On Saturday, Glasgow, Scotland's most populous city and the economic capital par excellence of the country, saw its streets filled by tens of thousands of people supporting a second independence referendum, as proposed by first minister Nicola Sturgeon. Since Sturgeon put forward the proposal on April 24th, British prime minister Theresa May has taken refuge in the outcome of the first referendum in 2014, when the independence movement lost, and although she is against a second consultation, as she announced at the Conservative Party conference just held at Aberdeen, she had been put on her guard for at least three reasons: the Scottish initiative, the internal problems caused by Brexit and the go-ahead given by the previous British government headed by David Cameron.
The tens of thousands of people who came to Glasgow - where, by the way, in the 2014 referendum, 'yes' won with 53% of the votes, unlike the political capital Edinburgh, where 'no' voters triumphed - are backing for Sturgeon and a serious problem for May. The Scottish government wants to hold the referendum at the beginning of next year and within this legislature that ends at the end of 2021.
Although the Spanish Government always tries to differentiate between British legislation and the Spanish Constitution, there is no doubt that Sturgeon's proposal and what May or a new government end up doing in reaction are revealing of a quality at the heart of their politics. The different attitudes of the two governments can already be noted: those in London are not losing their cool over the issue, there are no insults as there are in Madrid, or describing people as seditious or as coup plotters. Neither have Elizabeth II and the monarchy made any pronouncements via either official or unofficial means. An intelligent position in order to end up being, whatever happens, the sovereign leader of the Scots.
Look at the contrast between this attitude of 'fair play' and, for example, the very significant issue being dealt with at present: the pro-independence candidature for seats in the European Parliament of exiled Catalan politicians Puigdemont, Comín and Ponsati. With a clearly inquisitorial Central Electoral Commission that has broken the law, committing an authentic legal outrage, the Public Prosecutor's Office has had its own say and the case is now in the hands of the Supreme Court, with a ruling to be delivered this Sunday. It is worrying that when the idea of 'saving Spain' is placed in the hands of the deep state, it only serves to trample on individual and collective rights.