Catalonia- text of King Felipe's speech 4 October

For those who are following the events in Catalonia, this is the English text of the speech from King Felipe this evening ( 4 October) , translated by the folk at The Spain Report https://www.thespainreport.com/

Full Text Of King Felipe's Statement To Country On Catalan Crisis (Translated by The Spain Report)
"We are living through very grave moments for our democratic life. And in these circumstances, I want to address all Spaniards directly. We have all been witness to the events that have happened in Catalonia, with the final goal of the Catalan government being to illegally proclaim the independence of Catalonia."
"For some time, certain authorities in Catalonia have repeatedly, consciously and deliberately not complied with the Constitution and their Statute of Autonomy, which is the law that recognises, protects and defends historical institutions and self-government."
"With their decisions, they have systematically violated legally and legitimately approved rules, showing an inadmissible disloyalty towards the powers of the state. A state that those very authorities represent in Catalonia."
"They have shattered the democratic principles of every state of law and have undermined harmony and coexistence in Catalan society itself, even, unfortunately, dividing it. Today, Catalan society is fractured and in conflict. These authorities have scorned the affection and sentiments of solidarity that have united and will unite all Spaniards, and with their irresponsible behaviour might even put the economic and social stability of Catalonia and all of Spain at risk."
"Summing up, all of that has led to the unacceptable attempt to appropriate the historical institutions of Catalonia. These authorities, in a clear, emphatic manner, have placed themselves outside of the law and of democracy. They have sought to shatter the unity of Spain and national sovereignty, which is the right of all Spaniards to decide democratically on their life together."
"That is why, faced with this situation of extreme gravity, which requires the firm commitment of all with the general interest, it is the responsibility of the legitimate powers of the state to ensure constitutional order and the normal functioning of our institutions, the validity of the state of law and self-government in Catalonia, based on the Constitution and its Statute of Autonomy."
"Today, I also want to send several messages to all Spaniards, particularly to Catalans."
"To the citizens of Catalonia—all of them—I want to reiterate that we have lived for several decades in a democratic state that offers constitutional paths for any person to defend their ideas within the respect for the law. Because, as we all know, without that respect, democratic coexistence in peace and liberty without that respect is not possible, in Catalonia, or the rest of Spain or anywhere else in the world. In constitutional and democratic Spain, you know you have a space for harmony and meeting with your fellow citizens."
"I know very well that in Catalonia there is also much worry and anxiety about the conduct of regional authorities. To those who feel that way, I say to you that you are not alone, that you have the full support and solidarity of other Spaniards, and the absolute guarantee of our state of law in defence of your liberty and your rights."
"And to all Spaniards, who live with the unease and sadness of these events, I send you a message of calm, confidence and also of hope."
"These are difficult times, but we will get through them. These are very complex times, but we will push forward. Because we believe in our country and we feel proud of who we are. Because our democratic principles are strong and solid. And they are strong and solid because they are based on living together in peace and liberty. That is how we have built Spain over the last few decades. And that is how we must continue along our path, with serenity and determination. On that path, in that better Spain we all wish for, we will also find Catalonia."
"Bringing my remarks, meant for all Spaniards, to a close, I underline once again the firm commitment of the Crown with the Constitution and with democracy, my dedication to understanding and harmony among Spaniards, and my commitment as King to the unity and permanence of Spain."

I am surprised that this post did not attract more attention or comments.
It is interesting to read that the King of Spain feels that Spain is a democracy!!!
How can this be so when it ignores most if not all EU directives....It is,after all a member state and receives more than 10 billion €'s in subsidies per annum
How can it also be so,when,all regional,provincial and local authorities have different legislation that governs how they operate.
How can it be so,when,local law enforcement illegally fine residents to pay for the cost of fireworks during local fiestas.
Does anyone think that the main reason for not allowing a vote of independence is because the region in question provides 65% of the gross domestic product of Spain and therefore the rest of Spain would be on its backside if independence occurred?

Democracy (Greek: δημοκρατία, dēmokratía literally "rule of the people"), in modern usage, is a system of government in which the citizens exercise power directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body, such as a parliament.[1] Democracy is sometimes referred to as "rule of the majority".[2] Democracy is a system of processing conflicts in which outcomes depend on what participants do, but no single force controls what occurs and its outcomes.

walnut wrote::text-goodpost: I am surprised that this post did not attract more attention or comments.
It is interesting to read that the King of Spain feels that Spain is a democracy!!!
How can this be so when it ignores most if not all EU directives....It is,after all a member state and receives more than 10 billion €'s in subsidies per annum
How can it also be so,when,all regional,provincial and local authorities have different legislation that governs how they operate.
How can it be so,when,local law enforcement illegally fine residents to pay for the cost of fireworks during local fiestas.
Does anyone think that the main reason for not allowing a vote of independence is because the region in question provides 65% of the gross domestic product of Spain and therefore the rest of Spain would be on its backside if independence occurred?

If Catalonia provided 65% of Spain's GDP it would be a superpower. It provides about 20% and, after getting the money back for education, policing and so on, costs about 5% of the Catalan GDP.
Spain may have ignored EU directives but has received huge fines as a consequence so is tightening up its act.
And Spain received about €5 billion net from the EU in 2015, not 10 billion. Paid in 8.772 billion received 13.696 billion.
Funny world some people live in. Never been fined to pay for the Quesada fireworks and I've been here 10 years.

The Spanish system of democracy gives autonomy to all its 19 communities, so that they largely can make their own laws.
However the main point of the constitution is that all communities must work together for the unity of the whole country.
So a community to just hold a referendum is an act of civil disobedience.
(It would be a bit like Surrey saying they didn't want to be part of the UK any more.)
But it is the false news that has been spread by the few extreme right that has allowed the feeling to build.
Undoubtedly it has been handled badly, but with similarities to Brexit, the government are wary of agreeing to a change of constitution to allow a referendum.
After all, Spain is still a relatively young democracy.

Walnut, your argument, applied to the USA, would prove that they are not a democracy.

Your interpretation of a democracy is incorrect. If the state of Spain chooses to defy an EU directive, through it's democratic process, that is an offence against the EU.

Your argument would describe a shoplifter as undemocratic be use they broke a law of the land

Martin the artist wrote:The Spanish system of democracy gives autonomy to all its 19 communities, so that they largely can make their own laws.
However the main point of the constitution is that all communities must work together for the unity of the whole country.
So a community to just hold a referendum is an act of civil disobedience.
(It would be a bit like Surrey saying they didn't want to be part of the UK any more.)
But it is the false news that has been spread by the few extreme right that has allowed the feeling to build.
Undoubtedly it has been handled badly, but with similarities to Brexit, the government are wary of agreeing to a change of constitution to allow a referendum.
After all, Spain is still a relatively young democracy.

Sabadell is moving its headquarters from Catalonia to Alicante. Caixa Bank have called a shareholders' meeting to discuss if they will move as well.
A drugs company listed on the stock market, Oryzon Genomics SA, has also announced it will move from Catalonia.
Both Sabadell and Oryzon shares have gained ground on the stock market after the announcement.