This Saturday's successful return to the streets by the Catalan independence movement, and its rupturist character, have caused surprise in prominent international media, some of which had taken for granted that after the pardoning of nine political prisoners by the Spanish government of Pedro Sánchez, and a meeting of the Spain-Catalonia dialogue table due next week, the Catalan conflict was on the way to being resolved. However, after today's demonstration, there is growing pessimism among the media on the success of the talks.
European news network Euronews
In its report today, Euronews says that expectations for an easy solution to the Catalan conflict - a "political crisis that has festered" are "extremely low". The news network asserts that "divisions within the separatist camp on the usefulness of negotiations [with the Spanish government] marked Saturday’s rally. The leading pro-secession party [ERC] backs the talks as the best way forward, but the two other main parties in the separatists camp [Junts and the CUP] believe that only another unilateral push will achieve their dream of carving out a new state."
Swiss online newspaper Wil 24
"Barcelona: Separatists want sovereignty," headlined German-language Wil24. This, it explained, was the demand from pro-independence Catalan leaders at today's huge rally, just a few days before the dialogue table between the Catalan and Spanish government is to meet. "They want their region to be independent and separate from Spain. At most, the central government wants to grant more autonomy," says the Swiss media.
British agency Reuters
"Thousands of protesters rally for independence in Barcelona," said Reuters, which also recalled that it was the first march since the pardons were granted to the Catalan political prisoners as welll as the first since the start of the Covid crisis. As well, Reuters noted that the demonstration coincides with the fact that "the central and regional governments are in favour of dialogue despite their opposing views on independence."
US agency Associated Press
"Catalan independence supporters are rallying, divided over talks with Spain," headlines the Associated Press. "The Catalan National Assembly, the powerful group that organized Saturday´s rally, sees the talks as a ruse to defuse their momentum. The official slogan of the rally was “Fight and We Will Win Independence” (sic) , it said. A subtly different but better translation of the Catalan slogan would be "Let's fight and win independence".
German newspaper 'Die Zeit'
"Hundreds of thousands of Catalans are demanding independence from Spain," headlines Die Zeit. The newspaper recalls that this was "a few days before the talks between the central government and the Catalan regional government." "Pro-independence spokesmen reaffirmed their demand for self-determination this Saturday. They want their region to be independent and separate from Spain. At most, the central government wants to grant more autonomy. It is highly unlikely that Spain's Socialist prime minister Pedro Sánchez will approve a referendum on independence," it summed up. The impossibility of an agreement is obvious to the newspaper.
Canadian newspaper La Presse
"Separatists are demonstrating a few days before the start of negotiations with Madrid," says the Montreal French-language newspaper, asserting that the lower turnout compared with Diada marches before the pandemic is not due to Covid, but rather, the strategic division in the independence movement. The newpaper explains that many people are upset with the politicians.
"The climate is tense" in the face of the dialogue table, it asserts. "The roadmaps of the two parties are diametrically opposed, Madrid having already dismissed the two key demands of the separatists, namely an agreement on the organization of a self-determination referendum and the total amnesty of the separatists prosecuted for the attempt to secession of 2017," explains the Montreal newspaper.