Filling the Sink

After pardons for independence leaders, what comes next?

On June 23, 2021, after three and a half years behind bars, nine Catalan politicians and activists in jail for their roles during the 2017 independence push were released after receiving pardons from the Spanish president. 
We look back on that historic day and the lead up to it and discuss what lies ahead, with a return to negotiations between the Spanish and Catalan governments on the horizon. 
Alan Ruiz Terol joins Lorcan Doherty to discuss why, within the independence camp, the pardons have been given a lukewarm reception, seen as a half measure falling well short of a general amnesty.
Marc Sanjaume-Calvet, professor of political science at the Open University of Catalonia, explains why the Spanish executive took this decision to pardon the independence leaders, and the impact the move could have on Spanish politics as a whole.  
This week's Catalan phrase is "Per Sant Joan, el primer bany," meaning that Saint John's Eve, June 23, is the night for the first swim of the year. 

Housing crisis – soaring rents and eviction epidemic

Soaring rents in Catalonia – especially in the capital Barcelona – have pushed housing to the top of the social and political agenda. Evictions, sometimes with a heavy police presence, are commonplace, despite a moratorium for vulnerable people during the pandemic. 
At the top level, the Spanish government is taking Catalonia's rent cap law to court for overstepping regional powers, while on the ground, a powerful network of grassroots organizations supports those who face being forced from their homes. 
Cristina Tomàs White brings us the stories of three women in Barcelona affected by the housing crisis. Scarlett Reiners provides a picture of how the situation compares to other parts of Europe. 
This week's Catalan phrase is "llençar la casa per la finestra," literally "to throw your house out the window," it means to spend a lot of money on something.  
Filling the Sink is presented by Lorcan Doherty and produced by Catalan News. 

A guide to visiting Catalonia this summer, despite Covid

Where to go and what to do. A look at the rules and regulations for entering Spain from abroad as well as the Covid measures in place on arrival. 
Cillian Shields and Guifré Jordan join Lorcan Doherty to chat about summer plans and tourist itineraries, including everything from adventure sports to wine tasting. They discuss what is open for tourists in Barcelona and, after a devastating summer last year, ask what hopes the tourism industry has for a recovery. 
This week's Catalan phrase is "fer l'agost", literally "to do August," it means to earn a lot of money. 

Barça Femení and women's football – treble success and fight for fairness

FC Barcelona Femení have had an incredible season, wrapping up the league with eight games to spare, becoming the first team from the Spanish league to become European champions, before winning the cup to complete a historic treble. Most importantly, they've done it all in style. 
Barça Femení's Laia Codina explains what these victories mean, both on and off the field. 
Cristina Tomàs White celebrates Barça's success but can't help but wonder how much attitudes have changed since she was put off playing football as a young girl. 
Cillian Shields chats to Lorcan Doherty about his recent match-day experience watching the blaugrana in action and discusses the fight for better working conditions and professionalism for all footballers in the top flight. 
This week's Catalan phrase is "obrir la llauna." Literally "open the can," it means to score the first goal in a match, normally after lots of pressure. 

Taxis vs Uber – Barcelona, hotspot of the conflict in Europe

The ride-hailing app Uber is back in Barcelona after a two-year absence. It's had to change its business model to comply with Catalan regulations, but many taxi drivers are still not happy and have taken to the streets in protest. 
Amid blaring car horns, Alan Ruiz Terol talks to demonstrators calling for a public app to compete with the likes of Uber and catches up with a former Cabify driver with mixed feelings. Yuri Fernández, Uber's spokesperson in Spain, argues that his company and taxi drivers should work together. 
Pieter Van Cleynenbreugel, a law professor at the University of Liège in Belgium, tells Cristina Tomàs White the impact the conflict in Barcelona is having at a European level. 
Presented by Lorcan Doherty. 

Montserrat – the mystic mountain with a 700-year-old boys' choir

Montserrat is a natural wonder, a rocky mountain range that rises from the plains of central Catalonia. It's a holy place, home to La Moreneta, the Virgin of Montserrat, and a Benedictine Abbey with a history stretching back one thousand years. Alan Ruiz Terol visits the Escolania de Montserrat, a 700-year-old boys' choir, and chats to Lorcan Doherty about what makes this place so special, for Catalans and visitors alike. 

