The Day We Began To Win

Whereas 300 years ago, the only option was to resist, now the only option is to make a decision:  to take a step forward and embrace liberty.

On 25 July, 300 years to the date, the troops of the House of Bourbon launched a siege of Barcelona.  It was a horrific and bloody episode.  The general in charge of the Franco-Spanish troops, James Fitz-James Berwick, celebrated his name day with mass.  Catalonia's capital was a silent and surrounded witness. Immediately afterwards, a priest blessed the guns and the attack began at dawn. It was the final stage in the War of Spanish Succession. Probably the most ill-fated historical crossroads for our country.

Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, chose defiance.  She decided to embrace resistance. At that moment, it was the only way. This is also the case today. Nowadays no guns are in sight, but we are surrounded by a number of threats, as we then were. Threats against our small measure of self-government. Threats against our language and culture. Threats against the foundations of our welfare state. The time has come to honour those men and women who, three centuries ago, thought it worth to take a step forward, despite knowing that the road ahead was a difficult one. Today, as then, our country is full of brave Catalans. Despite all sorts of sieges, they keep waging their daily battle.  Yard by yard, they advance against fear and disenchantment.

The time has come to remember values such as dignity and solidarity. The values of those Catalans who gave their all. From the hospitals, to the volunteers at the different units. The whole city stood united under the bombs. At the current juncture, we must follow that example of national and social dignity. Only by understanding the past can we choose to decide our future. We started to win 300 years ago, when we chose to resist.

Today, our only weapon is democracy. It is the only weapon we want to employ. Our strength, our ammunition, will be the votes that we shall we able to gather. This is why we want to enlarge the majority ready to vote yes at a referendum. Because we want to win, and because we want to convince. This is our resistance. We are committed to democracy. It is an incorruptible commitment. We cannot allow a developed country like ours to be unable to treat her citizens the way they deserve. The time has come to break free. The time has come to decide. 

We want to rule our destiny because we want our society to be fairer. Because we want Catalonia to be prosperous, making equality of opportunity possible. Because we want a welcoming country, without barriers. They took away our liberties by force of arms three centuries ago. Now we will act free, with the almighty force of the ballot box. We have homework to do: what do we want to be? How will be discharge our unavoidable duties towards the international community? We need a solid majority to begin building this new nation, to afford a free society for everybody. Our most important challenge remains achieving a majority.

Today, as ever, being a patriot means being brave. Above all, however, it means being generous towards the future generations. Whereas 300 years ago, the only option was to resist, now the only option is to make a decision:  to take a step forward and embrace liberty.

 

Josep Rull i Andreu is a member of the Catalan Parliament, and second party secretary of the CDC, the senior partner in the Catalan ruling coalition.

This is an English-language version of an article first published by Catalan daily Avui on 24 July.