A Spanish army general was under house arrest on Sunday and awaiting dismissal after saying that the military might step in to halt plans for greater autonomy for the wealthy eastern region of Catalonia.
Lieutenant General José Mena, the head of Spain’s 50 000-strong ground forces, told officers under his command that the country’s Constitution gave them the right to act if the ”unity of Spain” was in danger. His comments, made in a public speech, copies of which were distributed to journalists, saw him called in by the Defence Minister, José Bono, and placed under house arrest until he can be formally dismissed at a Cabinet meeting on Friday.
Although Mena did not specify how the armed forces might intervene, his comments triggered memories of military uprisings and coups in Spain’s past.
General Francisco Franco rebelled against Spain’s democratic republican government in 1936, triggering the Spanish civil war, and went on to rule as dictator until his death in 1975.
In 1981 paramilitary civil guards stormed Parliament in an attempted coup, which was quashed after King Juan Carlos ordered troops back to their barracks.
Spain’s military officers have since been banned from making political statements.
Mena said military officers were concerned that an autonomy Bill being considered by Parliament, which could see Catalonia proclaimed a nation and given tax-raising powers, would break the limits spelled out in the Constitution. ”If these limits are broken… the armed forces have as their mission to guarantee the sovereignty and independence of Spain,” he warned.
”There will be serious consequences for the armed forces as an institution and its members if the Catalan charter is approved in its current terms.”
The Bill, approved by 90% of the Catalan assembly and sent to Madrid for consideration, defines the region as a nation within Spain. It calls for the regional high court to replace Madrid’s constitutional court as its highest judicial authority. It also makes it compulsory for officials in the region to speak Catalan. The Bill is supported by the Catalan Socialist president, Pasqual Maragall.
It is the first serious political obstacle for Spain’s Socialist prime minister, José Luis RodrÃÂguez Zapatero. He originally said he would accept, word for word, any proposal approved by the Catalan Parliament and by his political ally Maragall.
But, with further autonomy measures unpopular outside Catalonia and his party trailing the conservative People’s party in polls for the first time since he was elected in 2004, Zapatero has backtracked. His Socialists have threatened to block the Bill unless it is watered down.
Mena’s outburst was almost universally condemned on Sunday, though conservative commentators who criticised him for breaking military discipline also applauded his words. ”It is a reflection of the times we are living through,” said a People’s party spokesperson.
Mena (63) had been due to retire in March. – Guardian Unlimited Â