December 13, Catalonia Holds a Referendum on Independence

Sunday December 13, the inhabitants of 161 Catalan municipalities will, for the first time in history, have a chance to in a democratic, united and co-ordinated way, vote whether they want for Catalonia to become a sovereign state. Our adopted town, Vilanova i la Geltrú, is one of them.

“How can Catalan politicians focus on independence when Spanish unemployment figures are among the highest in the EU?”, my wife complained when she first heard about this. The reason is very simple – it is not politicians who set the momentum. The biggest Catalan nationalist party is called CiU and it is telling that its top representative to the Spanish Parliament, Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida, questions the referendum on the same grounds as her. UDC, his part of the federation which CiU is in reality, does not advocate independence, and CDC, the bigger part, wants to be a Casa Gran, big enough to house independentistes as well as those who want for Catalonia to remain within the state of Spain.

Instead, referendum idea stems from the grass root level and the first one was held this summer in Arenys de Munt. The initiative was taken by CUP - a left-wing group with representation in many town councils but so firmly committed to bottom-up democracy that they do not participate in elections to the Catalan or Spanish parliaments. The event was considered a major success by independence minded Catalans and has resulted in a popular movement of, so called, platforms being created on a municipal level. These co-operate through a co-ordinating organ but are auto-organised and self-financed. Since they have not reached equally far in their preparations, the referendum on this, as Catalans see it, 'national' issue will not take place in the whole of Catalonia nor on the same date. With small Arenys de Munt as a starting point, this will be the second wave and plans are made for at least two more to follow.

Due to Spanish law, the referenda cannot be organized through the existing democratic institutions and that is, of course, a challenge. Since society's established election stations are in public buildings, the platforms are not allowed to make use of them. Except for that, very few platform members have been involved in similar tasks before. In spite of this, there is a strong conviction that the voting process can be carried with full confidentiality and maximum transparency. In Vilanova, it has been confirmed that we will receive international election observes, since we are the second biggest town to vote in this round. The most populous municipality is Sant Cugat del Vallès, home to many Barcelona expats.

Personally, I have taken on a modest responsibility in the local platform VnG decideix (Vilanova i la Geltrú decides) although I consider that I - an immigrant from Sweden - (and this will disappoint many of my local friends) cannot advocate independence from Spain. In coming blog entries, I will try to explain why I think that Catalans should have the right to vote on independence, how the voting will be carried out, how I will vote and why.

Already now, however, do I want to express that I think that the timing is the best possible. Anyone who follows Catalan or Spanish media know that lately they have been full with incredibly big corruption scandals, involving people closely related to all the big traditional parties. The resulting loss of confidence for the political class will now be contrasted with true citizen activism; ordinary people who do not turn to extremist parties, but come together and build a new forum for democratic decision making, albeit only for one issue.

On December 13, in total 707.397 people will have the right to participate. With a high voter turn-out, this referendum has the chance to be the celebration of democracy - una festa de la democràcia – which the platforms want.

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Relaterad posts on this blog:

- The Voting Procedure for the Catalan Referendum on Independence
- Catalan Independence and Yet Another Neutral Swede
- Catalan Independence? Coming Sunday Brings Us the Answer
- Catalanism is Not Independentism
- The Referendum in Vilanova – Highly Interesting or Utterly Boring?
- Arenys de Munt – the First of Many Catalan Referenda
- Can Catalonia Hold a Referendum om Independence?

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Technorati tags: Barcelona, Catalonia, CiU, Expat, Independence, Spain, Vilanova

SWE: Den 13/12 röstar Katalonien om självständighet

På luciadagen den 13/12 i år kommer svenskarna inne i Barcelona att fira julfest med barnen och vi får väl se om min fru åker in med våra små söner. Själv hade jag gärna ställt upp som tomte igen, men kommer att vara upptagen i vår hemstad. Den dagen är Vilanova i la Geltrú en av 161 kommuner (municipis) som ordnar folkomröstning om ett självständigt Katalonien.


