Could Spain split?
The Briefing Room
BBC
4.8 • 731 Ratings
🗓️ 6 October 2017
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Could the crisis over Catalonia lead to the break up of Spain? With political rhetoric from both Barcelona and Madrid intensifying, David Aaronovitch asks a range of experts whether an independent Catalan state is now a possibility.
He examines what lies behind the Catalan desire for independence and the impact that a split could have on Spain.
Joining David in The Briefing Room:
Miguel Murado, a Spanish journalist
Eduardo Mendoza, one of Spain's best-known authors
Dr Rebecca Richards, statehood expert and Professor of International Relations at Keele University.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the briefing room with me, David O'ronovich. |
| 0:02.7 | We're in a room and we get briefed. |
| 0:05.2 | So if you really want to know what's going on in the world, then do listen to this podcast. |
| 0:09.4 | And please let us know what you think by writing a review or rating us on iTunes or your podcast provider. |
| 0:15.5 | If you're minded to do so, please recommend us to your friends. |
| 0:19.2 | Recommend us to anyone, really. |
| 0:35.7 | Music So please recommend us to your friends. Recommend us to anyone, really. Now the divide is absolute. |
| 0:38.3 | Even families are divided, fathers and son. |
| 0:42.3 | They fight all the time. |
| 0:45.3 | Many friendships have been broken. |
| 0:48.3 | I don't think this will heal in quite a long time. |
| 0:52.3 | Maybe a generation will have to pass. |
| 0:56.5 | Eduardo Mendoza, one of Spain's and Catalonia's greatest writers, apprehensive, sad even, |
| 1:02.8 | about the predicament of his country. What exactly is happening over there, and how's it all |
| 1:08.2 | going to end? |
| 1:13.1 | Step into the briefing room and find out. |
| 1:20.6 | What is happening right now in Catalonia seems to be the greatest crisis Spain has faced |
| 1:25.9 | since the death of the dictator General Franco |
| 1:28.3 | more than 40 years ago. What lies behind the push for independence and why is the government |
| 1:35.0 | in Madrid so resistant to it? In the briefing room now is Miguel Murado, a Spanish journalist |
| 1:41.5 | and writer who's been following the Catalan independence movement for years. |
| 1:46.2 | Catalan nationalism has always been very strong, |
... |
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