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The Catalan Finance Minister, Andreu Mas-Colell, sees the appeal as “a sabotage of Catalonia’s public finances” with the objective of making the deficit targets harder to reach and then greater control mechanisms can be enforced from Madrid. If the Constitutional Court accepts the Spanish Government’s appeal, the drug prescription and judicial fees approved by the Catalan Executive will be stopped. Mas-Colell explained that this would represent a loss of €140 million per year. The Spanish Executive justifies the appeal because Catalan citizens would have to pay more than those in other parts of Spain. For Mas-Colell, this justification is “sarcastic” and “populist” as it is decided by the same government that “has not increased pensions”.

The Argentinean and the Colombian, who face each other at the Camp Nou on Sunday at the FC Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid game, are unquestionably the top two strikers in the Spanish League. The two lead the goalscoring table in La Liga with 23 and 16 after just 15 games – figures that reveal how important their goals have been for their two teams this campaign.

In Cordoba, yet another brace from Messi has put the Spanish Cup quarter finals well within reach for FC Barcelona. It was a wonderful all-round performance for Barça at the Nuevo Arcángel in the Copa del Rey round of 16. Barça they will still have to make sure of qualification when the sides meet again at the Camp Nou on January 10.

The parties supporting the current school model, representing 80% of the new Catalan Parliament, and Catalonia’s School Council – with all the stakeholders – have met to decide upon a consensual answer to the Spanish Government’s Education Reform relegating the Catalan language and centralising competence. The meeting ended with a consensual decision to stick to the current Catalan Education Law if the Spanish Executive does not change the spirit of its reform and continues to insist on breaking up the school model that has been in place for more than 30 years. Cancelling the linguistic immersion model would mean splitting Catalan society into two language communities, which is absolutely not acceptable to the wide majority of Catalans. The current model has been validated twice by the Spanish Constitutional Court and is based on Catalonia’s Statute of Autonomy which was approved via referendum.

The Barça boss has admitted that he would rather be playing a First Division team in the round of 16 of the Spanish Cup, because Córdoba will be trying especially hard to spring a surprise. Vilanova said he left Iniesta out “because I’d prefer him to be fresh against Atlético considering that Cesc is injured”.

At the end of October, the Catalan Government had a 1.17% deficit, representing a difference of €2.34 billion between revenue and spending. It is a significant reduction compared to last September, when the deficit reached 1.26% of the Catalan GDP. Furthermore, it also represents a 23% reduction compared to the first ten months of 2011, when there was a €3.05 billion deficit. The improvement is mostly due to an increase in revenue. By the end of 2012, the Catalan Government is obliged to meet a 1.5% deficit target.

More than 60 demonstrations have taken place to protest against the new law announced by the Spanish Education Minister, José Ignacio Wert. The demonstrators consider it to be “an attack” against the Catalan language, as it would no longer be a ‘core subject’ and pupils could end their schooling period without taking a single Catalan language exam. Furthermore, it would end the current linguistic immersion model, which has been in place for the last 30 years and ensures that all children end their studies knowing both Spanish and Catalan. Almost the entire Catalan political class and civil society is against Wert’s reform, as well as public figures in the rest of Spain, such as the Rector of the Madrid Complutense University. The current model guarantees social cohesion and equal opportunities. It has been praised by international organisations and has been validated twice by the Spanish Constitutional Court.

The Spanish League leaders get their eighth straight win on the road and in all their 14th of the season. Messi put Barça ahead with two early goals to beat Müller’s record. Betis pulled a goal back before the break and hit the post three times in the second half. Messi and Jordi Alba also hit the wood work.

Catalonia won’t be able to meet its deficit targets without imposing cuts with “serious consequences” on the welfare state, said the Catalan President on Monday. Artur Mas explained in Parliament that the Spanish Government is forcing him to implement austerity cuts that are “impossible to meet without seriously affecting some basic elements of the welfare state”. Mas added that his government has been making a “very important” effort to reduce spending but blamed Madrid for “suffocating” the autonomous communities and local administrations by imposing very difficult deficit targets on them.

Goals from Adriano and Villa (2) won Barça a convincing victory despite Alavés scoring first. It meant a 6-1 win on aggregate, sending FC Barcelona into the round of sixteen, where they will face second division Cordoba.

From the next summer season, the Irish low-cost airline will cancel 4 routes from Barcelona Airport and reduce the frequency of 20 others due to the increase in airport taxes imposed by the Spanish Government. This decision means that 170 fewer flights will operate through the Catalan airport per week. In addition, the number of passengers transported per year by Ryanair will also be reduced, dropping from 5.4 million to 4.2 million. Furthermore, it will mean the direct loss of 1,200 jobs at Barcelona El Prat Airport, according to the airline. Ryanair will also cancel routes from Madrid Barajas and it will eliminate the flight linking the Spanish capital to Girona airport.

Barça host Alavés in the Round of 32 return leg of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday (21:30 CET). Barça claimed a 0-3 victory in the away leg. Tito Vilanova, who will rest five key first team players, has named five Barça B men to the side.

Barça won their eleventh game of the twelve Spanish League games this season, beating Zaragoza 3-1 with two goals from Messi and Song’s first for the team. This means that Tito Vilanova’s men have taken 34 of the first 36 points in play in La Liga. Barça finished the game with ten home grown players on the pitch.

Barça made it ten wins from the first eleven Spanish League games on Sunday, beating a Mallorca team who fought back after conceding three goals in the first half. Xavi, Tello and Messi(2) got the FC Barcelona goals, with the Argentinean breaking yet another record. With 76 goals in 2012, Messi beat Pele’s record for a calendar year from 1958.

The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, held a debate in Brussels, at an event organised by the think tank Friends of Europe. Mas praised Catalonia’s European and democratic traditions. He talked about the self-determination process he is leading, which will be “scrupulously democratic”, “absolutely peaceful”, “demonstrably transparent”, “with an ample majority” and “within the framework of the European Union”. “What I want for Catalonia is for it to be its own State that must, necessarily, share interdependencies within a more united and stronger Europe”, he stated. If Catalonia could not remain in the EU, he would still ask the Catalan people about their future, “as it is the most important thing”. The opposition parties criticised Mas’ trip before the start of the electoral campaign.