”Hur kan katalanska politiker bry sig om självständighet nu här de spanska arbetslöshetssiffrorna är bland de högsta i EU?”, beklagade sig min fru när hon först hörde talas om detta. Anledningen är enkel – det är inte politiker som driver frågan. Det största katalanska nationalistpartiet heter CiU och talande är att deras högste representant i det spanska parlamentet, Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida, ifrågasätter folkomröstningen på samma grunder som hon. UDC, hans del av den federation som CiU egentligen är, förespråkar inte självständighet, och CDC, den större delen, ser sig som ett Casa Gran stort nog att hysa både dem som vill att Katalonien skall lämna den spanska staten och dem som vill vara kvar.

I stället stammar folkomröstningsidén från gräsrotsnivå och den första hölls i somras i Arenys de Munt. Initiativet togs av CUP – en vänstergruppering som finns representerad i många kommunfullmäktige, men som ideologiskt är så hårt knuten till att bygga demokrati nerifrån och upp att de inte deltar i val till de katalanska eller spanska parlamenten. Händelsen sågs som en jätteframgång för katalanska självständighetsförkämpar och har lett till en folkrörelse av så kallade plattformar som växer upp på kommunnivå. De samarbetar via ett koordinerande organ men är självorganiserade och självfinansierade. Eftersom de inte har kommit lika långt i sina förberedelser kommer folkomröstningarna om denna, som katalaner ser det, nationella fråga inte att ske i hela Katalonien och inte heller på samma datum. Med lilla Arenys de Munt som utgångspunkt, blir det som kommer nu den andra vågen och minst två till kommer att följa.

Spansk lag omöjliggör för de här folkomröstningarna genomföras inom de existerande demokratiska institutionerna och det utgör, naturligtvis, en utmaning. Eftersom samhällets etablerade vallokaler ligger i offentliga byggnader får man inte använda sig av dem. Dessutom har väldigt få av plattformarnas medlemmar varit inblandade i liknande uppgifter förut. Trots detta finns det en stark övertygelse om att röstningsprocessen kommer att kunna utföras med full konfidentialitet och maximal transparens. I Vilanova, till exempel, har det redan bekräftats att vi kommer att gästas av internationella valövervakare, eftersom vi är den näst största kommunen som röstar i den här omgången. Folkrikast är Sant Cugat del Vallès, ett känt hem för utlandsstationerade – “expats” - bland dem en del skandinaver.

Personligen har jag tagit på mig en begränsad roll i vår plattform VnG decideix (Vilanova i la Geltrú bestämmer) även om jag anser att jag som inflyttad svensk (och detta kommer att göra en del lokala kompisar besvikna) inte kan förespråka oberoende från Spanien. I kommande blogginlägg kommer jag att försöka förklara varför jag tycker att katalanerna skall ha rätt att rösta om huruvida de skall vara en suverän stat – något som den spanska grundlagen i dagsläget inte tillåter -, hur folkomröstningen kommer att gå till, hur jag kommer att rösta och varför.

Redan nu vill jag dock uttrycka att jag tycker att timingen är bästa tänkbara. Alla som följer katalanska och spanska medier vet att de på sistone varit fulla av ofattbart stora korruptionsskandaler och att de inblandade är nära kopplade till de traditionellt stora partierna. Det förakt för den politiska klassen som dessa har lett till kommer nu att få en kontrast av sann medborgaraktivism; vanliga människor som inte söker sig till extremistpartier utan sluter sig samman och skapar ett helt nytt forum för demokratiskt beslutsfattande, om än begränsat till en enda fråga.

På årets luciadag får sammanlagt 707.397 invånare i Katalonien möjligheten att delta i detta referendum om självständighet. Nås ett högt valdeltagande kommer det att bli den högtid för demokratin – una festa de la democràcia – som plattformarna önskar.

