WAVE OF SOVEREIGNTY ALSO GROWS IN THE PYRENEAN ISTHMUS

"Let's prepare this together, it is in our common interest to make this country work. Confederalism is the key and everybody understands that," Bart De Wever.
 

 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/15/us-eu-separatists-idUSBRE89E13L20121015

Analysis: Europe's separatists gain ground in crisis.

 

 

From the Pyrennean pastures of Catalonia to the heathery highlands of Scotland, separatists are gaining ground as Europe's economic crisis deepens, but this does not necessarily mean there will be more national flags on the map.

Flemish nationalists scored sweeping gains in Belgian local elections on Sunday, Scotland agreed terms on Monday for a 2014 referendum on independence from Britain, and Catalan separatists expect a regional election next month to advance their cause.

Just as nation states are ceding more power over budgets and economic policy to the European Union, regional grievances and conflicts that have simmered for centuries have taken on new intensity in fights over a shrinking pie of public money.

Richer regions such as Catalan-speaking Catalonia and Dutch-speaking Flanders, which already have wide-ranging autonomy, resent paying for poorer areas such as Spanish-speaking Andalucia and French-speaking Wallonia.

In Germany, there is no separatist movement but prosperous Bavaria is challenging in court a fiscal balancing system that makes it hand over some revenue to poorer federal states.

Scotland, though poorer than England and subsidized by London, thinks it could manage better on its own by harnessing offshore oil and gas reserves.

There are as many differences as similarities between the separatist movements, and opinion polls suggest none has yet secured clear-cut majority support for breaking away.

Backing for Scottish independence hovers between 30 and 40 percent, a range that has changed little as negotiations have intensified. The latest survey by Spanish pollster Metroscopia in late September found 43 percent of Catalans wanted full statehood while 41 percent were opposed.

RICH BUT BROKE

Catalonia, one of the wealthier regions of Spain per capita but with overstretched public finances, is in the paradoxical position of seeking a debt bailout from Madrid even as it presses demands for independence.

"Without a state, Catalonia will not survive," regional premier Arturo Mas of the center-right sovereignist Convergence and Union party said in a weekend speech.

He argues that the region, home to hi-tech industries and productive farming, pays more to Madrid than it gets back and could use the cash to provide better social and health services.

After a demonstration by at least 500,000 separatists on Catalonia's national day last month, Mas pledged that if he wins the regional election he will hold a referendum on independence, which Madrid says would be illegal.

Many Catalan and Spanish officials say they expect no referendum, but instead a negotiation that would grant Catalonia more power to raise taxes and spend the revenue. Nabarra, where nationalist groups look set to win a majority in regional polls this month, already has such an arrangement.

Elsewhere, charismatic politicians such as Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and Flemish N-VA leader Bart De Wever have transformed what were once fringe nationalist groups into respectable mainstream forces.
They have played on the growing unpopularity of traditional parties of the center-right and center-left that have shared responsibility for implementing harsh austerity measures in the economic crisis since 2008.

Salmond has used Britain's decade-old devolution system to spare Scotland some of the most unpopular austerity measures imposed by Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, such as raising university tuition fees and some healthcare charges.

CAUTIOUS FLEMINGS

De Wever, by contrast, has advocated cutting spending instead of the unpopular tax increases imposed by the federal Belgian coalition led by Socialist Prime Minister Elio di Rupo.

The Flemish firebrand was cautious in an interview with Reuters a day after topping the poll in the port city of Antwerp, a Socialist bastion since the 1930s. He stressed conciliation and gradualism rather than a dash for sovereignty.

Asked if he felt he had a majority for independence, De Wever said: "That's not on the agenda now."

He urged Di Rupo to start negotiations before the 2014 general election to revise the federal constitution to establish a looser confederation. Flanders is home to 6.3 million of Belgium's 11 million people.

"Let's prepare this together, it is in our common interest to make this country work. Confederalism is the key and everybody understands that," De Wever told Reuters.

Asked about parallels with the Catalans or Scots, he said: "People make that comparison a lot but I especially see the differences. We are not a minority in our country, we are also not just one piece in a game with many players. We are quite a unique country."

EYE ON QUEBEC

Despite such distinctions, Europe's separatists are increasingly working together, sharing tactics and drawing inspiration from each other. They are also keeping a watchful eye on Quebec, where the separatist Parti Quebecois won a provincial election last month, but without the majority support needed to press again for independence.

The rise of European separatist movements is also part of a generation change, with political parties rooted in the class struggles of the 19th century losing ground to newer forces that have emerged in the lifetime of today's voters.

These include ecologist Greens, libertarian Pirates, and far-right Eurosceptical and anti-immigration groups as well as nationalists who have gained experience in devolved regional assemblies and local government.

Far from vaccinating nation states against break-up, the decentralization of many European countries since the 1970s and 1980s has anchored separatists in the landscape.

While the main Catalan, Scottish and Flemish nationalist parties are all pro-European, there is a parallel between the separatist trend in some EU countries and the large protest vote for Eurosceptical, anti-immigration populists in others.

Italy's Northern League, in decline after a spate of scandals, combines demands for far-reaching autonomy for a region it calls "Padania" with fierce hostility to immigrants.

De Wever's N-VA, founded in 2001, has given Flemish voters a respectable alternative to the far-right Vlaams Belang (Flemish Cause) party which wants to ban mosque-building and send home Muslim immigrants.

Belgian political scientist Cas Mudde drew a link between the identity politics of separatists and far-right populists.

"Nativism feeds upon the feeling of endangered or threatened ethnic or national identity, linked most notably to the process of European integration, mass immigration, and the mechanics of ‘multiculturalism'," he wrote in a 2007 study of Populist Radical Right Parties.

