[kuroikyu]

> The UK allowed a referendum because it has to. Spain voted its constitution in 1978, that means most of the voters are still alive and it got ratified in every community including Barcelona. So there are people protesting now that the constitution does not imminently allow a referendum that voted in favour of that clause being there 40 years ago.

You mean the same vote where people could chose whether to apply that constitution or continue living in a dictatorship? Ah yes, if that's not democracy I don't know what is!

[Arkhaine_kupo]

Those where not the only two options. That was the fear and one of the reasons it got voted so effusively. But other regions like the Basque Country refused to give up territorial and historical rights like their tax charter which they have had for ages. Catalunya did not get special treatment, did not negociate any special treatment, and their retconning of history into "we were bullied into this deal ages ago and now we are oppresed" is objectively false. They are one of the most prosperous regions in Spain, the constitution voters are quite alive and until the last couple years they had no real claim of interference of the central goverment in their affairs.

Spain allows for constitutional reform so its not like the dictatorship or constitution choice was an end all of debate. It simply that the threashold for Spain to allow changes to the constitution are 66% of Spanish goverment. So I have a hard time seeing how 51% of Catalans = democracy 66% of Spain = oppresion. Both seem democratic, now the question is who gets to vote and how many votes you need. But that doesn't make it less democratic, it might be unfair but thats a completely different topic.