The eternal quest for a free lunch, in this case Escudella

Mas-Colell recuerda que España está obligada a pagar a los pensionistas aunque Catalunya se independice

There is eventually a noisy video at the link, my apologies.  I am not sure what is exactly the best translation of “recuerda” in this context, but the article involves Andreu Mas-Colell asserting that even after Catalonian independence the government in Madrid is obligated to pay for pensions in Catalonia.  That obligation is a legal one which (supposedly) international tribunals will enforce.

The fine points of the conditional and the subjunctive are important for interpreting that article, and perhaps some of those are escaping me.  But I don’t take the journalist to be reporting a prediction that Madrid actually will pay for those pensions, only that they have such a legal obligation, combined with the assumption that this law will reign supreme and the issue therefore won’t be a problem for Catalonia.  There is no mention of the current Spanish law essentially forbidding Catalonian secession or even direct consideration of such.

I have a question.  Of all the economists who have endorsed or indeed fought hard for Catalonian independence (Galí, Mas-Colell, Sala-i-Martí, Antràs, Boix, Ventura, etc.), who offers the best and clearest account of what the associated costs would be?  Please leave your answer in the comments, or if you wish email me.

Here are photos of Escudella.

catalan613-broth_68501116_001

For the pointer I thank Gerardo Gonzalez.

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