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Relaterade poster på svenska:

- Katalanernas självständighet och den neutrale svensken
- Hur genomförs katalanernas folkomröstning?
- Katalanism är inte independentism
- Folkomröstningen i Vilanova - störtkul eller dötrist
- Katalansk självständighet? På söndag får vi svar

The Human Tower Season is Over and That is Good!

Photo by Yôko Ono

Yesterday evening, we, the Bordegassos de Vilanova celebrated our team day (diada de la colla) and thereby also the end of the 2009 season. Three weeks ago I was sad that there was so little left of it, but today I am happy that it is over.

It is not easy to develop the art of human towers, where you need for a big group of people to voluntarily turn up not only for performances, but also for practise. If I say that the Bordegassos are not particularly successful in this, I will probably irritate some, but I feel that I am not alone in thinking so. Most articles in this years edition of l’Aleta – our team magazine – send a similar message. “We sometimes come across as an anorectic team which sees itself as fat when it looks in the mirror”, is a telling expression used by our president Marc Ortíz de Urbina.

We clearly have some soul searching to do and I want to be part of that process. Let us see how many times I manage to repeat “embrace change” before I am accused of cultural insensitivity. Now, I honestly think that some oddities I observe in our internal communication have their origin rather in historic team routines and not in the Catalan psyche.

Resultwise, this was our best season for the last three years. We have assembled and dismantled a great number of “5de7” and “4de7 amb l’agulla” and recuperated the torre de 7 - but not as many as the Nens del Vendrell. However, we have not been able to erect a 7-level castell from below (3de7 aixecat per sota), as the Moixiganguers d’Igualada have), nor build human towers of eight levels, something which the Colla Jove de Sitges (descarregat), the Xics de Granollers (descarregat) and the Al·lots del Llevant (carregat) have achieved this year.



Yesterday’s performance here in our Plaça de la Vila served as yet another reminder that we need to improve. A relatively hard fall last weekend had left us without some of the young members who usually take positions at the top, and that was all it took for us to need much too much time to build a “5de7” (descarregat) and then have a first attempt on a “4de7 amb l’agulla” which collapsed and a second one which was not completed (intent desmuntat). It was therefore our guests, the Xics de Granollers, which came out as the stronger team, by building and dismantling a “5de7”, a “4de7 amb l’agulla” and a “3de7” (tots descarregats), all very stable and on the first attempt. I am convinced that this quite young team can serve as an example for us. Let us see how many other team members think that I am right.

Vilanova deserves to have a good casteller team. How do we again make people feel proud to form part of the Bordegassos? It is good that the season is over because we need time to think.

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Technorati tags: Castellers, Catalonia, Human Towers, Igualada, Penedès, Sitges, Spain, el Vendrell, Vilanova

Thank you for the trade fair, Vilanova!

November 12-15, our company Puck Import, S.L., participated in the Fira de Novembre of Vilanova i la Geltrú. We had two objectives with our stand – to build awareness for the Swedish RFSU brand and to promote ourselves as a local condom specialist – and I consider that we have been successful.

The cost to participate in this trade fair is relatively high but a part of the it has already been recuperated through direct sales - above all condoms but also lubricants and the new RFSU Private Area intimate shaving creams. True, a number of products disappeared from the stand without having been paid for, but if you consider how many young vilanovins have stepped forward to touch the water filled condoms of our decoration, the figures are almost acceptable.

In total, we have handed out 750 free condom samples. More than 200 teenagers have taken part in our simple quiz, in which the main prize is condoms for a whole year. Except for all face to face contacts, I was fortunate enough to be caught by the Garraf TV station Canal Blau/Maricel for an interview.

