It might be difficult to believe, but the man pictured above, Carles Puigdemont, is on the cusp of being one of the most prominent people on Earth. As we type this post, Mr. Puigdemont is giving a speech in which he may be declaring Catalonian independence from Spain, which sets the table for some incredibly tumultuous months, and possibly years ahead not only for Spain as we know it, but for the rest of Europe.
The Catalonia story has, to date, received mild interest in North America, in part because there’s not very much understanding or knowledge about the long-standing independence movement in western Europe, in part because much of the media attention on a day-to-day basis is consumed with the gravitational pull from the latest misdoings of the Trump Administration.
Depending on what Puigdemont says today, the world as we know it is about to change.
UPDATE: Puigdemont just wrapped up a fairly lengthy speech, and kinda-sorta declared independence, saying that Catalonia “will be a state”, while saying that he wants “dialogue” with Madrid. Lots to digest here, but first impression is that if that was a declaration of independence, it was a soft call.
Democracy Interrupted 