Councilors of the Sitges City Hall. Mayor Jordi Serra. Mayor Pere Junyent. Mayor Jordi Baijet.
Political parties, organizations, associations and neighborhoods present in the municipality. Group of Human Castles "Jove" Sitges (Colla Jove de Castellers de Sitges). Flabiolet School Sitges. Residents in Sitges. Dear compatriots.
Today, September 11, 2013, the countdown begins until the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the fall of Barcelona during the Succession War on September 11, 1714. Sitges, as I mentioned in the Proclamation of the National Day, suffered its own September 11, though not with the cruelty suffered by the capital of Catalonia. A year earlier, during July 1713, when the Bourbon troops entered and conquered Sitges for King Philip V. Sitges, this small part of the country, just like all towns of the county, lost all their national freedoms a fateful July 27, 1713. A date to remember.
Such dates mark, whether we like it or not, our individual and collective DNA, our character and our way of being and doing. We must remember today as in every year that our self-government was not born with the Constitution of 1978. Self-government has been part of us since our own inception as a nation.
As much as some detest it, history must be taken into account. History must be in our collective memory. As a friend once said: "History is the only thing that people can't adapt to their needs". We all must have a tremendous respect for history and for all those that shaped it and made it possible. Nations can't be considered as such if they don't honor their memory.
Fortunately, eighteenth century if far removed from us. Today, in Catalonia, hundreds of thousands of very different people live in peace and harmony, even though were are going through difficult times and that we are in a rather convulse era. Many suffer the consequences of a fierce crisis characterized by its long duration and by the suffering left at its wake. But we will prevail. We will go through hell, but we will prevail!
We will keep walking without losing hope, because we must proceed with the construction of a nation at the service of all the people, not for a handful of people, as some would have us believe. They want us to believe it by attacking the same foundation of equality on our nation: social cohesion of all people and the language as basis for integration.
Despite all the suffering we are going through, despite constant threats against our institutions, our culture, our economy, our self-government ... they won't be capable of dissolving the social cohesion of the country, although they try. We won't submit. No, no this one!
Because our nation would not make any sense if we don't value Catalans above all. Catalonia needs all of us. Catalonia needs that we keep on building a nation over a foundation based on progress, equality, freedom and social justice. Because this country is possible and competitive. No Catalan can be left aside whatever language they speak, whatever their origin, status, ideology or orientation. We all are part of the country; the nation includes all of us.
Nor they will, despite constant threats, break our greatest sign of collective identity and communication: the unity of the language. Last year, I dared to pronounce a few words in the Catalan dialects spoken in Mallorca and Valencia. This year, I will join the unanimous cry in favor of the unity of language, in frank opposition against political bartering and the brutal attack suffered by the Catalan language in Aragon, our brotherly country, there's even certain acronym that I don't want to mention contrary to the position of large part of the people in Aragon and in their Parliament. In solidarity I want to say a few words in the speech of the Franja, the strip of land in Aragon that speaks Catalan. As they would say: “Aquí del blat de moro en seguirem dient panís, perquè els xics i les xiquetes de la Franja seguiran creixent i parlant lo català per més que uns quants no ho vulgon ...”.
Patriots; civic, constructive and peaceful Catalan aspirations provoke fear among many. So let's continue being civil, constructive and peaceful being inclusive at the same time, as we have always done. As I said before, the nation that we are, the country that we are building belongs to all.
The right to decide must not provoke panic. Democratic elections must not provoke fear, because we can't set limits to democracy. The right to decide is not a confrontation, as some want us to believe. The right to choose is also civic, constructive and peaceful. And above all, the right to decide is DEMOCRATIC. Catalonia has will, talent, pride and counts with institutions, and also counts with errors, but includes us all. For all the above reasons, Catalans are still smiling and dreaming.
This afternoon, thousands of hands and arms will unite from north to south along the entire country (and will extend also from the heart of Catalonia, from the west to the east, from the east to west). This union is what the country needs. Because people are the real strength of great nations, and the event of this afternoon is one of those great things: people claiming for freedom.
The future can be better, much better. We only need a positive attitude, perseverance, ideals of inclusion, resistance and we must know how to listen to the will of the people. Keep on fighting for your dreams; keep on fighting bravely to achieve our great collective dream. Ghandi was a man of peace, respected and loved by the entire world, he once said: "Strength does not come from physical capacity but from our indomitable will."
Patriots, don't let others tame your will; don't let others tranquilize your desire! We are living this National Day with a horizon of freedom. From Sitges, this September 11, let's say aloud so the entire humanity can hear us: Long live Catalonia!