EU SCARE CARD

The increased role of the European Union, combined with devolution of power in many countries, has reduced the powers of nation states in Europe and hence eased the trauma of secession.

But in trying to dissuade voters from choosing independence, some governments are playing a European scare card.

Conservative Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is warning that any region opting for independence will find itself shut out of the EU, since the admission of new member states requires unanimous agreement.
"If you are outside Spain and outside the European Union you are nowhere, you are condemned to nothingness," Rajoy said in a speech on Sunday.

British officials say Scotland would not automatically join the EU if it voted to quit the United Kingdom. That would depend on a complex negotiation on sharing the national debt and other administrative issues, and London would have a veto.

While the Scots are more pro-European than the traditionally Eurosceptical English, Salmond has sought to minimize the economic dislocation of any vote to secede by saying Scotland would keep the pound and not switch to using the euro.

CATALONIAN NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SIGNATURE

http://www.marca.com/2012/10/07/en/football/barcelona/1349642354.html?a=PR8c75c8d13eec5b332993be21de575808b&t=1349723605

Mosaic of the national colours and cries for independence in minute 17

Huge clamour at Camp Nou for Catalonian independence

10/07/2012

 

The large majority of the almost 100,000 supporters who this Sunday filled Camp Nou to watch the 'Clasico' between Barcelona FC and Real Madrid in the seventh La Liga encounter, shouted for Catalonian independence 17 minutes and 14 seconds into the first half during a match with several politically significant actions such as, the large 'Senyera' Catalan flag on the terraces that greeted both teams.

The moment arrived – symbolic for the 11 September 1714, Catalonia Day, when Barcelona fell in the War of Succession - and the spectators began chanting 'In, inde, independència' and waved thousands of 'Senyeras' and 'Esteladas' (Catalan independence flags) as called for by various quarters over recent days, among them the Catalan National Assembly (ANC).

Prior to the match, the fans were already singing for independence and the 'Blaugrana' stadium was decorated with a giant mosaic featuring the 'Senyera' and the word 'Barça' made up of 98,000 coloured cards that was displayed when the players took to the pitch and while Barça's anthem was played over the loudspeaker. A banner could also be seen featuring the slogan 'Catalonia next European state'.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

HOW OUR FOOTBALL SOCCER TEAMS ARE DOING IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.
 

2012-13

Grupo B

Clasificación		P.J.	P.G.	P.E.	P.P.	G.F.	G.C.	Ptos
1	Arsenal	2	2	0	0	5	2	6
2	Schalke 04	2	1	1	0	4	3	4
3	MONTPEHLIER	2	0	1	1	3	4	1
4	Olympiacos	2	0	0	2	2	5	0

Grupo F

Clasificación		P.J.	P.G.	P.E.	P.P.	G.F.	G.C.	Ptos
1	Bate Borisov	2	2	0	0	6	2	6
2	Bayern Múnich	2	1	0	1	3	4	3
3	VALENCIA	2	1	0	1	3	2	3
4	Lille	2	0	0	2	1	5	0

Grupo G

Clasificación		P.J.	P.G.	P.E.	P.P.	G.F.	G.C.	Ptos
1	BARCELONA	2	2	0	0	5	2	6
2	Celtic Glasgow	2	1	1	0	3	2	4
3	Benfica	2	0	1	1	0	2	1
4	Spartak Moscú	2	0	0	2	4	6	0

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING PYRENEANS

http://www.marca.com/2012/10/04/en/football/barcelona/1349339197.html

Two possible loopholes to keep club in Spanish league

Barça could stay in La Liga despite Catalan independence

Ramón Fuentes 10/04/2012

 

If Catalonia were to gain independence from Spain it would mean that FC Barcelona would have to leave the LFP (National Professional Football League) with immediate effect. While the matter may be a distant possibility that has not been studied by both the LFP and the RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation), the regulations on the issue are clear and concise. However, there may be a solution.

In order to be able to participate in official competitions in Spain, football clubs must be affiliated to the Spanish Football Federation through their corresponding territorial Federations.

There would be two regulation escape routes for Barça which would allow the club to continue being affiliated by the Spanish Football Federation and thus continue playing in La Liga. One of these options would be to become affiliated in a territorial Federation in Catalonia. This option comes under regulation as something exceptional that would have to be approved by the Board of the RFEF. In other words, the club would be able to participate in La Liga, affiliated to the Federations of Aragon, Valencia or any other zone.

However, this is not the only alternative. The other option would be to benefit from the exceptional situation that the Principality of Andorra has, which allows participation in the Spanish league. The Andorra side currently plays in the Segunda División B. This option would therefore be feasible, as Catalonia, despite being an independent country, depends on sport in relation to Spanish legislation and its Federation.

UPS AND DOWNS OF THE PYRENEAN FOOTBALLER

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THE PYRENEAN FOOTBALLER JAVI MARTINEZ. IT LOOKS LIKE HE FINALLY LANDED A JOB IN MUNICH.

Bayern Munich completed the $50m signing of Nabarran midfielder Javi Martinez from Athletic Bilbao, on Wednesday.

no_source / Scott Heavey/Getty Images 

Javi Martinez signed a five-year deal with Bayern Munich, who landed the Athletic Bilbao midfielder for a Bundesliga-record $50 million transfer fee.

Martinez, part of the victorious Spain squad at the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship, had a $50m release fee in his Bilbao contract, but was required to pay the amount himself, which created huge tax liabilities for the player and complications for the German club.

Bayern's chairman Karl-Heinz Rummennigge described the transfer as "very complicated" and accused Bilbao of "refusing to cooperate from the very first day" of negotiations.  "We've had tax and legal problems to solve over the last few days, but fortunately we've succeeded," he said.

