Separatist parties have won a clear majority of seats within the Catalonian Parliament. The vote sets up a confrontation with the Spanish central government in December when national elections are scheduled for Spain. The parties currently in power did not do well in the Catalan elections, suggesting that their support has diminished since the last election in 2012. The Spanish constitution does not allow for secession (unlike the bid in Scotland for independence from the United Kingdom–a vote the separatists lost but was perfectly legal) and a bid for independence would likely be met with fierce resistance.
China has committed itself to a tough carbon trading scheme that will limit the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. The Chinese have now matched the commitment of the US made last November to cut emissions 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. The twin moves are made by the top two greenhouse gas emitters on the planet and one can hope that other states will now be willing to make similar moves. The Chinese and the Americans also decided to commit substantial sums to help poorer countries to make changes to their greenhouse gas production.
Austria’s far-right Freedom Party came in quite strong in a state election in the country. The Freedom Party has averaged about 30% of the vote and many attribute its strong showings to its powerful anti-immigrant stance. Heinz-Christian Strache is the leader of the Freedom Party and he has consistently stated that he wishes to preserve Austria’s “Christian” identity. The Freedom Party is also forming a bloc in the European Parliament with other anti-immigrant parties such as the French National Front and the Dutch Freedom Party.
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