Spain's
President continues to beat the drum of democracy in his attempt to
stop the Catalan independence referendum. And to offer dialogue in
the legal framework that has now been definitively established by the
faster-than-the-speed-of-light decision of the Constitutional Court.
Putting this in UK terms, I guess it's Devo-Max that's (almost) on
the table. A la The Basque Country model?
Talking
of Cataluña . . . The ex doyen of politics there - Sr Puyol - has
appeared in the regional parliament and angrily denied his family's
many millions came from corruption. So iritated was he that he forgot
to say where they did come from.
Spain's
public debt in 2007 was a mere 36% of GDP. By the end of this year,
it'll have reached 98% and it will peak, says the government, at 102%
in 2016. The
backcloth is an EU-dictated max of 60%. The rise is attributed to the
implosion of the crazy property bubble which finally ended (with a
bang!) in 2008. I guess this default would mean a lot more if Spain weren't a
member of the eurozone. And had devalued the peseta long before now.
Like the UK with the pound.
On
Sunday last, the stalls manned by gypsies at the flea market in
Veggie Square comprised at least a third of the total. Having
carefully surveyed their offerings, I might have to review my earlier
view that 95% of what's on sale is 'rubbish from the latest house in
the hills vacated". Unless one is attracted to rusted farming
implements of the 19th century, for example. Elsewhere in the market,
someone was selling copies of Readers' Digest dating back to
1956. Is there anyone in the entire world likely to be interested in
these?
Which
reminds me . . . The latest police raid on the permanent gypsy
encampment down the hill resulted in the arrest of 2 men on
drug-related charges. Given that everyone knows where the
drug-vending spot is, this must be like shooting fish in the
proverbial for the police.
Finally
. . . You (almost) have to hand it to the begging flautist who
approached us beseechingly last night, seeking coins to pay for a
replacement for the flute he said he'd lost. I told him I'd give him
some when I next saw him at the vending point outside the gypsy
encampment. As if.
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