Francesc Granell, 27 January 2022
The city of Barcelona Xavier Cervera / Own
At the height of the ‘procés’, five years ago, several books were published in which authors favorable to separatism only saw advantages if the independence of Catalonia culminated. “Spain steals from us” would cease to exist and many multinationals would come to a much better governed Catalonia than it was in Spain.
With the perspective of what has happened in these five years, the professor of applied economics at the Autonomous University of Barcelona Ferran Brunet has just published for the Deusto (Planeta) label a long and rigorous analysis of the economic consequences of the ‘procés’ and the decline of Catalonia entitled “The economy of Catalan separatism” where in more than 500 pages and abundant national and foreign bibliography and with dozens of graphs and statistical tables he illustrates the situation of the economy of Catalonia, its past and its prospects.
The ‘procés’ has made Catalonia lose competitiveness
Its well-argued conclusions are clear: the ‘procés’ has made Catalonia lose competitiveness compared to other European regions and the quality of our governance is going from bad to worse due to the legal uncertainty created by the motto of “we will do it again” and by the disagreements between the political parties that lead the management of public affairs based more on a supposed moral superiority than on actual realities.
As it could not be otherwise, taking into account the Europeanism of Professor Ferran Brunet, the factors associated with belonging to the European Union and being refugees under the umbrella of the European Central Bank, if Catalonia became independent from the rest of Spain, the “dream ” of separatism would further damage the Catalan economy. Here it is worth remembering that when Pau Claris proclaimed the Catalan Republic (1640) he had to avail himself of the protection of the King of France, so in the end the “Northern Catalonia” was lost. Would we now have to avail ourselves of the tutelage of Russia or of China?
When I see Glovo’s delivery men on the street, I think of the last of the relocations of business headquarters, as they have now come to be controlled from Germany, as happened previously with our emblematic Codorníu and Freixenet cava companies, not to mention the loss of headquarters in Catalonia of companies as important as La Caixa, Banc Sabadell or Naturgy, which, taking into account the current regional financing system, subtracts from the finances of the Generaliat the part of 50% of the VAT taxed, which forces to increase surcharges in other taxes and to create new ones, making the Catalan tax environment even less attractive for companies.
Professor Brunet’s book, which I have been honored to preface, with, in addition, an epilogue by Professor Mikel Buesa – who places the ‘procés’ in the perspective of the Basque separatist debate during the Ibarretxe presidency – should make us see that it is necessary to recover the economic issue when we discuss separatism.
https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20220127/8017335/recuperar-economia.html
The ‘procés’ has made Catalonia lose competitiveness
Its well-argued conclusions are clear: the ‘procés’ has made Catalonia lose competitiveness compared to other European regions and the quality of our governance is going from bad to worse due to the legal uncertainty created by the motto of “we will do it again” and by the disagreements between the political parties that lead the management of public affairs based more on a supposed moral superiority than on actual realities.
As it could not be otherwise, taking into account the Europeanism of Professor Ferran Brunet, the factors associated with belonging to the European Union and being refugees under the umbrella of the European Central Bank, if Catalonia became independent from the rest of Spain, the “dream ” of separatism would further damage the Catalan economy. Here it is worth remembering that when Pau Claris proclaimed the Catalan Republic (1640) he had to avail himself of the protection of the King of France, so in the end the “Northern Catalonia” was lost. Would we now have to avail ourselves of the tutelage of Russia or of China?
When I see Glovo’s delivery men on the street, I think of the last of the relocations of business headquarters, as they have now come to be controlled from Germany, as happened previously with our emblematic Codorníu and Freixenet cava companies, not to mention the loss of headquarters in Catalonia of companies as important as La Caixa, Banc Sabadell or Naturgy, which, taking into account the current regional financing system, subtracts from the finances of the Generaliat the part of 50% of the VAT taxed, which forces to increase surcharges in other taxes and to create new ones, making the Catalan tax environment even less attractive for companies.
Professor Brunet’s book, which I have been honored to preface, with, in addition, an epilogue by Professor Mikel Buesa – who places the ‘procés’ in the perspective of the Basque separatist debate during the Ibarretxe presidency – should make us see that it is necessary to recover the economic issue when we discuss separatism.
https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20220127/8017335/recuperar-economia.html
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