Spain’s rowdy regions. Fudge or death

Catalonia's bid for freedom will hardly go all the way

DESPITE their people's dour and thrifty reputation, Catalan politicians are excited by one thing - autonomy. So passions ran high in Barcelona's regional assembly last week, after it passed a constitutional statute that, if approved by the government in Madrid, would grant Catalonia an independent legal system, the right to raise taxes and to be called “a nation”. Pasqual Maragall, the region's mustachioed Socialist premier, was triumphant over the 120-15 vote in favour: “We will win and our people will celebrate.” His coalition partner, Josép Lluis Carod-Rovira, head of the nationalist Catalan Republican Left (ERC), was even more upbeat - declaring a new dawn for Catalonia.

On no count is this optimism likely to be proved right. But the vote has put José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spain's left-wing prime minister, in a bind: while he can hardly approve a measure which, on the face of it, clears the way for possible Catalan independence, his government depends on support from leftist Catalan nationalists. He has therefore promised not to reject the statute, so long as it is toned down. The opposition People's Party (PP) has already rejected it outright. As for Mr Maragall's claim of “celebration”, a survey suggested that only 4% of Catalans felt the statute to be important.

Given that the initiative seems so doomed, this may be unsurprising. And, indeed, Catalonia already has a high degree of autonomy. The PP fears that granting it any more would provide encouragement to Spain's other querulous regions, especially the Basque one. There is force in that argument. Earlier this year, the nationalist Basque government's bid to define its relations with the centre as “free association” was foiled by legislators in Madrid. Meanwhile, the Valencia region's PP-run government has rocked the boat by voting to call itself a “historic nation”.

A parliamentary commission will examine the Catalan statute in November, though it will probably not be voted on in Madrid for a year. A compromise is likely - as closer inspection of the text suggests. It is ambiguous on how the province would levy taxes, prompting suspicions that the central government may retain some control over the regional tax-raising body that could now be established.With a fudge like that, rowdy Catalan politicians could claim victory, without the centre having yielded a jot more power to the province, and all the parties would be happy. At least, until the next region comes up with a similarly cheeky proposal.