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• Date: 16/04/2012

  East Timor, hope after ten years of independence

  

  The small Asian country tries to assert its position while it faces unemployment and gaps in education although experiencing a remarkable economic growth · East Timorese wonder to which extent they form a modern nation or rather their collective identity is still an outcome of European colonization. An article by Aureli Argemí, president-emeritus of CIEMEN.

• Date: 26/03/2012

  Asturian and Andalusian nationalists remain outside autonomous parliaments

  NEWS IN BRIEF. The Andalusian Party got 2,5% of the vote, while Asturian nationalist parties polled far worse

• Date: 26/03/2012

  Tens of thousands march in favour of Catalan language in the Balearic Islands

  

  Protesters angry at decree that will remove a requirement to be able to speak Catalan for those working at the public sector · The demonstration's manifesto says that the Balearic government “undermines” the right of islanders to speak Catalan · A pensioner on hunger strike for almost one month

• Date: 22/03/2012

  87% of Kurds in Amed support holding a referendum to decide the future of Kurdistan, poll says

  

  Mapa del Kurdistan

  49% of those polled are in favour of a democratic autonomy, 19% want full independence · A big majority supports declaring Kurdish as an official language of the area · BDP councillor dies and several people are injured amid Newroz celebrations

• Date: 19/03/2012

  The Spanish Constitution of 1812, or how to divide something indivisible into 20 or more pieces

  

  Spain marks 200th anniversary of a text that defined the nation as the “meeting of all Spaniards in both hemispheres” · The Constitution stated that the Kingdom of Spain could not be split · Two centuries later, nineteen independent states and seven US states have been born out of former Spanish territories

• Date: 22/02/2012

  Amber lights for the oppressed peoples in Burma

  

  Authorities in Naypyidaw, in apparent transition towards a civil government, kick-start a process aimed at reaching peace with rebel groups from minorities · Peace talks have taken place and, in some cases, the government has signed agreements with representatives of the Karen, Kachin, Mon and Shan groups · How non-Burmese groups fit in the state will be the topic of a 'great national conference' soon, the government promises.

• Date: 20/02/2012

  74.8% of Latvian voters reject Russian as second official language

  With a turnout of 71%, the result confirms Latvian as the sole official language in the Baltic country · President Berzins calls for a discussion on the “strengthening of the Latvian state” · A majority of voters in the eastern region of Latgale support an official status for Russian · Moscow says the referendum was “unfair” because of the exclusion of ethnic Russians

• Date: 18/01/2012

  Row in Latvia over forthcoming referendum on official status for Russian language

  NEWS IN BRIEF. A group of MPs is trying to convince the Constitutional Court to stop the vote. The majority of Latvian political parties reject any kind of official status for Russian.

• Date: 17/01/2012

  Brittany one step closer to reunification

  

  The French National Assembly passes an amendment that could allow a referendum on the status of Loire-Atlantique · The region of Pays de la Loire could no longer stop the departament joining Brittany · The amendment can still be modified or stopped by the Senate and the Constitutional Court · The move gathers strong support among Breton parties

• Date: 09/01/2012

  A 'yes-no', immediate vote: Cameron sets conditions on Scottish independence referendum

  

  UK prime minister wants a “fair, clear and decisive” question and a vote to be held before 2014: uncertainty is “very damaging for Scotland” · Edinburgh sticks to its plan to hold the referendum on 2015 or 2016 and accuses Cameron of “interfering in the decision that is really one for the Scottish government”