Taken As Read: A new party and a new law

Stuff that has been taken from the Spanish and put into English does have to be treated with a bit of care. There were two things yesterday. The first was a piece in "The Bulletin" which referred to an anti-corruption "party" being formed. It also, more accurately, stated that this was an anti-corruption "movement", but the headline with the "party" was what grabbed the attention, which is, I suppose, as it should be. The trouble is that it can give a false impression. Going on past experience, it is always wise to go and take a look at what the Spanish (or Catalan) sources actually say because you are likely to get a rather different slant on things.

This "party" is in fact a "citizens' platform" (a literal translation of "plataforma ciudadana"). There are many such platforms knocking about across Spain. What they are designed to do is to provide a, yes platform, for the people to participate in public debate in the sense that they are given a voice, even if they are not actually parties or formally part of the political process. In Mallorca, the Council of Mallorca, earlier this year, approved a new regulation that brought a forum of "social entities" into this participation process. This forum comprises, among others, the environmental pressure group GOB and the Catalan promoters OCB, Obra Cultural Balear. Both these groups are also in this anti-corruption "plataforma" along with some others, such as the Lobby de Dones, a women's group against domestic violence. Other platforms in Spain tend to be concerned with environmental matters alone, and indeed the Council of Mallorca's approval of the participation process referred specifically to environmental and socio-economic sustainability.

Associations, movements, call them what you might, have and have had every right to form. The Council's approval was something rather different, but there is a bit of a coincidence that the likes of GOB and OCB, having come rather closer to the political process, should now also be a part of something highly political - anti-corruption. What, one has to ask, does the corruption issue have to do with an environmental pressure group or, come to that, a group against domestic violence?

This anti-corruption platform is very Catalan. GOB, while it has received international recognition for its efforts, has a website which really only offers a nod in the direction of Castilian, the same strength of nod as it reserves for English and German. Otherwise, it is firmly Catalan. The OCB, obviously as a promoter of Catalan language and culture, is strictly Catalan only. Nothing wrong with this. But the OCB, while it might argue otherwise, is a highly political body. It has also, you may recall, had its brushes with the defenders of the Spanish state, i.e. the Guardia Civil.

GOB has always looked to keep out of the direct political process, even if it can seem quite close to some political parties on the left. It has also been challenged in the past to either put up, by becoming a party, or shut up. What "The Bulletin" has perhaps inadvertently done is to indicate that GOB, and other groups, may indeed have a wish to get closer to the wider political process. Maybe they do see themselves becoming a party. If so, they need to be clear. While corruption is a worthwhile subject for individuals to address, it is - one would have thought - not within the terms of charitable status (that GOB has) to become so identified with a political issue, while this is also an issue which goes beyond what the Council of Mallorca had in mind with its forum.

Whatever the real motives, there is to be a human chain formed in Palma this evening by members of the platform protesting against political corruption.


The second bit of possible Spanish misinterpretation concerned the new smoking law. Ben alerted me to this on Facebook, linking a note from an English site. It had taken the information from a Spanish news site. The English version included a line about smokers making a note for their diaries to the effect that 22 June would be the day when smoking in public places was outlawed. It did then also contradict this by mentioning a meeting on that day involving the health ministers of the different regions. But by making such a bold statement, this was, naturally enough, likely to be taken as gospel. Now, unless the Spanish parliament is minded to approve the new law before the health ministers have been shown the draft of the bill, which is what is to happen on 22 June, then I think it's probably safe to say that 22 June will not be the day for stubbing-out. What is also safe to say is that it won't be long after that the day will actually dawn. This is an issue on which there is political agreement.

And as a footnote, the new smoking law will not make provision for compensation to businesses which invested in creating no-smoking areas under the previous law. Cue any amount of anger from the bar and restaurant associations.


QUIZ - Yesterday: Arcade Fire, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEZockGkEyY

Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.