WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Perhaps more by accident than design, in recent months Catalonia Today has published a series of interviews with leading experts that help shed light on the whole independence process with the sort of nuance often absent from mainstream media reports.

At the end of last year, we spoke to the US Professor of international law, Allen Buchanan. Whether you agree with him or not, the expert on secession processes provided a refreshingly objective view of the Catalan crisis, which was informed by his knowledge of similar situations in other countries around the world.

After that, the magazine featured an interview with German sociologist and writer, Wolf Lepenies, who is an expert on relations between European countries. While somewhat reluctant to dish out prescriptions for solving the political crisis, it was also refreshing to read a view of the situation by someone who is clearly familiar with it and has some sympathy.

Then came an interview with Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, legal expert and Carles Puigdemont’s defence lawyer. He provided some fascinating insight into what went on behind the scenes following the referendum and in the build-up to the trial of the independence leaders in the Supreme Court. It was valuable to get a take on the issue from someone who is not only deeply involved, but who also has a deep knowledge of the law and the judiciary.

That brings me to this month’s issue, which has an interview with lawyer Aamer Anwar (pages 18 & 19). A snappy dresser who is not shy to talk from the hip, Anwar successfully helped former minister, Clara Ponsatí, challenge extradition from Scotland, where she now works as a university professor. Since then, Anwar has become more involved in the independence issue and, along with being an expert on human rights, speaks confidently and knowledgeably about the Catalan conflict.

In the interview, Anwar shows as much passion for independence as any Catalan republican, but does so with the distance of the informed foreigner, producing a sort of confident detachment in his opinions that is hard to find in equivalent figures over here. Whether his analysis is right or wrong is up to you to decide, but it is also refreshing to read how and where he thinks Catalans who want independence are clearly going wrong, while at the same time obviously being on their side. If you haven’t already, check it out — it’s well worth the read.

I now look forward to more interviews like these in the future. With the independence issue set to run for some time to come, there will no doubt be plenty of opportunity to hear more from such expert voices.