Society

Sergi Belbel, artistic director of the National Theatre of Catalonia (TNC): “To understand Catalans, the first thing is to understand the concepts of ‘seny’ and ‘rauxa’”.

For chef 7 Michelin-star, Santi Santamaria, with 2 restaurants in Catalonia, 1 in Dubai and 1 in Singapur, tapas are for tourists. “We prefer more to deeply experience dishes”, he states.

The president of the Institute of Catalan Studies, Salvador Giner, responds, “Catalan is spoken by 10 million people in 4 different countries”.

Miquel Valls, president of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, says, “Catalonia is the first economic region in Spain, it makes up 19% of the GDP and has solidarity with the rest of the regions”.

The university will be located in the historic Hospital de Sant Pau area, an Art-Nouveau gem and a hospital until two years ago. The United Nations University will centre on research in education, migration, youth and the role of media.

Tomàs Molina, Catalan public television's weatherman, answers: “It only rains 100 days a year here, but when it does, it rains a lot, almost like Monsoon season in India.”

Justo Molinero, born in Andalucía and founder of a radio and TV station in Catalonia, answers: “Catalans are very serious people, but that doesn’t mean they don’t like to party and make jokes”.

The drop is primarily in the male immigrant population, while the female population experienced a slight increase.

Aleksandra Tomanic, a German with Balkan roots, tells CNA what she thinks about Catalonia and nationalism. Muriel Casals, president of the main NGO promoting Catalan culture and expert in International Relations, responds to Tomanic.

The Catalan Government has approved a decree regulating tourist apartments. A flat rented for a period of less than 3 months is considered a “tourist” flat. As it performs an economic activity, it will now need a municipal license. Until now, tourist flats were regulated depending on the municipality.

Zapatero refused to attend the ceremonies in Santiago de Compostela and in Barcelona. This meeting was the only one they shared during the Pope’s trip. Zapatero’s decision, announced several days ago, raised controversy in Spain. The Pope himself contributed to the tension answering back and criticising what he called the “aggressive secularism” present in Spain nowadays, which reminded him of the 1930s atmosphere.

The Pope decided to politicise his visit to Spain. He made a brief speech on the plane after leaving Rome in which he attacked what he called “the aggressive secularism” in Spain nowadays, which reminded him of the situation in the 1930s. It is an attack against Prime Minister Zapatero’s policies and an answer to the individuals and associations protesting against the Pope’s visit. Benedict XVI also criticised Spanish government’s laws during the religious ceremonies.

The Pope has declared the temple a “basilica”. He has also praised Antoni Gaudí’s church and the architect’s talent. The Pope was cheered by believers along the streets of Barcelona on his way to the Sagrada Família. Protesters against the Pope and his visit also showed their disagreement as the Popemobile went by. The ceremony started on time and, as announced, Prime Minister Zapatero did not attend. Benedict XVI continued criticising liberal laws and vindicated the traditional family and its values

Barcelona is preparing the final details for the Pope’s visit. Benedict XVI is coming to Barcelona on Saturday night and will leave on Sunday evening. He is coming to declare the Sagrada Familia church a “basilica” and dedicate the temple to God.

The most prestigious choirs of Catalonia will sing at the religious ceremony inside Antoni Gaudí’s temple. The Orféo Català, the Coral Sant Jordi and the children’s choir of Montserrat Abbey will be amongst the participants.