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CATALONIA

Puigdemont heads back to Belgium to continue with Catalan independence cause

Catalonia's deposed president Carles Puigdemont returns to Belgium on Saturday to keep pressing for his region's independence after a Spanish judge dropped a European arrest warrant for him.

Published: 28 July 2018 09:06 CEST
Puigdemont heads back to Belgium to continue with Catalan independence cause
Got to rush: Puigdemont can return to Belgium as he no longer runs the risk of extradition to Spain. Photo: AFP

“My political activity will be based in Belgium, of course with the aim of pursuing the mandate by the people” for an independent Catalonia, Puigdemont said in Berlin when he announced his return this week.

Four months after he was detained in Germany at Madrid's request, Puigdemont can return to Belgium as he no longer runs the risk of extradition to Spain after the Spanish court cancelled the warrant.

The 55-year-old former regional leader, with his signature shaggy Beatles-style mop, will continue to fight for Catalan independence south of Brussels in the town of Waterloo, which is known for another battle — French emperor Napoleon's defeat by a mix of European forces in 1815.

Sacked as Catalan president after a failed secession bid on October 27, Puigdemont and several members of his executive fled to Brussels several days later.

He was then arrested in Germany at the end of March on his return from a trip to Finland.

Puigdemont was freed on bail around 10 days later and set about waiting for a German court decision on an extradition request by Spain, where he is wanted over his role in the independence drive.

But the German court ruled that he could be extradited only on possible corruption charges and not for “rebellion” as sought by Madrid but which is not recognised under German law.

Following that decision, Spain's Supreme Court judge Pablo Llarena, in charge of the case against separatist leaders, dropped the international arrest warrant.

– Welcoming party –

From Belgium, Puigdemont will be able to travel where he likes, save Spain where he is still wanted for rebellion, which carries up to 25 years in jail, and for misuse of public funds.

In theory, he could remain in self-exile for 20 years, which in Spain's legal system is the time limit after which the rebellion charge would no longer be valid.

Puigdemont is set to be greeted by a welcoming party comprising members of Catalonia's government as well as other pro-independence organisations.

Puigdemont will hold a news conference with his designated successor Quim Torra, who still considers him to be the “legitimate president” of Catalonia, at 11:00 am (0900 GMT) on Saturday.

He will then head to Waterloo for a ceremony at 4:00 pm.

Puigdemont intends to set up a “Republican council” at his home in Waterloo, as well as an assembly composed of local officials to work in parallel with the Catalan government.

– 'Time for action' –

Although power is now officially in the Torra's hands, Puigdemont continues to exert strong influence in the region.

In an illustration of Puigdemont's influence, he managed to reverse his party's stance for greater openness for dialogue with Madrid.

“In Brussels, we will continue… to develop activities linked to that which the people of Catalonia approved on October 1,” said Puigdemont, in reference to the referendum that was banned by Spain's courts and marred by police violence.

“It's no longer a Spanish affair that can be resolved internally; a European view is necessary for the Catalonia question,” said the region's former president, who expects to travel to other European countries to push his case.

Besides Puigdemont, five other leading members of his pro-independence movement are in Belgium, Switzerland and Scotland.

Torra met Spain's new Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in early July, with the socialist leader promising to find a way out of the crisis.

Puigdemont wants Sanchez to allow a referendum on the question of independence for Catalonia — something that the prime minister has refused categorically.

He also wants Spain to release nine separatists.

“The change in Spain's government is supposed to come with a change in style and climate… but it's not the time for gestures, it's the time for action,” he said.

BEACHES

Why are Barcelona’s beaches disappearing?

Barcelona's much-loved beaches are losing between six and 10 metres of sand per year, but why is this happening?

Published: 16 June 2021 15:30 CEST
Why are Barcelona's beaches disappearing?
Barceloneta Beach. Photo: Pau BARRENA / AFP

Barcelona may be famed for its beaches and they may be one of its biggest tourist draws, but it hasn’t always been this way.

In fact, Barcelona didn’t used to have any beaches at all, just ports and seaside neighbourhoods. It wasn’t until 1992 when the city held the Olympic Games that these neighbourhoods were demolished and the beaches were created. 

What’s the problem?

Since 2017, the city’s beaches have been losing between six and 10 metres of width per year, according to a recent study by the Área Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB).

This beach erosion means that every year there is less and less sand for residents and tourists to lie on and enjoy. 

This is not a new problem however and has been going on much longer than four and half years. In 2016, the Barcelona City Council revealed that since 2010 Barceloneta Beach had lost over 15 metres in width, which is equivalent to 28 percent of its surface area.  

In another 2016 report, the regional authorities of Barcelona also showed that its beaches as a whole had lost 17 percent of their total amount of sand during the same time period, the same as five football pitches.

Why is it happening?

The study attributes this to the fact that there have been more storms than normal since 2017, which has prevented the natural recovery of the beaches.

Storm Gloria in January 2020 in particular caused significant damage to the beaches in the area and caused even more sand to be washed away.

In short, most of this is to do with climate change. 

The beaches that have been most affected and have lost the most amount of sand are those in the lower Maresme region and the towns of Masnou and Badalona.

Barcelona beaches being destroyed during a storm. Photo: JOSEP LAGO / AFP

What’s being done about it?

The Barcelona City Council has been continually adding a little sand to its beaches each year and moving it around from areas that have more to areas that have less.

Aitor Rumín, head of the beach management service of the Barcelona Consistory told El Pais last month that “the last major contribution of sand was made by the ministry in 2010. Since then we have only lost sand”.

“It’s survival, but we can’t do much more. The beaches lose 30 cubic meters of sand per year, especially in the southern parts of each of the beaches. The coastline is receding and we have beaches like Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella and Llevant, where we can’t do anything to regain the sand,” he said.

Badalona Beach. Photo: JOSEP LAGO / AFP

While moving the sand around and adding a little each year may help to cover up the problem in the short term, it’s not really helping solve the problem and a long-term solution needs to be found.

The Área Metropolitana de Barcelona have been trying to stop the beach erosion with their Resilience Plan, which will ask for greater contributions of sand to try and balance out the current losses and divide the beaches up with breakwaters.

In the case of Badalona, it has been proposed that 13,200 cubic metres of sand be added to the beach each year, as well as to rethink the layout of the equipment located on the seafront. The construction of a breakwater on La Mora beach has also been proposed.

In Sant Adrià, the plan is to build another breakwater, as well as to remove the jetty in front of the old industrial areas. The council also hope to add a further 95,000 cubic metres of sand.

It is thought that similar plans may be carried out on Barcelona’s other beaches.

Is this a problem anywhere else in Spain?

Yes, beach erosion is a problem throughout Spain, as well as throughout the world, due to climate change.

Theocharis Plomaritis from the University of Cádiz who was one of the co-authors of the Nature Climate Change study published in March 2020, told El Periodico that by the end of the century the retreat of the beaches in Spain and Southern Europe could be 86 metres, if no measures are taken to contain climate change. 

According to the study, in the best case scenario – with measures to mitigate the effects of climate – the loss of sandy beaches in Spain would be 60 metres and 27 of these metres by 2050.

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