tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068633250101025716.post3477925463170089840..comments2023-09-29T11:23:38.668+02:00Comments on For what we are... they will be: Ethnically speaking, who rules Spain? Majuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12369840391933337204noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068633250101025716.post-33952146865749514992012-10-16T19:25:00.640+02:002012-10-16T19:25:00.640+02:00It would be indeed curious to make a similar study...It would be indeed curious to make a similar study re. France or other states where all citizens are supposedly equal "but some are more equal than others", relocating Orwell's famous quote. <br /><br />It could also be expanded to include all kind of ministers but I'm pretty sure that the result would be very similar. Just look at the current Spanish government: 9 Castilian ministers (7 from Madrid, 2 from Castile-Leon), 2 Andalusians, 1 Galician, 1 Canarian and 1 Basque (an aristocrat from Neguri with mostly Spanish surnames). Not a single Catalan minister nor otherwise from the historical Crown of Aragon.<br /><br />"IMO, the strangest phenomenon in your study is that the influence of Catalan politicians in Spanish history is low. Even if you add Valencians to their numbers". The overweight of Madrid-born ministers (most from politician lineages, I suspect) is quite curious too.<br /><br />In truth it is so exaggerated that even I am surprised of finding these figures and, specially, that nobody discusses it. But Spanish TV debate programs are the same: all are from Castile (plus the occasional Latin American), never ever peripheral nationalists. This should be scandalous but it seems it's rather the accepted normality. Exactly the same that Basques, even those with strong pro-Spanish sympathies, are systematically turned down in Spanish military academies. <br /><br />"Yet, Catalan economic power is strong. If anything, it looks like Catalan politicians have never been interested in managing the central State".<br /><br />I don't think that is correct: for example members of Convergencia i Unió (Miquel Roca specifically) tried back in the day to promote a liberal party akin to CiU but Spanish voters ignored him. <br /><br />Catalans are perceived as aliens in Spain (Neo-Castile), even more than Basques. They can be minor players in all-Spain parties or play in their own league, and that's mostly what they do. <br /><br />Get ready to have new sovereign neighbors because this time it's going to blow up, really. Maybe it is delayed somewhat but the tension, with millions demonstrating in Barcelona once and again for independence and also independentism growing strong again in the Southern Basque Country... sooner than later Catalonia will break up and we will have to follow suit, would not be that we lose our chance for doubting. <br /><br />It's possible that this may cause a war but a war that Spain can't win, because they can't impose their political will at gunpoint anymore. Majuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12369840391933337204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9068633250101025716.post-29650590541903689312012-10-16T13:12:44.428+02:002012-10-16T13:12:44.428+02:00The same study could be made about France with man...The same study could be made about France with many similarities except the IIIrd Republic was successful and thus many peripheral ethnicities got to power in the 19th and 20th centuries(the IIIrd Republic is dubbed as the republic of southerners).<br /><br />IMO, the strangest phenomenon in your study is that the influence of Catalan politicians in Spanish history is low. Even if you add Valencians to their numbers. <br /><br />Yet, Catalan economic power is strong. If anything, it looks like Catalan politicians have never been interested in managing the central State. It's a bit of an error : in Madrid they could have helped change things quite probably. <br />Heraushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07032921971763481466noreply@blogger.com