tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812692415595591653.post4368917827348429974..comments2023-08-05T09:14:35.297-07:00Comments on Standing in a Spanish Doorway: The hypocrites are victorious in VicBrett Hetheringtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05702371494104087763noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812692415595591653.post-60723968710625944402010-01-16T10:44:59.122-08:002010-01-16T10:44:59.122-08:00The background is an unemployment rate of 20% whic...The background is an unemployment rate of 20% which tends to bring out the worst in some of society. Spain has until recently avoided supporting extremist anti-migrant parties, (if we don't include the national opposition PP, who have been strong on the rhetoric but mainly progressive when governing) but that seems to be changing. As an editorial in 'El Pais' stated: "Everything indicates that the local government — with a CiU (center-right Catalan nationalist) mayor, supported by the Catalan Socialists and the leftist Catalan nationalist ERC — is more interested in winning over the racist vote than in influencing migratory flows. Not for nothing, this town is the stronghold of the extreme rightist Josep Anglada, a councillor in Vic and leader of the openly xenophobic party Plataforma per Catalunya, which in the latest municipal elections obtained 17 councillors throughout Catalonia. As happened to a part of the French right after the rise of the ultraright Jean-Marie Le Pen, the parties governing in Vic are trying to arrest the upsurge of the xenophobic party at the price of embracing its outlook. This aim, far from justifying their conduct, aggravates it. And, though critical of this measure, the regional leadership of these parties have not forced its withdrawal, perhaps with an eye to a portion of their electorate..."Brett Hetheringtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05702371494104087763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812692415595591653.post-29387210692613053342010-01-16T09:03:59.164-08:002010-01-16T09:03:59.164-08:00The ordinance itself is not as surprising as the f...The ordinance itself is not as surprising as the fact that the 3 parties you mention, CiU, PSC and ERC all agree to it.<br /><br />What's the background? Was it sparked by an incident of some kind or has the decision just come out of the blue?Czarny Kothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17163190792839598823noreply@blogger.com