How Scotland's 'No' vote resonates around the world

Scotland's historic referendum ___ independence has resonated across the world, with many countries watching its outcome ___.

BBC correspondents in Spain, Canada, India, China, Germany and Italy take a look at how Scotland's "No" vote has been received and what it means for the countries they cover.

Spain - Tom Burridge

Catalonia is probablythe place outside of the UK where Scotland's referendum had, and still has, most resonance. The Catalan president, who is expected to get the green light ___ the regional parliament in Barcelona to hold a similar vote, admitted ___ me last week that he wanted a "Yes" in Scotland to prove that there could be a successful referendum ___ independence in part of a fellow EU country. Catalonia's Foreign Secretary, Roger Albinyana, told me that he was "not at all disappointed". He is keen to point ___ that David Cameron allowed the Scottish vote. Mariano Rajoy will never give his approval ___ a vote here in Catalonia. And for pro-independence Catalans Scotland was a "democratic success", a nation exercising "their right to vote". However, Catalans who ___ want Catalonia to remain part ___ Spain say the situation here is more complicated than, ___ the words of one activist, a "black-and-white, yes-no" decision.

Canada - Lee Carter

The victory for the "No" vote will please many of Canada's editorial writers, most of whom came down ___ on the side of Scotland staying with the union. As the vote got closer, many other stories were ___ shoved ___ by major TV news networks, which had correspondents on the ground in Scotland providing minute-by-minute results. The interest was not surprising.

___ five million Canadians identify themselves as Scottish. And Scots have had a huge impact ___ Canadian culture and history. Many of those who migrated ___ Nova Scotia (New Scotland) did so because they were forced ___ their land. Opinion in some of the communities there tilted ___ the Yes campaign.

The Scottish debate seemed to have much more traction in the French-speaking province of Quebec. Referendums ___ separation from Canada were twice held there (1980 and 1995) and twice rejected, albeit by an ___ narrow margin in 1995.

India - Andrew North

India's foreign minister didn't know Scotland was considering divorce, until an aide whispered in her ear. A more pressing concern for some Indians was what it meant for the price of Scotch. There's also been some schaden freude in the air, watching their former colonial master prepare to "partition" itself. For many, the idea that the UK was about to give ___ some of its territory ___ - and because the British prime minister himself had allowed a vote - was hard to comprehend.

And if the Scots had voted "Yes", it would have set an uncomfortable precedent in Kashmir. India has never carried ___ its 1948 promise to hold a referendum there, and Kashmiris were quick to make the comparison ___ the Scots getting a vote.

So it's not surprising Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj's initial reaction ___ the idea the UK could break ___ was "God forbid". It would have just made things too complicated.

China - Martin Patience

China's official reaction ___ the referendum's result was "no comment" because it was an internal matter for the UK. But ___ the run-up ___ the vote, Premier Li Keqiang stressed that he wanted to see a "united" United Kingdom. ___ at least, China's leaders will welcome the "No" vote.

They will have worried that an independent Scotland may have inspired China's own minorities in Tibet and Xinjiang - and given those in Hong Kong and Taiwan new ideas. The narrative of the ruling Communist party is of a strong, unified China rising in the world. Any talk ___ separation or independence is crushed by force here.

With that in mind, many Chinese were astonished that London allowed the referendum to go ___ - never mind that it would allow the UK to split ___. Throughout the campaign, state media ran articles about how "too much democracy" had led to "instability" in the UK. The message ___ Chinese readers was clear: China needs to stick ___ - otherwise it is inviting chaos.

 Germany - Jenny Hill

"Scotland stays British!" proclaims Germany's most popular newspaper. For Bild, like every other paper and TV news programme here, there is only one top story this morning - and ___ the whole only one response. "I'm ___ relieved," said one politician. "It prevents further fragmentation of Europe."

The government agrees - though the official line is less exuberant. "We have always respected the fact that this referendum was called and that the central government in London agreed ___ this. And now we respect the outcome of it as well," said Angela Merkel.

 Italy - David Willey

The final result of Scotland's independence referendum missed the early editions of Italy's morning papers, but Italian shares hit new two-year highs ___ the opening of Milan's stock exchange. The "spread" ___ the price of Italian and German 10-year treasury euro bonds hit a three-year low - signifying increased confidence ___ Italy's financial credibility.

Italy's Northern League separatist party, which dreams of setting ___ a republic called Padania in the Po River Valley, is currently ___ the doldrums after losing ___ at the last elections. Meanwhile a nascent movement ___ the independence of Venice, in times past a powerful European nation-state, is not taken ___ in Rome.

(http://www.bbc.com/news/world-29272728)

 

SPEECH FOCUS

Task 1. Think of your own definition of:

· the existing world order

· fragmentation of geopolitical space

· sovereignty, territorial integrity, statehood

· national identity

· separatist and secessionist movements

Task 2.Make a mind map outlining possible reasons for separatist and secessionist movements.

Task 3. Make a  summary of the article “ One Future. One Europe” using active vocabulary.

Task 4. Comment on the following statements elaborating the ideas expressed in the article “ One Future. One Europe”. Use active vocabulary and conditional sentences.

- Catalonia should get independence from Spain;

- It is beneficial for Scotland to remain part of the UK.