"The player has made an indirect contribution by foregoing a large sum of his salary. Our management is convinced the player will do very well with us," he added.

Despite being only 23, Martinez has made 201 appearances for Athletic Bilbao and was a key member of the side that enjoyed a surprise run to the final of last season's Europa League. The Basque native can play in central midfield, or as a center-back.

"Bayern are one of the best teams in Europe, and the whole world," Martinez told the club's website. "There are so many top players here, all of them fantastic footballers. That's hugely motivating for me. And naturally, I'm looking to win trophies,"

MORTAL CAR ACCIDENT IN THE NEW ROUND ABOUT OF FEDA.

Sunday, July 15th, 2012.

 http://www.elperiodicdandorra.ad/societat/21030-xoc-mortal-amb-una-victima-a-la-rotonda-nova-de-feda.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

EL PERIÒDIC
ENCAMP

Air view of the round about where the accident took place.

A Portuguese man lost his life in a car accident in the main round about of Andorra on Sunday.

He hopes to play for Osasuna before he retires

Javi Martínez: "I can't see myself playing for Barcelona"

RAFAEL BEATO. BILBAO 07/12/2012

 

 

Javi Martínez has finally put an end to all of the speculation over his future: "I can't see myself playing for Barcelona. I'm not thinking about that. I'm very happy at Athletic. To be honest, I see myself at Athletic until 2016, which is when my contract runs out," he said in front of the Antena 3 TV cameras.

The player from Navarre assures that he has not taken much notice of everything that has been said about him: "I've kept out of it. I've seen a few newspapers and what they say on the telly, but they don't always get it right. If we listened to everything they say, I would have played for several different clubs by now. They come out with a new one each week. You have to take it with a pinch of salt because so many rumours can get to you in the end."

Nor has he taken much notice of all of the turmoil which broke out between Bielsa and the club over the works: "I don't really know what has happened, but what's best for everyone is what's happening now, which is that everything's going back to normal; the boss is doing what he does best, which is coaching. There's been some tension, but it's died down. Bielsa is amongst the top three or four coaches in the world. He's very good and you just have to look at how we've played this year. Lots of people in Spain have got behind Athletic this season because of how we've played. They've told us that they're very proud of us."

MORE FOOBALL SOCCER PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD TRYING TO GET THE PYRENEAN PLAYER FOR NEXT SEASON.

Keita'’s departure rocks new manager’'s plans

http://www.marca.com/2012/07/09/en/football/barcelona/1341820526.html

Javi Martínez tops Vilanova wish-list

SERGI FONT/ Barcelona 07/09/2012

Tito Vilanova and Andoni Zubizarreta will have to move quickly to decide on what strategy to adopt after Seydou Keita's departure. The new manager had previously announced that Barça only needed to bring in a right-back and a centre-half. Having sealed the signing of Jordi Alba, he had €26 million left in the kitty to reinforce his back line, but the Malian midfielder’s decision to seek pastures new has raised question marks about the club’s transfer policy this summer.
The first choice, albeit the trickiest deal to strike, would be to sign Javi Martínez. The Bilbao player fits the bill perfectly, as he would provide cover for both positions and would have no trouble adapting. The stumbling block is the price, as the Basque club is not willing to accept a penny less than his release clause, which stands at €40 million.
All things considered, Barça may choose to only sign someone in one of the two positions and rely on the youth set-up, a philosophy that has borne fruit in recent years. Two possible options to replace Keita are Jonathan Dos Santos, who has passed on the chance to play at the Olympics in order to spend pre-season training with the club, and Sergi Roberto.
Zubizaretta has, nevertheless, drawn up a list of other potential targets. With Thiago Silva and Vertonghen out of the picture, Vermaelen, Hummels and Subotic are all possibilities at centre-back. The club is keeping tabs on Capoue, M’Vila, Cabaye and Bruno Soriano for the holding midfielder role.

HEYNCKES DESPERATE TO LAND JAVI MARTINEZ AT ANY COST.

But Athletic is refusing to budge from midfielder's release clause.

 http://www.marca.com/2012/06/21/en/football/international_football/1340268445.html

 

• The German Jupp Heynckes, the two-time former Athletic Bilbao boss and current Bayern Munich manager, has set his sights on the Pyrenean Isthmus in an attempt to bring Javi Martínez to Germany at any cost to bolster his team for the coming seasons.
  
  Heynckes is personally negotiating with the current Athletic chairman, Josu Urrutia, with whom he enjoys an excellent relationship. Urrutia was one of the linchpins of the Athletic Bilbao side that prospered under the German manager’s stewardship in the early 90’s.
  
  The two saw one another in November last year following a Bayern Munich Champions League home tie at the Allianz Arena, with Athletic in action the following day in Salzburg. Heynckes told Urrutia that Martínez was a major part of his plans to turn Bayern into a team capable of winning in Europe and domestically, which are the Bavarian outfit’s targets for next season.
  
  Urrutia’s response in the face of the German’s interest has been categorical: Athletic has no intention of paving the way for the departure of Javi Martínez or any of its other stars. This means that the only chance of convincing the club to part with the midfielder would be to meet the player’s release clause, which stands at €40 million. The fee reflects Martínez’s status as one of the highest-paid members of the Bilbao squad, with wages of €2 million a year after tax.

PAU CLARIS I CASADEMUNT


 Pau Claris i Casademunt (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈpaw ˈkɫaɾis]; January 1, 1586 – February 27, 1641) was a Catalan lawyer, clergyman and 94th President of Catalonia at the beginning of the Catalan Revolt. On January 16, 1641, he proclaimed the Catalan Republic under the protection of France.

