THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- September 11, 2017- Topic 2
Spanish steps
The long-standing conflict in Spain over independence for Catalonia has
escalated into a full-blown political crisis. The legislature of Spain’s
north-eastern region last week passed a law to back the October 1 vote for
secession, consistent with the
narrow electoral mandate it received on a promise of self-determination. Under
its terms, a declaration of independence would follow within hours of the
announcement of a ‘yes’ vote, no matter how low the turnout.
In turn, the
Spanish constitutional court, which had until now cautioned that a plebiscite
would be unconstitutional, has swiftly declared the law illegal. A political
confrontation is thus imminent, whatever the outcome of the referendum. The
conservative government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had so far merely
threatened to invoke Article 155, which confers extraordinary powers on Madrid,
with a view to preventing the referendum. It is now gearing itself to
suspend self-governance in the province, an approach that could raise awkward
questions in a European democracy. In June, Mr. Rajoy had warned of dire
consequences if authorities in Catalonia utilised regional development funding
for expenditure connected with the plebiscite. But the separatists hope that
Madrid’s hardline stance will further stoke a defiant sentiment against the
national government. Such consolidation is critical for them since their
support base has reportedly shrunk since the years of the Spanish credit crisis
earlier in the decade, despite the enthusiasm for a vote on secession.
Although the constitutional court has invalidated the plebiscite, the
prospects for the conduct of the poll appear more realistic, whatever its legal
and political implications. Conversely, the confiscation of ballot boxes by the
police, or their refusal to allow polling booths to be opened, seem to be more
a theoretical possibility given the broader regional context. The European
Union would undoubtedly distance itself from any secessionist demand in Spain;
it was careful not to offer a carte blanche to Scotland on
membership in the bloc during its 2014 independence referendum. It may
nevertheless cause Brussels some embarrassment to remain silent on any overt
obstruction of a popular vote by Madrid, especially as it has come out strongly
against attacks on democratic freedoms in Hungary and Poland. A more likely
scenario is that the Catalonian referendum would be treated as an informal
exercise. The roots of the separatist conflict in this relatively affluent area
are linked to a tribunal’s overturning of a statute for greater regional
autonomy, as well as an effort to apportion the blame for the austerity of the
eurozone debt crisis to Madrid. With some imagination, it should not be hard to
tap into the currently improved economic prospects for Madrid to strike
strategic compromises with Barcelona. Such a conciliatory stance is imperative
considering the risk of a populist upsurge in a region where separatism remains
a live issue.
Vocabulary
Conflict: a
serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one.
Example: The eternal conflict between the sexes
Synonyms: dispute, quarrel, squabble, disagreement, dissension
Secession: the
action of withdrawing formally from membership of a federation or body,
especially a political state.
Example: The republics want secession from the union
Turnout: the
number of people attending or taking part in an event, especially the number of
people voting in an election.
Example: He predicted a high turnout at the general election.
Synonyms: attendance, audience, crowd, gathering, showing, throng
Caution: say
something as a warning.
Example: The secretary cautioned that economic uncertainties remained
Plebiscite: the direct vote of all the members of an electorate on an important
public question such as a change in the constitution.
Example: The leading business association even advocated a ‘no’ vote in the
1999 plebiscite on the new constitution.
Synonyms: vote, referendum, ballot, poll
Imminent: about
to happen.
Example: They were in imminent danger of being swept away
Synonyms: impending, close (at hand), near, (fast)
approaching, coming
Invoke: cite
or appeal to someone or something as an authority for an action or in support
of an argument.
Example: The antiquated defense of insanity is rarely invoked today
Synonyms: cite, refer to, adduce, instance, resort
to, have recourse to, turn to
Province: a
principal administrative division of certain countries or empires.
Example: Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province
Synonyms: territory, region, state, department, canton, area, district
Defiant: showing
defiance.
Example: She was in a defiant mood
Synonyms: intransigent, resistant, obstinate, uncooperative, noncompliant
Consolidation: the action or process of making something stronger or more solid.
Example: The permanent consolidation of peace
Confiscation: the action of taking or seizing someone's property with authority.
Example: A court ordered the confiscation of her property
Synonyms: seizure, requisition, appropriation, expropriation
Obstruction: the action of obstructing or the state of being obstructed.
Example: They faced obstruction in carrying out their research
Affluent: having
a great deal of money; wealthy.
Example: The affluent societies of the western world
Synonyms: wealthy, rich, prosperous, well
off, moneyed, well-to-do
Apportion: divide
and allocate.
Example: Voting power will be apportioned according to contribution
Synonyms: share, divide, allocate, distribute, allot, assign, give
out, hand out
Upsurge: an
upward surge in the strength or quantity of something; an increase.
Example: An upsurge in violent crime