Oh, how terrifying! There's no more dialogue (at least until Monday), there's no longer a "rapporteur" (or it's been put on ice), there's no government budget... but the Spanish nationalist demonstration called for Madrid's Plaza de Colón on Sunday, that's still on. Present. Those who first called it - the right-wing parties, PP, Cs and Vox - are to be joined by family and friends: the extremist groups Falange Espanyola de las JONS, Hogar Social Madrid, Democracia 2000, Alternativa Española, Democracia Nacional. What a gathering! The flags will be worth checking out, and the slogans, even more so. Also present will be Manuel Valls, who just days ago was scandalized by the agreement made with the extreme right to govern Andalusia. And the so-called PP centrist, Feijóo, who had initially resisted the call, alleging that he was in New York. He'll be coming. And so will be some well-known socialists, if anyone wants a bet on that. Oh, it's not such a big deal... that seems to be the slogan for the whole reactionary family at the moment.
Just in case anyone has any doubts: the demonstration has apparently been called against Spanish prime minister Sánchez, but it is in fact against Catalonia. Against any attempt to speak with Catalonia. Against 80% of Catalans. Catalonia is ETA1. Its government is ETA. Its Parliament is ETA. The Catalan parties JxCAT, ERC and the CUP are ETA. The civil groups, Omnium and the ANC, are ETA. The exiled independence leaders are ETA. The political prisoners are ETA. The Catalan public media are ETA. The more than two million people who voted for independence are ETA! The spirit of "Go get 'em" among police, judges, media and politicians, backed by king Felipe VI in his speech on October 3rd 2017, is seeking support on the streets this Sunday. That's the reason they're all getting together. José María Aznar has done some fine work. The PP now has three heads but it's all the same body.
Forty-eight hours before the trial of the 12 Catalan independence leaders is set to begin in the Supreme Court, the demonstration is also an act of support for the imposition of an exemplary punishment on the independence movement. One must not say that it is an action that, given that it will be held just few metres away from the Supreme Court and only hours before the trial, puts pressure on the judiciary. No, these adjectives and interpretations just cannot be applied. No Spanish TV network, radio station or newspaper will speak in these terms. Is it, perhaps, because the judiciary don't even need to be pressured?
The right, the extreme right and ultra-right, arm in arm, sharing the same politics. Global Spain will need more money to explain this to the world.
1Translator's note: PP leader Pablo Casado this week stated that the "agenda we are seeing in Catalonia is the agenda of ETA" (link in Catalan), likening the independence movement in Catalonia to the now-disbanded Basque terrorist group ETA which murdered hundreds of people over more than four decades.