Since the Catalan vote to split from Spain passed with 92% acceptance rate and the subsequent violence by official Madrid to suppress Catalans, Spain will likely never be the same.
Major clashes between Catalans and Spaniards are now occurring on daily basis, particularly between fans of Catalan football clubs, of which the biggest of course is Barcelona and Spanish clubs.
Such was the case this weekend when Barcelona fans traveled to Madrid for their clash against arch rival Atletico Madrid. There were pitching battles across Madrid with many restaurants and coffee shops trashed along the way.
Spanish commentators also conclude that this is the “new reality” for the country after the Catalan independence referendum. The fear now is that thing may only get worse as tensions keep increasing on daily basis.
If there is one person who can solve the situation, it’s Spaniard Javier Solana, the man who held the highest EU office in the late 1990’s and proposed that every “part” in Yugoslavia should be independent, to quote him “it was the right thing to do”. He was also involved in the Kosovo fiasco where he urged its “independence” despite the province not even holding a referendum. Well Solana, let Catalania be independent then, it’s the right thing to do.
