julio 2018 – Estat Català

Fernando Grande-Marlaska denied today on his arrival at the Congress that the rapprochement of the Catalan political prisoners is the payment of some kind of «toll» to the independentistas for their support of the motion of censure that led Pedro Sánchez to the Moncloa.

The head of the Interior Department, who is ultimately responsible for the decision to transfer the nine leaders of the process, has stated that the government has simply «strictly complied with the law», which states that prisoners must be held in centres close to their places of residence. In this regard, he stressed that the Catalan prisoners met the requirements for transfer, in particular that the judicial investigation had been «concluded» and the «approval» of the judge in the case, the Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena, in the sense that he «did not need the physical presence of those under investigation» in Madrid.

The Mediterranean Games in Tarragona are leading to a feeling of considerable organisational failure. The grandstands at sporting events are mostly empty and there have already been a few sketchy moments during the medal ceremonies due to logistical problems or, directly, the absence of authorities. In addition, the political conflict in Catalonia is casting a long shadow over the event, which does not attract any media interest given the timing of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

A coincidence that should not have been, and which has ended up happening due to the lack of organisational provision that Spain has demonstrated in this case. Tarragona was chosen as the venue in 2013, in a close vote in which it won by 36 to 34 over Alexandria (Egypt). The event, which is held every four years, was to be held in 2017, precisely to avoid running into the Summer or Winter Olympic Games, World Cups or European Championships. But Spain failed to honour its commitment and did not arrive on time. Political instability was then blamed, with the country on the verge of a third election, to justify that the necessary games could not be unblocked and the Games had to be delayed by a year.

Catalan politicians enter Catalan prisons

Why the Mediterranean Games have failed in Tarragona