A reflection on the Catalan autonomy
I don't know much about Spain, but as we soon will be going there for the GUADEC 2006 conference news from Spain get some additional attention. When reading one of the largest Swedish newspapers today I found a small article. It was about a recent election in Spain, resulting in the strengthening of the self rule in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. I realize that this might just be one of the many steps to ease tensions and/or set old wrong doings right there. Maybe this will result in the pleasing of the majority of the people in Catalonia? At the same time I came to think of the strange mix between autonomy and unionism present in Europe today. While countries that, when I grew up, where unknown and impossible to go to, stand at the footstep the union, we see countries that are central to the original foundation of the same union, decentralizing. Sometimes I get the feeling that this union is so full of contrast. So when I land in Barcelona (Catalonia) this Friday to make my way to the conference, I will probably marvel and despair at the same time as I recall this thought.