Our strategy to provide condoms with user instructions in Catalan was (as always) praised by the local Oficina de Normalització Lingüística and we were visited by friends and representatives from the political parties CUP and CiU, but also by young members from the PP who encouraged us in our activities. This means that we met the whole opposition (left-wing as well as right-wing) but nobody from the Vilanova’s tripartit government. Evil tongues will say that this reveals their lack of commitment to local business, but our company sells condoms. Does that not make us qualify as a “progressive” force of this town?

As an additional product, we offered the t-shirts “London, Berlin, New York, El Penedès, Shanghai”, marketed by the Penedesfera blogger community and from which all profits goes to the charity project Marató by TV3. Judging from the little interest we met – we sold one t-shirt – I can only draw the conclusion that Vilanova's inhabitants do not yet identify with the Penedès and the vegueria pròpia.

From a personal point of view, I was positively surprised to meet two readers of this blog in the stand. Although I invited you all to come and see me, I honestly never expected anyone to actually do so.

On a more serious note, I want to add that the people I will remember the most from these days are those who had their stands around ours. Most of them came from Latin America and Africa, and this reminded me that our family might have bought a company with poor timing, but as immigrants from a rich EU-country we are still so extremely privileged.

Thank you, Vilanova i la Geltrú, for these intense, and unusually warm November days! It is my plan to take part again next year, however, most likely, not as “direct sales”, but in the “promotion” area, since I now understand that this has a higher status. Having said that, I truly hope to meet many of you long before then - in the streets of our town or in the “Condom Shop of Vilanova”.


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Versió en català

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Technorati tags: Catalonia, CiU, CUP, Garraf, Penedès, Penedesfera, Vilanova

Time to Visit Vilanova and its November Trade Fair

When I was a little boy, Swedish women returning from vacation on Mallorca or the Canary Islands used to complain about how the local men had been staring at them when they were sun bathing topless. In the modern Catalonia, where we now live, bare breasts on the beach certainly do not stir up any commotion and society feels very secular. Having said that, I am a bit nervous about how the inhabitants of Vilanova i la Geltrú will react tomorrow, when they see my company’s presentation at the Fira de Novembre. I am, after all, selling condoms in a Catholic country.

Earlier years when I have written about this multi-sector trade fair, I have focused on how sports clubs and other entities have a chance to show their skills and attract new members. This year, for the first (but hopefully not last) time, will I take part with a stand (# 110) in the most commercial area of the event, the big white tent in the plaça del Mercat.

It is a fact that Vilanova is the commercial centre of the Penedès and that the Fira de Novembre is generally considered the best place to promote a new shop. True, the core business of my company, Puck Import, S.L., is to market and distribute Swedish RFSU condoms to wholesalers on the Spanish state level, but the premises are nice, so it should be possible for me to build a position as the condom specialist of Vilanova also in retail – ‘la Condoneria de VnG’. In four days I will know a lot more about the potential – little wonder I am so thrilled.

For expats living around Barcelona, I will not claim that the Fira de Novembre in itself is of any interest, but why not use it as an excuse to explore our town? Combine the trade fair with a visit to the Victor Balaguer Museum or La Sala, and add a lunch in one of the restaurants along the beach walk and you will get a very comprehensive program. Vilanova is not as picturesque as Sitges, but well worth a weekend visit.

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In the official program of the Fira de Novembre, the description of my company has been cut down to "Distributor from Sweden" (Distribuïdor des de Suècia), instead of "Distributor of condoms from Sweden" (Distribuïdor de preservatius des de Suècia), as I wanted it. A Catalan friend of mine suggests that this change maybe was not a mistake.

Well, I will not complain. The organisers have been nice enough to print the word preservatius (condoms) on the sign of my stand. "¡Que ayuntamiento más moderno!", was the spontaneous reaction of one of the security guards today when he saw it.

