The Economy of Catalonia

Preface
(Translated by Jordi Vilanova)
This collection of papers reflects the will of the Catalan Association of
Economists and its members to participate actively in the debates in society
and to do so from an open, plural, constructive perspective. I sincerely
believe it is a responsibility we cannot eschew, and that, as economists
and social analysts, the problems and concerns of society affect us
very directly, especially since they are largely related to the economy.
Collectively, this is not an easy task because of the difficulties inherent in
the social sciences in presenting indisputable, unalloyed alternatives. Any
contribution to the debate must therefore consider the diversity of outlooks
and assume that, despite all efforts, the diagnosis of conflicts in society
is often conditioned by ideological approaches. This should not
imply a limitation to the determination of economists as a whole to collaborate,
within their area of expertise, so that discussions are based on
information which is as objective as possible, although we must admit
there are uncertainties that cannot be elucidated, and can only be defined
and contextualised imperfectly.
There is no doubt that one of the great debates in Catalan society today
revolves around the so-called sovereignty process and the consequences
of eventual statehood for Catalonia. Although it is essentially a problem
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