The president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, has been ‘invited’ to head up the electoral list of a Catalan separatist party. Reagrupament, a group that split from Esquerra Republicana (essentially on the grounds that the ERC leadership were allegedly losing their direction by participating in a coalition with the Madrid-controlled PSC), asked the Barça chief to be their first candidate in next year’s Generalitat election.
Laporta will end his Barça presidency in June, and until then he appears unlikely to announce any plan for his future career. That career, according to many commentators, will consist of a long-planned Catalanista political thrust, a rumour backed up by Laporta’s presence at the alternative celebrations for the Diada, last September 11th.
If it does happen, it will hardly be a surprise. Laporta has overseen the completion of the Catalanisation process at FC Barcelona, a process which begins with the club’s own constitution. If he does accept the Reagrupament job, he’ll likely prove to be a smooth and cunning opponent in the election. Is it just me, or is there a lot more independentist stuff bubbling on the stove at the moment?
WordPress is dicking me about with images at the moment… but anyway, here’s a nice pic of Laporta looking extremely comfortable with PSOE stooge, Montilla
Laporta has overseen the completion of the Catalanisation process at FC Barcelona,
Mmm, not sure about this one Tom. FCB has always been the club of the Catalanisme, it was Nunez and Gaspart who instigated a process of “Spanishation” of the club, against the club’s history and support. If anything, Laporta has made the club more global than it has ever been. Catalan and global and successful.
I hope he joins R-cat and he shows more spine than the folk at ERC.
Let’s hope he remembers to thank Pep Guardiola if he makes it. Laporta stood no chance as a politician about 18 months ago.
@Rab – I’m not saying Laporta’s done anything particularly new in that respect: supporting Catalan culture (or something like that) is one of the club’s objectives. But he has encouraged more Catalanism at the Camp Nou (at least until UEFA told him off), and has been conspicuous in his attendance of some pro-independence marches. Perhaps I should have it clearer that he wasn’t the one who started that process….
“If anything, Laporta has made the club more global than it has ever been.” – sure, but that has nothing to do with the club’s political position here. Unless you’re pointing out that Catalan independentism needn’t be a totally introspective and retrogressive position, but that it can be combined with global success, something which is undeniably the case with Barça.
”…you’re pointing out that Catalan independentism needn’t be a totally introspective and retrogressive position, but that it can be combined with global success, something which is undeniably the case with Barça.”
Exactly. Laporta is a very dangerous individual because he has managed to combine global success with a clear-cut sobiranista position. No sitting on the fence and no inferiority complex. A dangerous precedent. The powers that be (PSOE) will do anything to prevent him running for office. They tried to put Pujol in prison in the 80s, we will see what they try with Laporta. It won’t be pretty.
This man is a hypocrite populist. He calls Florentino an imperialist but he is no less imperialist himself. Remember that his promise when he became president was to bring Beckham. Thank goodness he broke his promise! But this also showed that he knows nothing about football and that he can’t be trusted. I think he knows nothing about politics either.
The spying affair revealed today can effectively end Laporta’s hopes of a bright political future. Anyway, I think relying on some sort of “messiah” would do more harm than good to pro-independence nationalism. The guy’s a hypocrite indeed, first he criticised Florentino’s signings and then he paid way over the odds to bring Ibrahimovic.
Toni: I think that Laporta has more resilience that he is given credit for. A leak to El Periódico won’t finish his political career.
He fought against Núñez, against the internal coup and against the PSC-PSOE/Prisa and won.
I agree we don’t want a messiah, but someone willing to stand up for his principles and unwilling to be treated as a second class citizen will be a good start. The Spanish media will criminalize Laporta like they are trying to do with Carretero or like they did with Carod when he still had a purpose. If they get so anxious about Laporta is because he is a real threat. As I said, it won’t be pretty.
http://www.victoralexandre.cat/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=949&Itemid=1
And another article highlighting the media campaign against Laporta.
http://www.vilaweb.cat/www/mailobert?id=3643814
He is perceived by the Spanish media to be as dangereous as Pujol was in the 80s, or Carod more recently, or Carretero.
The fact that the powers-that-be are so anxious about Laporta is indicative of their concern -and Laporta’s potential to upset the status quo.
Laporta is a loser and will be relegated to the ash heap of history where he belongs. The vast majority of Catalans are proud to be Spanish. ALL Catalans are Spaniards, including Laporta. It’s a shame that small, fanatic, fringe groups like Reagrupment and ERC with lunatics like Laporta get so much attention.
Where is General Franco when you need him? I’m sure he’d know exactly how to take care of Mr. Laporta.
Well, Martin, that’s an interesting point of view you’ve got there. Do you have any other hobbies, besides trolling?
Tom,
I venture to say my point of view is not only interesting, but a practical one at that. Perhaps General Franco would have taken care of you the same way he would have Mr. Laporta?
Let’s not suffer fools ad nauseum…
If there was anyone who suffered fools gladly, it was Franco. He surrounded himself with twats. You’d probably have fitted in quite well. Now fuck off.