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Technorati tags: Barcelona, Catalonia, Expat, Penedès, Sitges, Vilanova

Celebrating With the Xicots de Vilafranca

Last Sunday, I did not need to get out of bed to understand that the weather was not very good for human towers (castells). The sound of our outdoor furniture dancing around on the balcony revealed how hard the wind was blowing. This was the ‘Day of the Xicots de Vilafranca’. It should be my first performance in Catalonia’s number one human tower square (la plaça més castellera) and also an opportunity for us, the Bordegassos, to make an attempt at constructions of eight levels, so you can understand how disappointed I was.



Some hours later, up in Vilafranca, when the Xicots made their entry into the plaça de la Vila , we were still not sure what would happen since hard winds obviously make it much more difficult to assemble castells, but then it was decided that we should give it a try. Strangely enough, this day, also called la Diada del Roser, developed into the best performance 2009 for two of the three teams present.

The Xicots from Vilafranca started in a strong way by assembling and dismantling a 4de8 (descarregat) and then, after a not-completed attempt (intent desmuntat) managed to build a 3de8 (carregat). This was a great achievement, since 2007 was the last time this team managed to build two towers of eight levels during one and the same performance. The Xicots rounded off with a 4de7 amb l’agulla and a pilar feminí – five levels of women and girls standing on each others shoulders.

For us, the Bordegassos de Vilanova, the fact that many of the children (canalla) were sick forced us to adjust our plans. However, by assembling a torre de 7 (our second one for 2009, unfortunately ending in the most dramatic fall I have experienced so far) and then assembling and dismantling a 5de7 and a 4de7 amb l’agulla, we reached our best combined result this year.

The third team, the Castellers de Rubí, struggled hard to erect a torre de 6. They never managed, but assembled and dismantled a 3de6 and a 4de6, which means that they, at least, repeated their earlier 2009 top results.

To sum up, our determination was stronger than the wind and we had a very rewarding day of human towers, above all thanks to some brave children.

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N.B.: The Xicots de Vilafranca - in red shirts – are very good but still behind the Castellers de Vilafranca – in green shirts – from the same town.

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Technorati tags: Castellers, Catalonia, Human Towers, Penedès, Vilafranca, Vilanova

Vilafranca's 'Tots Sants' Day of Human Towers

Today, while many Catalans went to cementaries to look after late family members, we went to Vilafranca del Penedès, to watch the Diada de Tots Sants. My two small sons were extremely noisy in the car, but I still managed to catch a comment from the radio that this first of November came with temperatures more typical for the first of September, i.e. ideal conditions for human towers.


We arrived just on time to see what I thought would be the highlight of the day: the Castellers de Vilafranca building a 3 de 10. Although I stood far away, I was – as always – totally amazed with the huge base (pinya) which this team manages to bring together. It is a pity that they did not make it – I guess this was the last opportunity for there being a castell of ten levels during the 2009 season – but I am so grateful that they never give up.

To compensate, I was allowed to see at least three other outstanding human towers. Starting from the most advanced construction, the Castellers de Vilafranca assembled and dismantled a torre de 9 amb folre i manilles.


Then we had the Capgrossos de Mataró, who made their, as I understand it, first 4 de 9 for this season.


And finally - after a long break in a playground where my children forced me to go - by chance I came relatively close to the Al·lots de Llevant when they assembled (carregar) a 4 de 8. This is much more unique than it sounds since these people from Manacor (Mallorca) made their best performance (actuació) ever and hereby are the first team from outside Catalonia to reach eight levels during this season.


I also saw the Castellers de Lleida assembling a 4 de 8. Impressive, yes, but not exceptional since they have a solid record.

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While I was still living on the very rainy Swedish west coast, a friend of mine once told me to stop worrying about the weather since you cannot do anything about it. I have never managed to follow his advice, but instead I have moved to a country where the weather is usually very benign. These days, however, I must admit falling back in old tracks. Let us, please, have three weekends without rain or strong winds so that we, the Bordegassos de Vilanova, can make attempts at human towers of eight levels.

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Here is the el3deVuit article on today’s events.

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Technorati tags: Castellers, Catalonia, Human Towers, Penedès, Vilafranca