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A report has just been published by the Fiscal Authority (an independent body created by the Spanish government in 2013 at the urging of the European Union whose official name is "Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility") which destroys the alarmist predictions assuring there would be a serious negative impact on the Catalan economy in the fourth quarter last year.

So, if the predictions for the whole of 2017 were that the Catalan economy would grow 0.8% in the last quarter and yet, following the 1st October referendum, the flight of businesses promoted by the Spanish government, the dismissal of the Catalan government and the intervention in autonomy (in practise, its suspension), they said it wouldn't be more than 0.4%, what do you think the final growth was? Well, 0.8%, and it's not impossible that, when all the numbers are confirmed, it will end up being 0.9%. Obviously, those who created the panic and who ordered official reports which now have been shown to be false and who used all the means at their disposal to spread lies are now keeping quiet.

Although it's always said that, in conflict, anything goes (and it's true that the Spanish state's response has regularly ended up creating that feeling), there are some things which can be checked immediately and others which, unfortunately, can either never be evaluated or need much longer. In the case in question, the "fake news" lasted for weeks. And had a political use for the 21st December Catalan election.

We've always defended it. The strength of the Catalan economy is important, it has met its duties during the crisis and has strengthened exports. It's not a bed of roses, obviously, but the recovery of the Catalan government, the suspension of the intervention and the continuation of the policies enacted during the last legislature by the government and vice-president Oriol Junqueras allow us to be optimistic.