By now we all know about the results of the European elections in the UK and in Spain.
But what is not getting any decent media coverage is what seems to have happened in Spain. At this point, it is not clear whether this is a genuine “technology” error or something more sinister.
However, the more I read, the more I suspect it is the latter.
Not surprisingly, the Spanish media is being very quiet about this. Only the Catalan and Basque media is getting this issue any type of coverage.
It appears that votes for Iniciativa Internacionalista are not being attributed to this party. This, let’s not forget, is the party that the Spanish government tried to illegalise because of some dubious, non-existent connection with ETA.
Vilaweb (cat) has this article about it.
Avui (cat) also has an article.
The Avui article is scary. Apparently, non only II has been denied rightful votes, but also ERC votes in Catalonia have been attributed to Spanish fascist parties, even in the smallest villages in the countryside.
This is a scandal of major proportions.
The Avui article was top headline news at noon, but over time it has been displaced by other news. It would not be the first time there has been “instructions” from central government to the media as to how to report an event –as it happened with the train bombs in Madrid in 2004.
So far, I have not found any articles in the mainstream Spanish media.
(happy to add links if you find any)
The on-line translators on the right hand side will provide the gist of the issue in English, French, Spanish and other languages.
I have posted before how Spanish democracy is deficient and the sorry legacy of Franco’s henchmen and the cowardice of our politicians, but this really takes the biscuit and puts Spain in the same league as a banana republic.
I wonder when/if the BBC and our esteemed correspondents for the British media in Spain will pick up this issue.
Links:
Vilaweb (cat)
Avui (cat)
Gara (cas) Editorial
Observers thrown out of the recount in Barcelona (Gara -cas)
Público (cas) -well hidden
Tribuna (cat)
EITB (eng)
Blogs:
Victor Alexandre (cat)
The Badrash (eng)
Eguren Zone (cas)
Omnis Obstat (cat)
Racó Català (cat) (recount) (map of irregularities)