"Politicians must make an effort to accommodate the needs of the country"

If you are asking me if the humanities are useful, I'll tell you no, they aren't. You don't need to know about Greek culture to survive. However, in a society in which uncertainty is part of life, in which we see that we are weaker than we thought - we might end up jobless, homeless - the humanities can help us manage this uncertainty. It was the business perspective that led to the creation of cultural industries, in particular, publishers, to the publication of so many books, and to us reading more than ever, so I don't think this perspective is impoverishing. Only when publishers are commercially successful can they afford to publish books while even risking running a loss. In the case of e-books, it is merely a matter of having more readers using the format, then the rest will come. Culture is not inconsistent with commerce. And culture that does not want to be commercial cannot complain of not having the same deals as culture that is commercial. "The crisis has highlighted the incompetence of the Spanish state"

This interview took place the day after the 11 September rally which has brought independence to the top of the political agenda. Cardús offered his views on the issue from the point of view of a public and personal life committed to Catalonia.

The economic situation has played an important role. The crisis has shown that a country like ours, capable of getting ahead, is trapped by the incompetence of the Spanish state. People know that this Spain business is costly. It is unacceptable that commuter trains in Catalonia taking people to work are breaking down while the Spanish government builds high-speed trains that go nowhere. This situation is unacceptable, and the crisis has made it all too evident.

"The independence process will require great resilience from Catalans"

It needs to be recognized that Catalonia has contributed twice as much in taxes to Spain as Spain has received in European funds since European Union entry. Our economy is very open, we have many companies producing for the international market and it is, therefore, not so vulnerable. We have many fears. Pensioners are afraid of what might happen with their pensions, academics are afraid of not being able to do research subsidized by Spain, and so on. And such fears are reasonable, because our adversary will not ease the way for us. You see how the PP [Popular Party] makes menacing noises. But fear must be overcome with information and courage. And if the process of independence is launched, it will require great resilience from Catalans. We need our own revenue body and the government needs to begin negotiations with Europe. Then we call a referendum. Catalonia must act with democratically impeccable credentials throughout the process, as Europe will only allow independence if things are done properly.

"If Catalonia must be outside Europe, Spain will also have to renegotiate entry"

The European Commission has publicly rectified its spokesperson's declarations about the consequences of Catalan independence for European Union membership. Furthermore, if Catalonia is to be forced out of Europe, Spain will also need to renegotiate entry, as it will not be the same state that joined the Union. This lack of trust in politicians doesn't help because the process can only be implemented politically. Rallies are necessary, but they must find their expression in the institutional structure. Politicians must make an effort to accommodate the needs of the country.

However, I don't agree that there is a general lack of trust in politicians. There are university lecturers too who freeload and sponge. I know politicians that would earn four times more working in the private sector and, instead, they work for their country. There will be no tanks on the streets because they haven't got any anymore. It would be ridiculous to think they could do this; if they did, though, it would only accelerate the process. Imagine CNN and the international media showing images of Spanish army tanks in front of the Catalan parliament. The world is so open, what could happen?