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Spanish president proposes a referendum "on self-government but not on self-determination" and then goes on to say that article 155 (direct rule from Madrid) is a legitimate constitutional instrument and that, if necessary, they will reapply it. lavanguardia.com/politica/20180903/451586920362/pedro-sanchez-referendum-autogobierno-autodeterminacion-catalunya.html
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Catalonia has been fooled with a self-government statute before. One was agreed by both governments, the Catalan people vote to accept it, but then Spain's courts dismantled the entire thing. Catalonia is not interested in repeating this mistake.
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Also, making a weak offer that interests nobody and then immediately following up with a threat of reimposing a repressive colonial administration from Madrid shows that this new Spanish government hasn't learned anything.