Catalonia's new pro-independence government - what to expect

More than three months on from polling day, Catalonia's new government is taking shape. What can we expect from the incoming administration? 
Pere Aragonès has been elected the 132nd president of Catalonia, becoming the first member of Esquerra Republicana (ERC) to head up the executive since the 1930s. He will lead a pro-independence coalition of ERC and Junts per Catalunya, with support from the far-left CUP. Cristina Tomàs White profiles the new president, a meticulous, left-wing politician who can always be seen wearing a suit and tie. 
Catalan News deputy editor Guifré Jordan and Marc Sanjaume-Calvet, professor of political science at the Open University of Catalonia, join presenter Lorcan Doherty to discuss the make-up of the new government, its priorities and the challenges ahead. 
CatalanNews.com

Independence campaigns in Scotland and Catalonia – siblings or distant relatives?

Pro-independence parties in Scotland and Catalonia have enjoyed success in recent elections, but how much do the movements have in common and where do they go from here?  
Lorcan Doherty is joined by Laura Pous, Business and International Editor at the Catalan News Agency (ACN), and Guifré Jordan, Deputy Editor of Catalan News, to compare and contrast the independence campaigns in Catalonia and Scotland. 
With contributions from Esquerra Republicana MEP Jordi Solé, Scottish National Party MP Gavin Newlands and University of Glasgow Lecturer in Politics Robert Liñeira. 

Covid-19, Summer '21 and the end of the state of alarm

At midnight on Saturday night, May 8, the state of alarm in force for more than six months comes to an end. From May 9, there's no more curfew, bars and restaurants can open until 11pm and travel in and out of Catalonia is allowed again.
Scarlett Reiners and Cillian Shields join Lorcan Doherty to discuss the latest measures and the Covid situation in hospitals. With restrictions easing and the vaccination campaign stepping up, they look at how summer 2021 and the festival season is shaping up. 
Alan Ruiz Terol visits Catalonia's largest mass vaccination site, the Fira de Barcelona exhibition center, capable of administering 20,000 jabs a day. 

Last orders – Barcelona bars and restaurants' pandemic struggle

Cafe culture and eating out are at the heart of the Barcelona lifestyle, but the Catalan capital's bars and restaurants - all 9,000 of them nearly - have had a tough year trying to survive amid the Covid-19 pandemic. 
Roger Pallarols from the Barcelona Restaurant Association explains why he thinks the measures have been too restrictive and the financial help insufficient. 
Alan Ruiz Terol talks to the owners of two of his favorite spots about their struggles – Rafel Jordana of La Bodega d'en Rafel and Mario Pérez Ruiz of 7 Vides bookstore who used to run Pizzes l'Àvia in the Raval neighborhood. 
Cristina Tomàs White, Cillian Shields and Lorcan Doherty remember some of the iconic restaurants lost to the pandemic and ask whether the return of tourists to the city will be enough to ease the sector's woes. 

A wind farm off the Costa Brava - the debate is on

Catalonia needs to transition from 20% to 50% renewable energy by 2030 to meet its climate change goals but plans for an offshore floating wind farm in the Gulf of Roses have been met with opposition from environmentalists and businesses reliant on tourism.  
Cristina Tomàs White travels to Roses and Empuriabrava to find out what locals think and along with host Lorcan Doherty discusses the pros and cons of the debate, according to Parc Tramuntana project director Sergi Ametller, Sergi Saladié from the University of Rovira i Virgili and environmental activist Raúl Domínguez from IAEDEN-Salvem l'Empordà. 

Sant Jordi's Day – books, love and roses

April 23 is one of Catalonia's most important dates of the year, when the country celebrates its patron Sant Jordi (Saint George) in unique style. Love is in the air as people browse street stalls to buy books and roses as gifts for their loved ones. 
In this episode of Filling the Sink, writer, publisher and director of the Institut Ramon Llull, Iolanda Batallé Prats, joins Guifré Jordan and Lorcan Doherty to discuss what makes Sant Jordi such a special day and explains how Catalan literature is going from strength to strength as more and more works are published in English translation. 
The acclaimed Catalan writer Marta Orriols reads from her novel Learning to Talk to Plants (Aprendre a parlar amb les plantes), winner of the 2018 Omnium Prize for Best Novel, the NoLlegiu Prize, and the Illa dels Llibres Prize for Best Novel of 2018. Excerpt in English read by Scarlett Reiners. 
For a comprehensive list of books that have been translated from Catalan into other languages including English, go to Institut Ramon Llull's website.