Summary
Last week the whole of Europe heard a howl of rage coming from Catalonia. Since Spain’s highest court sentenced nine pro-independence politicians to a collective one hundred years in prison there have been mass, sometimes violent protests across the region which has left hundreds injured. Madrid says there can be no political dialogue until Catalan politicians condemn the violence and rein in the militants. Where does the pro-independence movement go from here?
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're listening to a podcast from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:03.7 | This is Hard Talk with me, Stephen Sacker. |
| 0:06.6 | Thanks for downloading this edition of the program. |
| 0:09.3 | I do hope you enjoy it. |
| 0:11.0 | Welcome to Hard Talk on the BBC World Service with me, Stephen Sacker. |
| 0:15.7 | In recent days, Catalonia, the economically prosperous, |
| 0:19.7 | culturally rich, northwest corner of Spain, has been a cauldron of street protest and public fury. |
| 0:27.3 | The spark that ignited the flame, the sentencing of nine pro-independence Catalan politicians to a collective total of 100 years in prison on charges connected to the Catalan |
| 0:40.6 | independence referendum of 2017, which was deemed illegal and seditious by Spain's highest court. |
| 0:48.9 | Since the sentences were handed down, Barcelona has been a hotbed of sometimes violent protest. Demonstrators have |
| 0:56.4 | clashed with police, torched cars, shut roads, and made one of Europe's most visited cities |
| 1:02.1 | something of a no-go zone for outsiders. The region's current political leadership has called |
| 1:07.9 | for an end to the violence and a renewed dialogue with Madrid. |
| 1:12.2 | But the national government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, says the talking can begin |
| 1:17.7 | only when the violence stops. My guest today is Catalonia's minister for foreign action, |
| 1:24.6 | Alfred Bosque. He and his fellow separatists have in recent years made an all-out |
| 1:29.5 | effort to turn Catalonia's independence dream into reality. Has their gamble failed? Well, Alfred |
| 1:37.3 | Bosk joins me now. Welcome to Hard Talk. Thank you. In the past few days, we have seen sustained violence on the streets of Barcelona, |
| 1:48.2 | some other Catalan towns and cities as well. Would you accept that the last week or so has actually |
| 1:54.8 | been a negative for your cause, the cause of Catalan independence? Well, it's been negative for everybody. |
| 2:03.5 | Nobody likes clashes. |
| 2:05.9 | Nobody likes to see these images in the streets of Barcelona or other cities. |
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