 

 

Claris was born in Barcelona , in the Pyrenean Isthmus. His paternal family was from Berga, and both his grandfather, Francesc, and his father, Joan, were prominent jurists in Barcelona. His mother was Peronella Casademunt. Pau was the youngest of four brothers, and his older brother, Francesc (most likely named for his grandfather), was a lawyer and had a strong influence on his brother's path toward politics. Pau Claris' family belonged to the Barcelonese bourgeois and had significant economic and administrative power.
While it is possible that his education may have been more extensive, it is only clear that Claris received a doctorate in civil law and canon law from the University of Barcelona, and studied the course during the period between 1604 and 1612.

On August 28, 1612, Pau Claris was appointed to work in La Seu d'Urgell, the seat of the Bishop of Catalonia. On September 25 of the same year, he was appointed canon, and was assigned to the Diocese of Urgell.


In 1626, Claris was elected as a representative of the church at the Parliament of Catalonia (Corts catalanes), which opened on March 28 amid a troublesome political situation after the new king of Spain, Philip IV, would not ratify the Catalan constitutions, due to tax reasons and the question if royal officers had to follow the Catalan law. The Catalan church had been exhausted by the royal taxes and was against the practice of nominating bishops from Castile to Catalan dioceses. The refusal to pay a tax of 3,300,000 ducats, caused the immediate departure of the king to Madrid.

It was not until 1632 that the Parliament resumed, although with the same members as in 1626. On this occasion, the rebellion against the Spanish crown was evident, led by a brilliant generation of lawyers, such as Catalan Joan Pere Fontanella, who was the legal adviser of the Generalitat and the Consell de Cent, and played a role in the crisis in relations between Catalonia and the Crown, which ended with the secession of 1640.

In 1632, Claris was appointed by his arm to treat the subject of an election and on July 15, the estate appointed eighteen people-the Divuitena-that would form the role of the Executive Board.

The most remarkable political episode of this period of Claris' life were the riots of Vic. As a result of a papal concession that granted the king of Spain a tenth of the revenues of the Church in Spain that served as a subsidy to the Crown, popular unrest virulently erupted in the diocese of Vic under the guidance of the archdeacon, Melcior Palau i Boscà, and the impassioned support of two canons of Urgell, Jaume Ferran and Pau Claris.

The kidnapping of ecclesiastical property in Vic by the Royal Court caused revolutionary demonstrations, with defamatory libel and threats of subversion in the field during the spring and summer of 1634. Despite pressure from the bishop of Girona, the Council of Aragon only dared to imprison a dissident deacon, Pau Capfort. Finally, the conflict delayed the payment of the tenth until the end of November.

In 1630 and 1636, Claris attended the Councils of Tarragona. In the year 1636, in spite of the neutralizing efforts of the archbishop of Tarragona, the Spaniard Antonio Pérez, he achieved approval of a provision whereby all sermons in the Principality were in Catalan.


On July 22 in 1638, Pau Claris was elected ecclesiastical deputy of the Diputació del General. The other members chosen with Claris were: Jaume Ferran (also canon of Urgell), Rafael Ancient and Rafael Cerdà as auditors of the Ecclesiastical Arm, Military and Royal, respectively, and Francesc of Tamarit and Josep Miquel Quintana as deputies of the Military and Royal Arms.

As a church member, Claris went on to preside over meetings of the Government. According to Elliott, the Viceroy in Santa Coloma tried in vain to bribe Claris and Tamarit, people uncomfortable about their role in the service of the king.

Claris found a Generalitat with very grave economic problems, resulting from years of mismanagement, and conflict that opened with the Spanish Crown accusing the generality of smuggling, due to a breach of the edicts of 1635 and 1638, which prohibited any kind of trade with France because of the Thirty Years' War. The intervention of the sheriff Montrodón, commissioned by the Viceroy of Santa Coloma, to the warehouses of Mataró and Salses, triggered the conflict, in which the lawyer Joan Pere Fontanella again played a prominent role in favor of the theses of the Members of the Government. Although the city of Barcelona was initially reluctant, it sided with the Members in 1639, especially because of the decision of the Crown to establish a general recovery from Catalonia for the years 1639 and 1640, of 50,000 pounds annually.

Behind this new effort was the eagerness of Philip IV, and the Count-Duke of Olivares to add all the lands of the Spanish Crown to the effort to contribute financially to the expenses incurred in the Thirty Years War, that already had devastated Castella. Catalonia had never felt this conflict of expansionist roots to be its own, as the Catalans never had expected anything. Olivares, to counterbalance this situation, wanted to move the conflict (or at least, it already seemed it) and so on July 19, 1639, the French besieged and took the Fort de Salses in the Roussillon. This initiated a very severe struggle between the Count-Duke and the Generality to increase its efforts in the war. Finally, the deputies agreed to send Francesc de Tamarit to the front of a new draft of soldiers to recover the castle of Salses, which was achieved on the day of Epiphany in 1640. However, the cost in human lives and in money for the country had been so great that the situation became explosive.

In spite of the actual date that contacts with France began, it would end with the formation of a Catalan-French alliance that confronted the Spanish Crown and gave rise to the so-called Catalan Revolt or War of the Reapers. Although it remains a controversial issue among historians, it seems that they could have already started in the month of May 1640. Pau Claris had summoned the general court on September 10 of 1640, but simultaneously and without consulting to the cities, would have begun the contacts with the French.

On September 7 of 1640, the representatives of the Generality of Catalonia, Francesc de Tamarit, Ramon de Guimerà, and Francesc de Vilaplana, nephew of Claris, signed the first Pact of Céret with Bernard Du Plessis-Besançon,^[2] delegated by Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, Cardinal-Duc de Richelieu on behalf of Louis XIII of France, for which Catalonia had received military support aimed at facing the Castilian offensive commanded by the Count-Duke of Olivares, who had already decided to intervene in Catalonia. It is believed that in front of the Castilian military pressure, Claris was seen to be progressively driven to accept a counter-course to French pressure, in which Catalonia would separate itself from the Spanish Monarchy and would take the form of a Free Republic under the protection of the French king.

