Talk, don’t fight, Editorial, Oct. 20

The Star makes a valid point in recommending that Spain follow Canada’s example in Spain’s current dispute with Catalonia. Anyone would agree that negotiation is preferable to conflict as a means to an end.

But that end is at least as important as the means; and Spain would be well advised to look closely at where decades of negotiations have taken Canada.

In the somewhat parallel situations of Canada/Quebec and Spain/Catalonia, each of the sub-entities is a well-defined and relatively small area of the country as a whole. Each has a different language from its parent country; and each has its own set of laws, subject to overriding national laws. So how has this arrangement served Canada? Passably well, but not ideally so.

In Canada, our linguistic duality fosters a very palpable us-and-them mentality. Is that what Spain wants? Because of differences in civil law, we are obliged to have one third of the justices of the Supreme Court appointed from Quebec. For reasons of language, the federal government offers costly services in both official languages, even where the second language is rarely heard. And we all pay a premium to have imported products labelled in both languages.

Language is, in many ways, a defining characteristic of a people. Catalonia’s origins are only partly the same as those of Spain, just as Quebec’s roots have not been entirely the same as those of the rest of Canada. With a different history, a different language and different aspirations, is it not at least understandable that Catalonia might yearn to be a state unto itself?

Spain’s best approach would be to negotiate independence for Catalonia, while still maintaining close economic ties. And if they choose to do that, then Canada might be well advised to follow the example of Spain.

Ronald Weir, Toronto

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