Oct 31 – Lit Fest Highlights: Alex Furest and Rafael Arenas, Chaired by William Chislett: “Should Catalonia be Independent of Spain?”
Sunday 16 November 2014
10:00am
Duration:1 Hour
Venue: Lower Reading Room, The Gibraltar Garrison Library
Ticket Price: £10
Two leading figures on either side of the debate about independence for Catalonia go head to head under the watchful eye of William Chislett.
In September, Catalan leader Artur Mas defied the central government in Madrid and called a non-binding referendum for November 9, which was suspended by the Constitutional Court.
Many Catalans claim to be part of a distinct nation with its own language, culture and history, a culture they say is threatened by being part of Spain. They argue they lose out financially by being part of Spain and have a right to self-determination. Opponents argue that Catalonian independence could open the way for independence for other areas of Europe – a fear also expressed during the recent debate about Scottish independence for the UK – and create a more dangerous and fractured continent. Independence could leave Catalonia, one of Spain’s richest regions, and it would have to negotiate its readmission into the EU.
Alex Furest (pictured, left) is a member of the economic unit of the National Catalan Assembly, which argues the financial case for Catalan independence. He is also a member of Help Catalonia, an association of volunteers supporting Catalan independence, and of the Catalan Circle of Business (CCN).
Professor Rafael Arenas is a member of the Societat Civil Catalana and an international law professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Arenas opposes an independent Catalonia.
Chislett has lived in Madrid since 1986. He covered the transition to democracy between 1975 and 1978 for The Times and was Mexico correspondent for the Financial Times between 1978 and 1984. He writes about Spain for the Real Instituto Elcano and has published other works on the country including Spain: What Everybody Needs to Know.