The personal assumption of power by Claris' staff from September 1640, appeared to be total. The Junta General de Braços was summoned and set up as the ruling institution of the new situation, the commitments with France and the secession were made official, and public debt was issued for funding the military expenses.

On October 20 of 1640, Du Plessis-Besançon went to Barcelona, and some days afterwards, he signed the first pact of Confraternity and military aid from France to Catalonia, by which France was engaged to defend the Principality.

On November 24, the Spanish army under Pedro Fajardo, the Marquis of Los Vélez, invaded Catalonia from the south. On December 23, Pau Claris raised the alarm and declared war against Philip IV of Spain. The victorious advance of the Castilian troops for Tortosa, Cambrils, Tarragona, and Martorell forced the Board of Arms and Consell de Cent to yield to the French pressures, and on January 16 and January 17, the board accepted the proposal to constitute Catalonia into a republic under the protection of France.

But again the pressure of the Castilians who approached Barcelona, and the French pretensions brought Claris to have to liquidate the republican project and proclaim Louis XIII the Count of Barcelona on January 23 in 1641, three days before the Battle of Montjuïc that noisily defeated the Castilian forces and stopped the attack in Barcelona on January 26 of 1641.


On February 20, 1641, Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt, a substitute of Du Plessis, came to Barcelona with powers of Captain General of all the armies fighting in Catalonia. That same day, Claris fell gravely ill, and the following day received the last rites.

Pau Claris died the night of February 27 in 1641. In spite of the fact that he acted less than a year that presented problems of health, the theory of a possible poisoning circulated since the first moment (the letter from Roger de Bossost to Cardinal Richelieu) and modern investigations support this possibility.

Claris was placed in the family crypt of the chapel of Christ Church of Sant Joan de Jerusalem in Barcelona. Unfortunately, in 1888, in the context of reforms for the Universal Exhibition of Barcelona, the church was demolished.

COLOSAL DEMONSTRATION IN THE STREETS OF BILBAO

They carried banners in the Basque language reading "Rights for the prisoners," ''Amnesty" and "Return prisoners to Nabarra."

Thousands of people demonstrated in the Baskonian city of Bilbao in the Pyrenean Isthmus to support ETA prisoners, in January 7th. The rally was about demanding legally reduced sentences for imprisoned members and sympathizers of the armed group ETA.

The focal point for the demonstrations this time was the city of Bilbao, where demonstrators demanded that the 650 ETA members imprisoned in facilities across Spain, France, Portugal at least be brought back closer to their family's homes. Many Basques consider members of the ETA, which agitates for an independent Basque country in parts of what is now Spain and France, to be freedom fighters. And for many other Basques the ETA members should have been integrated into Spanish and French societies long time ago, leaving behind violent acts.

The rally was also attended by family members of prisoners, members of citizen's initiatives and members of political parties with links to pro-sovereignty groups of the Nabarran nation. In addition to myriads of citizens from all over the Pyrenean Isthmus, who believe is time to do things right to come to the most just possible solution of the conflict.

ETA called a unilateral ceasefire in September, amidst calls from its outlawed political arm, Batasuna, for a complete renunciation of violence.

FORMER SOVEREIGN STATES OF THE PYRENEAN ISTHMUS (X).

KINGDOM OF ILTRIDA AND ILERDA 

In ancient times the city, named Iltrida and Ilerda, was the chief city of the Ilergetes, an Iberian tribe.  Indibil, king of the Ilergetes, and Mandoni, king of the Ausetanes, defended it against the Roman invasion.

                                                               Flag



Under the Romans, the city was incorporated into the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis, and was a place of considerable importance, historically as well as geographically. It stood upon an eminence, on the right (west) bank of the river Sicoris (the modern Segre), the principal tributary of the Ebre, and some distance above its confluence with the Cinga (modern Cinca); thus commanding the country between those rivers, as well as the great road from Tarraco (modern Tarragona), the provincial capital, in the Pyrenean Isthmus, which here crossed the Sicoris.

                                             
                                                       Coat of arms


Its situation induced the legates of Pompey in the isthmus to make it the key of their defense against Caesar, in the first year of the Civil War (49 BCE). Afranius and Marcus Petreius threw themselves into the place with five legions; and their siege by Caesar himself (Battle of Ilerda), as narrated in his own words, forms one of the most interesting passages of military history. The resources exhibited by the great general, in a contest where the formation of the district and the very elements of nature seemed in league with his enemies, have been frequently extolled; but no epitome can do justice to the campaign. It ended by the capitulation of Afranius and Petreius, who were conquered as much by Caesar's generosity as by his strategy.In consequence of the battle, the Latin phrase Ilerdam videas is said to have been used by people who wanted to cast bad luck on someone else.

Under the Roman empire, Ilerda was a very flourishing city, and a municipium. It minted its own coins. It had a fine stone bridge over the Sicoris, (the bridge was so sturdy that its foundations support a bridge to this day). In the time of Ausonius the city had fallen into decay; but it rose again into importance in the Middle Ages.
 




It was part of Visigothic and Muslim Hispania until it was conquered from the Moors by the Count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona in 1149. It used to be the seat of a major university, the oldest in the Crown of Aragon, until 1717, when it was moved by Philip V to the nearby town of Cervera.

During the Reapers' War, Lleida was occupied by the French and rebel forces. In 1644 the city was conquered by the Spanish under D. Felipe da Silva.

