Scandal in Catalonia

IT IS not the narrative that Catalan separatists hoped for as they face a stand-off with the Madrid government over a planned independence vote in November. Instead of a debate about evil Castilian conquistadors, their cause has been overshadowed by a scandal over a fallen hero, Jordi Pujol, who served for six terms as leader of Catalonia.

Four weeks ago Mr Pujol admitted that his family had hidden money in Switzerland for the past 35 years. “We never found the right moment to declare it,” he said breezily. The confession comes at an awkward time. Mr Pujol’s hand-picked successor as head of his Convergence and Union (CiU) group, and Catalonia’s current leader, Artur Mas, has promised a referendum on November 9th. Spain’s prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, will ban it. Separatists hoped this would swell their ranks. But now all the talk is of the 84-year-old Mr Pujol, a political giant in his region.

The man who set Catalonia on a path from no self-government to an annual budget of €25.5 billion ($33.9 billion, about half of Ireland’s) liked to be called “president” or “the most honourable”. A foundation bearing his name specialises in ethics. In 23 years as president until 2003, he became a master at persuading Catalans that they were victims of Madrid. The battle cry of the independence campaign is that the rest of Spain steals Catalan taxes and wastes them on lazy southerners. Now Mr Pujol himself has been found hiding his own stash of cash.

Other family members are under investigation. A son, also called Jordi, goes before a judge in mid-September to answer questions about tax fraud and money-laundering after a girlfriend accused him of carrying bags of €500 notes to Andorra. Another son, Oriol, has quit as secretary-general of the senior partner in the CiU group, Catalan Democratic Convergence: an investigating judge suspects him of taking bribes. A legion of longtime Pujol-haters in Spain are dancing on the dynasty’s political grave and hoping that this may kill the referendum.

The scandal will hurt Mr Mas, but it does not sink separatism. He is being tugged in opposite directions by his referendum pledge. His more moderate coalition partner, Democratic Catalan Union (UDC), has threatened to quit. The ardently separatist Catalan Republican Left (ERC), which props up his minority government, wants him to defy Madrid by calling an illegal referendum if need be. It also demands an inquiry if Mr Pujol does not appear before the Catalan parliament.

Mr Mas may hold an early election that serves as a proxy for a vote on independence. Carme Forcadell, leader of a Catalan pressure group that has driven the separatist surge, insists on this if Mr Rajoy blocks the referendum. But opinion polls show CiU trailing ERC. The Pujol affair will damage it further. If the UDC walks out, Mr Mas’s party may be hammered.

A test of separatist feeling will come on September 11th, Catalonia’s national day. In previous years Ms Forcadell’s group has called out millions to demand an independence vote. This year’s protest may be less impressive. Those who want a new deal with Spain but dislike full independence may stay away. Anger about the economy, a source of many gripes, is dimming, but the Pujol scandal will spread disillusion. The man who built up Catalan national pride is now undermining it.