government’s Ramon Margalef Prize was awarded to American oceanographer Sallie Watson for her research on marine biology. The President of the Catalan Executive, Artur Mas, praised the scientist for her discoveries, stating Watson was “the “most productive, charismatic and active searcher in the field of biologic oceanography and marine ecology”. Mas also underlined Catalonia’s growing influence on the international scientific stage, by stating that even though “it was a small country” Catalonia had transformed into an “international scientific centre of high calibre”.

The tension between the Spanish and the Catalan Executives is increasing. The Spanish Government refused to allow the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, to deliver a short welcoming speech to the participants of the First Economic Forum of the Western Mediterranean. This event will take place in Barcelona on Wednesday, within the headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean Secretariat (UFM), a building owned by the Catalan Government. It will bring together 10 Ministers of Foreign Affairs and it will be part of the 5+5 Dialogue, which is formed by 5 EU Member States and 5 North African countries. The Spanish PM, Mariano Rajoy, will chair the meeting and he only allowed Mas to come as a part of his delegation, Mas will be permitted to join the meeting but not to speak. In similar meetings, presidents of other Spanish Autonomous Communities, including Catalonia, have been allowed to address participants.

Graham Watson, one of the leaders of Liberal Group at the European Parliament emphasised that “the EU has to be a sufficiently strong but sufficiently flexible entity to allow people to express themselves within it”. This “may mean some changes to boundaries; but we are democrats and if that is what the majority wants then that is what must happen” added the leader of the third largest group at the Strasbourg Parliament. According to Watson, the debate about Catalonia or Scotland’s possible independence “is a very important issue for the European Union”. The British politician sent a clear message to Spain: “This is not a period of kings and nation-states, it’s a period of people working together through their democratically-expressed will and that should be as clear to a Castilian as to anyone else”.

Researchers of Barcelona-based Vall d’Hebron Hospital and Research Institute discovered some of the main causes of the Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, which were unknown before today. Vall d’Hebron’s study showed that a continuous exposure to feather pillows and duvets was one of the main causes of this illness as it favours the scarring of lung tissue. This disease provokes a progressive decline of lung function and leads to asphyxia because of the deterioration of the organ’s tissue. The study has been able to trace the diseases’ causes in half of the studied cases. Besides feather pillows and duvets, the persistent exposure to fungus and close contact with birds can also trigger the illness. The Catalan research allows for a new approach to the illness’ prevention and its diagnosis in the early stages. It also represents a completely new approach to this pathology in terms of treatment.

The 46^th edition of the International Festival of Fantastic Film of Catalonia ended on 20^th of October in Sitges (Greater Barcelona) on a very successful note. Ticket sales and public interest reached new highs while supernatural thriller Borgman was awarded ‘Best Film’. Fan favourite Charles Dance received ‘Time Machine Award’, Israeli directors Aharon and Navot Papushado Keshales won ‘Best Director’ and British actress Juno Temple and Chinese actor Andy Lau were also distinguished.

The Plague (‘La Plaga’), directed by Neús Ballús, is one of the 5 nominees in the ‘European Discovery’ category of the European Film Awards. In an exclusive interview with the Catalan News Agency from the BFI London Film Festival – in which Ballús is participating – , the film-maker explained that her movie’s nomination was totally “unexpected”. Ballús is very “impressed” by this decision, which she considers is “a recognition of movies made in a smaller and more humble dimension”.  She stressed that many Catalan movies have this dimension, which also gives them greater freedom to experiment.

The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas is the most senior public figure in Catalonia, just after the King of Spain and the Spanish Prime Minister. However, at Thursday’s scheduled dinner with the main Catalan business association ‘Foment’ and the Spanish Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, a last-minute change in the protocol put Mas in second place. The Catalan President considered that “conditions had changed” and as a protest he announced he was not going to the dinner. Instead, the Catalan Minister for Business and Employment was representing him. ‘Foment’ has been ambivalent regarding Catalonia’s self-determination process, although it supports the claim for finding a negotiated way out of the current political situation by organising a legal referendum.

The Spanish Government has sent a Budget Plan to the European Commission, following the new rules giving Brussels greater control on Member State finances. The plan’s scope includes all government levels in Spain. In the plan, the Spanish Government imposes a global budget adjustment of €8 billion on the Autonomous Community governments, including Catalonia’s, to be achieved within the next two years. €2.14 billion would come from increasing revenue next year, since Madrid considers that the Autonomous Communities can still increase their own taxes, particularly those linked to the environment. €1.93 billion would come from further budget cuts. This would total €4.07 billion in 2014, which would roughly be repeated in 2015.