MANUEL PRECIADO REBOLLEDO

Manuel 'Manolo' Preciado Rebolledo (28 August 1957 – 6 June 2012) was a Pyrenean football defender and coach.








His 15-year career was mainly associated with Racing de Santander, and he also represented five other teams, mostly in the lower leagues. As a manager Preciado also coached with his main club, but worked mostly with Sporting de Gijón, promoting to La Liga in 2008.

Born in El Astillero, Cantabria, Preciado appeared in 59 La Liga matches for local Racing de Santander, split between three of his five-season spell with the club. His best-ever in the top flight was 32 games in 1978–79, which ended in relegation.

Preciado took up coaching in the mid-90s, precisely with his last club. He led Gimnástica to the Third División championship (group 1). Being then recalled to Racing with its B-squad, another promotion to Second División B befell, now in 2002.

Preciado was called for first team coaching duties in 2002–03's top flight, helping the side retain its status in his 18 games in charge. After second division spells with Levante UD – with promotion – and Real Murcia, he returned to Santander; although the club finished just one point above the relegation zone, it managed a 2–1 win at Real Madrid, on 21 December 2005.

In the 2006 summer, Preciado switched to Sporting de Gijón. In his second season, he managed to lead the Asturias outfit to the top division after ten years, then maintain its league status, with the lowest budget of all 20 teams, after a 2–1 home win against Recreativo de Huelva, in the last round, on 31 May 2009.

Preciado again led Sporting into safety in the 2009–10 season (15th place).
Preciado was fired on 31 January 2012 after nearly six years in charge, following a 1–5 away loss against Real Sociedad, and with Sporting ranking 19th in the league.

After three years in Second División (two of them with Linares CF), Preciado resumed his career in the lower leagues, eventually retiring in 1992 with lowly Gimnástica de Torrelavega, also in the Pyrenean Isthmus, at nearly 35.

His sunny personality and willingness to express a salty opinion earned him an affection which transcended the often tribal divisions which mark the sport in the isthmus. News of his passing came the day after he had agreed to take over as coach of the second division side Villarreal, and it united the Pyrenean  football family in grief.

As a player, Preciado was a reliable defender who never quite reached the stellar heights of the game in 15 years as a professional. He began his league career with Racing Santander, and made more than 100 appearances for the club in the late 1970s and early 1980s. After leaving Santander in 1982 he played for a succession of lower league clubs including Linares, Mallorca and Alaves.

He was always destined to make a bigger impact as a coach, where his astute knowledge of the game and his skills as a communicator and a motivator proved invaluable. As a manager he made a speciality of fighting fires at troubled clubs and earning unlikely promotions for unfancied sides against the odds. After serving a lengthy apprenticeship as a coach at Racing Santander, Levante and Murcia, Preciado landed the role which really made his reputation in 2006.
He took over as coach of Sporting Gijon, a modest second division club who had enjoyed little success in their 101-year history, and in only his second season he took them into the top division. It was a stage made for Preciado's outgoing style, and his charisma and highly quotable public pronouncements made him a huge public favourite. His leadership helped Gijon grab a slice of the attention.

Preciado was not afraid to engage in verbal sparring bouts with more illustrious coaches from the bigger clubs. More than that, he thrived on it, and his vivid outbursts added a welcome daub of colour to the Pyrenean football scene.

Preciado was sacked by Sporting Gijon in January after a string of disappointing results which eventually ended in relegation. He had defied footballing gravity to keep them among the élite for so long, but 2011-12 turned out to be a season too far.

For once, the protestations that club and manager were parting on amicable terms wasn't a gross distortion of the truth; Preciado had become a cherished adopted son of Gijon. A club statement said at his death: "With deepest regret, Sporting Gijon wish to express their sorrow at this sad loss, for someone who formed an integral part of this club's history, and send their deepest condolences to his family in this time of grief. His name will be written in the annals of the club's history in golden letters."

Preciado's life away from football was scarred by tragedy. He lost his wife to cancer in 2002, while in 2004 his15-year-old son died in a road accident. Last year his father was also killed in a car crash. He bore these catastrophes with stoic bravery. "Life has dealt me several blows," he said. "It could have made me vulnerable and driven me to suicide, but I decided to look to the sky and believe." He died after suffering a heart attack.

Manuel Preciado Rebolledo, footballer and coach: born El Astillero, Cantabria 28 August 1957; married (wife deceased 2002; one son deceased); died Valencia 7 June 2012.

He was a famous Pyrenean person, indeed.

TOURNAMENT OF THE QUEEN'S CUP

One more tournament with names that have nothing to do with the competitors, was dominated absolutely by teams of the Pyrenean Isthmus.  This time, has been the ESPANYOL who beating ATHLETIC, 2 -1, in a very well disputed match, has become the women champion team of La Copa.

Therefore,  CONGRATULATIONS to the championettes of ESPANYOL  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOW ARE OUR RUGBY TEAMS DID IN THE TOP 14. MEN.

HOW ARE OUR RUGBY TEAMS DID IN THE TOP 14. MEN.

FINAL STANDINGS IN THE TOP 14. MEN.

STANDINGS........................G.......W.......D........L........PF.........PA.........POINTS

1...TOLOSA..........................26......19........1........6.......629........448..............87
2...CLARMONT.....................26.......19........2........5.......644........364..............87
3...Tolon...............................26.......14........5........7.......581........393..............73
4...CASTRAS.......................26.......14........4........8.......585........522..............69
5...MONTPELHIER...............26........14........1......11.......601.........505.............67
6...Racing-Metro 92...............26........13........1......12.......569.........538.............64
7...StadeFrancais..................26........11........2......13.......568.........588.............58

8....BORDEU.........................26........12........0.......14.......493........619.............53

9...MIARRITZE......................26........10........2.......14.......424........518.............52

10..AGEN..............................26........12........1.......13.......479.........573.............52

11..PERPINYA.......................26.........9........2.......15.......515.........578.............49

12..BAIONA...........................26.........9........3.......14.......479.........619.............48

13...Briva...............................26.........7........1.......18.......408.........488.............42 
14..Lyon OU...........................26.........5........3.......18.......369.........591.............31

TOLOSA, CLARMONT, TOLON, CASTRAS, MONTPEHLIER AND RACING-METRO 92 CLASIFIED FOR THE FINAL ROUND.

