Monthly Archives: March 2012

03/28/12

The Eritrean national identity: an untenable obsession with struggle, sacrifice and military?

Eritrea is back in the news since Ethiopian forces carried out earlier this month a military attack on rebel bases within the Eritrean boundaries. This has again been used by the media to remind people of the extremely harsh conditions undergone by political opponents and human rights activists in Eritrea, a country that got its independence in 1993 and has since been ruled by a dictatorial regime led by Isaias Afewerki, the long-standing leader of the former armed organization Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) and current president of this African country. Afewerki belongs to the Biher-Tigrinya, the larger of nine ethnic groups officially recognized in Eritrea. Continue reading →

03/20/12

The Spanish Constitution of 1812, or how to divide something indivisible into 20 or more pieces

Nothing lasts forever, especially in politics. Spanish leaders mark today the 200th anniversary of the enactment of the first Spanish Constitution, in 1812 by the Cortes of Cádiz. Two relevant aspects emerge from the text: first, the recognition of the “Spanish Nation” (capitalized in the original) as the holder of the sovereignty, and secondly, the territorial boundaries of Spain, extremely diminished since. Continue reading →

03/3/12

Economy, values and identity: essentials for the Catalan independence movement

One of the interesting things recorded at the political opinion survey released in March by the Opinion Research Centre of the Catalan government is the range of motivations that are currently pushing people to support independence (a move that is wished by 44.6% of those asked). In Spanish nationalist milieus it is usual to hear that the pro-independence movement in Catalonia is inherently ethnicist, closed in on itself, even xenophobic. The survey shows that these are basically false accusations. Continue reading →