TW
7

Better late than never! I couldn’t understand why the Scottish nationalists hadn’t got involved in the issue of Catalonia. For many years the Scottish nationalists have maintained close links with those parties seeking independence in Catalonia. Scotland’s pro-independence first minister Nicola Sturgeon has criticised Madrid’s handling of the crisis with its northern region but refrained from backing the declaration of independence. The European Union, which she would like to see admitting a future independent Scotland, has backed Spain’s central government.

But pro-independence Scottish lawmakers have presented a motion in their devolved parliament urging international recognition of Catalonia’s unilateral declaration of independence from Spain, putting pressure on Scotland’s leader to endorse the movement. I would say that the move has come late because the Spanish government does appear to havethe situation in Catalonia under control. I suspect that the Catalan nationalists would have liked their Scottish counterparts to have intervened earlier. The now sacked pro-independence Catalan government had been looking for international support. The fact that this international support has come as the crisis draws to a close will not have pleased many in Barcelona. The Scottish independence result came as a blow for the independence movement in Catalonia and many in Catalonia want a similar style referendum.