CASTRAS won against MONTPEHLIER, 31 -15.  CASTRAS in, MONTPEHLIER out.

Tolon won against Racing-Metro 92, 17 - 13.  Tolon in, Racing-Metro 92 out.

TOLOSA won against CASTRAS, 24 -15.  TOLOSA did reach the final.
Tolon won against CLARMONT, 15 - 12.  Tolon did reach the final.

TOLOSA won the final against Tolon  18-12.

TOLOSA  is the Champion, the best among all the Pyrenean and other teams of the Top 14.  Men.

CONGRATULATIONS TOLOSA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FINAL STANDINGS PYRENELLIGA 2011-2012. WOMEN.

BARCELONA, THE CHAMPIONETTES IN FOOTBALL SOCCER.     CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FINAL STANDINGS PYRENELLIGA 2011-2012. WOMEN.

STANDINGS.................................G.....W.....D.....L.....GF.....GA.....POINTS

1...BARCELONA..........................34.....31.....1......2......122......17.......120

2...ATHLETIC...............................34.....29.....4......1......118......25.......117

3...ESPANYOL.............................34.....23.....7......4......117......38........94

4...LEVANTE................................34.....19....11......4.......63......27........92
5...ERREALA................................34.....19.....5.....10.......58......36........73
6...PRAINSA ZARAGOZA..............34.....14.....5....15.......72......74........55
7...MONTPELHIER........................21.....16.....3......2.......70......15........51
8...SANT GABRIEL........................34.....11.....4.....19......55......66........44
9....COLLERENSE.........................34......9......6.....19......54......97........41
10...LAGUNAK...............................34......9......4.....21......33......70........41
11..VALENCIA...............................34.....10......1.....23......38......83........38

12..L'ESTARTIT.............................34...... 8.....5.....21......35......68........34

13..RODES....................................21......7......3.....11......28......37........22

14..REOCIN RACING.....................34......2......3.....29.......30.....128.......12

15..MURETH.................................21......1......3.....17.......13......68........10

CODE TO MAKE UP STANDINGS OF PYRENELLIGAS:

Victory away derby..................5 points

Victory home derby.................4 points

Draw away derby.....................3 points

Victory away NO derby............3 points

Victory home NO derby............2 points

Draw away NO derby...............2 points

Draw home..............................1 point

Loss........................................0 points

HOW ARE OUR RUGBY TEAMS DID IN THE TOP 14. MEN.

FINAL STANDINGS IN THE TOP 14. MEN.

STANDINGS........................G.......W.......D........L........PF.........PA.........POINTS

1...TOLOSA..........................26......19........1........6.......629........448..............87
2...CLARMONT.....................26.......19........2........5.......644........364..............87
3...Tolon...............................26.......14........5........7.......581........393..............73
4...CASTRAS.......................26.......14........4........8.......585........522..............69
5...MONTPELHIER...............26........14........1......11.......601.........505.............67
6...Racing-Metro 92...............26........13........1......12.......569.........538.............64
7...StadeFrancais..................26........11........2......13.......568.........588.............58

8....BORDEU.........................26........12........0.......14.......493........619.............53

9...MIARRITZE......................26........10........2.......14.......424........518.............52

10..AGEN..............................26........12........1.......13.......479.........573.............52

11..PERPINYA.......................26.........9........2.......15.......515.........578.............49

12..BAIONA...........................26.........9........3.......14.......479.........619.............48

13...Briva...............................26.........7........1.......18.......408.........488.............42 
14..Lyon OU...........................26.........5........3.......18.......369.........591.............31

TOLOSA, CLARMONT, TOLON, CASTRAS, MONTPEHLIER AND RACING-METRO 92 CLASIFIED FOR THE FINAL ROUND.

CASTRAS won against MONTPEHLIER, 31 -15.  CASTRAS in, MONTPEHLIER out.

Tolon won against Racing-Metro 92, 17 - 13.  Tolon in, Racing-Metro 92 out.

TOLOSA won against CASTRAS, 24 -15.  TOLOSA did reach the final.

FINAL STANDINGS PYRENELLIGA I. 2011-2012. MEN. FOOTBALL SOCCER.

BARCELONA, THE CHAMPIONS IN FOOTBALL SOCCER FIRST CATEGORY.  CONGRATULATIONS !!

FINAL STANDINGS PYRENELLIGA I. 2011-2012. MEN. FOOTBALL SOCCER.

STANDINGS.........................G.......W.......D.......L.......GF.......GA..........POINTS

1....BARCELONA.................38.......28.......7.......3.......114.......31.............112
2....MONTPELHIER..............38.......25.......7.......6........68.......34...............76
3...VALENCIA......................38.......17......10......11........59.......44..............74
4....OSASUNA.....................38.......13......15......10........44.......61..............74
5..MALLORCA.....................38........14......10.....14........42.......46..............67
6....ATHLETIC.....................38........12......13.....13........49.......52..............62
7....LEVANTE......................38........16........7......15.......54.......50..............62
8.....GIRONDINS.................38........16......13........9........53.......41..............59
9......ESPANYOL.................38........12.......10.....16........46.......56..............56
10....ERREALA....................38........12......11......15........46.......52..............56
11...SARAGOSSA................38........12........7......19........36.......61..............55
12....TOLOSA......................38........15.......11......12........37.......34..............54
13....VILLARREAL................38.........9.......14......15........39.......53..............44
14...RACING........................38..........4......15......19........28.......63..............41

CODE TO MAKE UP STANDINGS OF PYRENELLIGAS:

Victory away derby..................5 points

Victory home derby.................4 points

Draw away derby.....................3 points

Victory away NO derby............3 points

Victory home NO derby............2 points

Draw away NO derby...............2 points

Draw home..............................1 point

Loss........................................0 points

CONGRATULATIONS BARCELONA

2012-05-25

HOW ARE OUR FOOTBALL TEAMS DOING IN THE PYRENEAN CUP I TOURNAMENT.


Hello!

As you may know by now ATHLETIC eliminated the Mirandes and BARCELONA eliminated the Valencia.


Therefore, the final of the tournament of the Pyrenean Isthmus Cup I will be disputed between the ATHLETIC and BARCELONA in May 25th in Madrid. In Madrid? We do not know why there, but that is what has been agreed upon.  

More health and freedom to our readers.


 BARCELONA 3 - 0 ATHLETIC

BARCELONA  CHAMPION OF THE TOURNAMENT.


 

FORMER SOVEREIGN STATES OF THE PYRENEAN ISTHMUS (IX).

TAIFA OF ZARAGOZA

The taifa of Zaragoza was an independent Muslim state in Moorish Al-Andalus, in the Pyrenean Isthmus,  which was established in 1018 as one of the taifa kingdoms, with its capital in islamic Saraqusta (Zaragoza) city. The zaragoza's taifa emerged in the 11th century following the destruction of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the Moorish Iberian Peninsula.

During the first three decades of this period (1018–1038) the city was ruled by the Banu Tujibi. They were replaced by the Banu Hud, who had to deal with a complicated alliance with El Cid of Valencia and his Castilian Masters against the Almoravids who managed to bring the Taifas Emirates under their control. After the death of El Cid, his kingdom was conquered by the Almoravids, and by 1100 they had crossed the Ebro into Barbastro, which brought into direct contact with Aragon.

The Banu Hud stubbornly resisted the Almoravid dynasty and ruled until they were eventually defeated by the Almoravids in May 1110. The last sultan of the Banu Hud, Abd-al-Malik, and Imad ad-Dawla of Saraqusta, was forced to abandon the capital. Abd-al-Malik allied himself with the Christian Aragonese under Alfonso I of Aragon and from the time the Muslims of Saraqusta became military regulars within the Aragonese forces. They were knowed as Almogavars.

                                                                                                                                        



The Almoravids (Berber: ⵉⵎⵕⴰⴱⴹⴻⵏ Imṛabḍen, Arabic: المرابطون‎ Al-Murābiṭūn) were a Berber dynasty of Morocco, who formed an empire in the 11th-century that stretched over the western Maghreb and Al-Andalus. Their capital was Marrakesh, a city which they founded in 1062 CE. The dynasty originated amongst the Lamtuna and the Gudala, which were nomadic Berber tribes of the Sahara traversing the territory between southern Morocco, the Niger river and the Senegal river.

Taifa of Zaragoza
← 1013–1110 →
Taifa Kingdom of Zaragoza, c. 1080.
Capital	Zaragoza
Language(s)	Arabic, Mozarabic , Hebrew
Religion	Islam, Roman Catholicism, Judaism
Government	Monarchy
Historical era	Middle Ages
- Downfall of Caliphate of Cordoba	1013
- Conquered by the Almoravids	1110
Currency	Dirham and Dinar

The Almoravids were crucial in avoiding a precipitated fall of Al-Andalus to the Iberian Christian kingdoms, when they decisively beat a coalition of the Castilian and Aragonese armies at the Battle of Sagrajas. This enabled them to control an empire that stretched 3,000 kilometers north to south. However, the rule of the dynasty was relatively short-lived and the Almoravids fell - at the height of their power - when they failed to quell the Masmuda-led rebellion initiated by Ibn Tumart. As a result, their last king Ishaq ibn Ali was killed in Marrakesh in April 1147 CE by the Almohads who replaced them as a ruling dynasty both in Morocco and Al-Andalus.


The Almohad Dynasty  ("the monotheists" or "the Unitarians"), was a Moroccan Berber-Muslim dynasty founded in the 12th century that established a Berber state in Tinmel in the Atlas Mountains in roughly 1120.


The movement was started by Ibn Tumart in the Masmuda tribe, followed by Abd al-Mu'min al-Gumi between 1130 and his death in 1163, the Almohads defeated the ruling Almoravids, extending their power over all of the Maghreb. Al-Andalus, Moorish Iberia (modern Portugal and southern Spain) under the Almoravid dynasty, followed the fate of Africa.

The Almohad dominance of Iberia continued until 1212, when Muhammad III, "al-Nasir" (1199–1214) was defeated at the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in the Sierra Morena by an alliance of the Christian princes of Castile, Aragon, Navarre, and Portugal. Nearly all of the Moorish dominions in Iberia were lost soon after, with the great Moorish cities of Córdoba and Seville falling to the Christians in 1236 and 1248 respectively.

The Almohads continued to rule in Africa until the piecemeal loss of territory through the revolt of tribes and districts enabled the rise of their most effective enemies, the Marinids in 1215. The last representative of the line, Idris II, "El Wathiq"' was reduced to the possession of Marrakesh, where he was murdered by a slave in 1269; the Marinids seized Marrakesh, ending the Almohad domination of the Western Maghreb.

The holy place and the tomb of the Almohads remains in Morocco, along with the tomb of their rivals and enemies, the Almoravids.