FINDING THE ‘CRAIC’ (AGAIN) IN VIENNA — A PERSONAL KEYNOTE SPEECH —

Opinion Article by: Adam Casals

Finding the “Craic” (again) in Vienna

—A Personal Keynote Speech—

This article is a more detailed version of the keynote speech offered to the distinguished  guests of the Abrahamic Business Circle Investors Roundtable that was celebrated in  Vienna on June 25th, 2024.

« Let us celebrate the ‘Craic’ with all Abrahamic and other friends, letting the blessed ‘Maim’ flow and bringing good vibes to us all, regardless of our origins or ideas, fostering tolerance, freedom, andinnovation. »

Your Highness,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Members, Friends and Colleagues,

Allow me to begin by showing you this postcard that I purchased a few days ago in one of the most enchanting regions in Austria: Salzburger Land. Salzburg, without a doubt, ranks among the most beautiful and romantic cities in Europe. Notably associated with Mozart and much more, it also boasts majestic mountains, picturesque scenery, and over 400 Alpine lakes  many of which formed after the last Ice Age—. While exploring some of them, I stumbled upon the ‘Craic’ in a charming bookshop. There, two ladies serve the finest coffee in the region, along with delicious homemade, colourful cakes. ‘Craic’ is an Irish term meaning “a delightful time spent with others.” The German translation on the postcard is equally delightful: ‘eine vergnügliche Zeit zusammen mit anderen’.

The ‘Craic’ is how I feel today, having the opportunity to be here at this gathering with you. When the colleagues from the Abrahamic Business Circle extended the invitation to me, I consulted our Chairman and good friend Dr Raphael Nagel about the topic of my talk. He wisely advised, ‘You know, at many events, people discuss their achievements and success, often overlooking the fact that to achieve success, one must confront adversity, overcome failure, and address challenges. Your personal journey reflects that struggle. Why not share your story?’

So here we are, and I can indeed tell you that I am a successful advisor. We provide guidance to business companies, private investors, governments, public administrations, and international organizations. Our understanding of the various layers of European complexity enables us to assist clients in growing, evolving, developing, and implementing new strategies. Additionally, we excel at successful fundraising. Our small team comprises wonderful, skilled individuals who speak many European languages, among other talents.

A personal story of ‘water’ and a lost golden age

Instead, I am going to tell you a personal story:

I am both Spaniard and Catalan. I also feel profoundly European. Like many, I have personal roots, connections and family in several countries. My mother bore a surname inherited from her mother: Maimir. In our family, we take great pride in our Sephardi surname and our Jewish heritage. As you may know, in Hebrew, ‘maim’ means water. This word gained prominence a few months ago. In October 2024, NASA is set to launch the Europa Clipper Mission —a space probe that will study Europa, one of Jupiter’s Galilean moons, through a series of 45 flybys while orbiting the gas giant—. Europa, slightly smaller than Earth’s moon, features a water-ice crust that could potentially harbour life. Consequently, NASA chose to translate the term ‘water’ into various languages, including Hebrew, Catalan, and Welsh, to underscore the mission’s significance for all of humankind.

My grandmother, Quima, was born in a beautiful medieval town called Pals, very close to the French border, in the Costa Brava. Pals boasts one of the longest beaches in the area, and its countryside evokes a little bit of Tuscany. During the cold war, it hosted a station of Radio Liberty with long-range, short-wave antennas, which preserved the beach from being cannibalized by tourist resorts. Grandma Quima took immense pride in her surname; she even asked the University of Jerusalem to certify its Sephardi origins. She was raised Catholic, as I was, which likely means that our ancestors were forced to convert.

Spain is renowned for its remarkable achievements. Examples include the (re-)discovery of America by Columbus and the first circumnavigation of the world by Magellan-Elcano, among many others. Do not miss the documentary movie ‘Spain, the first globalization’, by José Luis
López-Linares, to know more.

Regrettably, it is also associated with the creation of calamitous institutions, such as the Spanish Inquisition —an oppressive apparatus initially designed to consolidate centralized power control over the population of the various kingdoms of the Crown—. These kingdoms had recently united under a single dynasty following the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile.

Interestingly, the manipulative Prince described by Machiavelli drew inspiration from Ferdinand, and the lethal movements of the Queen in modern chess are believed to have been introduced by Sephardi Jews from Valencia, who were thinking about the astute Queen Isabella. This contribution was pivotal to the global success of modern chess, which came after some of those Sephardi emigrated to Renaissance Italy after having been forced to leave their homeland.

1492 is a pivotal year in the history of Spain. In Granada, the last Muslim Kingdom fell, marking the end of eight centuries of Arab presence in the Iberian Peninsula. Royal decrees were issued, compelling Jews and Muslims to either convert to Catholicism, leave, or face death. This led to hundreds of thousands of forced conversions, including that of my ancestors, the Maimir. For some reason, they chose to remain and confront the Inquisition, whose primary role was to identify heretics among the converts. The stigma against them persisted for centuries, particularly in places like Mallorca, where converted Jews were derogatorily referred to as ‘Xuetes’. The repercussions of that era of suffering continue to echo in modern-day expressions. In Catalan, the saying ‘make the Saturday’ is synonymous with weekly home cleaning. Converted Jews would feign cleaning instead of observing Shabbat, and this expression became ingrained in popular culture.

The main issue with the Inquisition, akin to the 20th-century Stasi in Eastern Germany, lies in its pretence of exerting total control over the population. This threatened and stifled freedom, initiative, creativity, talent, and innovation. In 1494, the newly formed Empire even divided the non-Christian world equally with Portugal. By 1580, they merged into a dynastic union, uniting the Iberian lands along with their global possessions—from Macao in China to the Americas, from Southern Africa to Flanders. However, at its height, the Empire’s downfall was inevitable due to the fanaticism fuelled by the Inquisition.

The Jews compelled to leave Spain had established thriving communities elsewhere, contributing to the economies of marketplaces in the Ottoman Empire and the Netherlands, among others. The ‘moriscos’, descendants of Spanish Muslims, constituted an astonishing 20% to 33% of the population in the Kingdoms of Aragon and Valencia. Their forced departure in the 1600s posed an existential threat to the viability of those societies and agricultural landscapes. The resulting low population density and the desertification of abandoned lands had far-reaching consequences. Today, one of Europe’s least populated regions, colloquially known as the Spanish Lapland, lies between Aragon, Valencia, and parts of Castile. Interestingly, in Spain—one of the European countries most affected by the climate crisis—many desert areas were once inhabited and farmed by ‘moriscos’.

The narrative of the ‘Reconquista’ was born. Spain became a ‘pure’ land free of infidels. However, history reveals a different reality. A PBS documentary, based on the book *The Ornament of the World*, recounts the ‘lost golden age’ when the three Abrahamic religions coexisted in the Middle Ages. Historian María Rosa Menocal explains how Muslims, Jews, and Christians fostered a culture of tolerance. Consequently, literature, science, and the arts flourished, and the wisdom from ancient times, preserved by the Arabs, enriched their discoveries in mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. These advancements transcended borders, reaching Central Europe through the various Spanish Kingdoms, constituting one of the most significant technology transfers of all time. Among many others, words like ‘algebra’ and ‘algorithms’ have Arab origins, reflecting that era.

Reminding us what might be

Menocal wrote about “reminding us what might be” … “by showing us what was lost.” In my personal story, I was reminded of that some years later when, due to a series of wrong decisions made by the people I was working for, many things were lost at once.

After having lived in Germany and other countries for years, I was known in some business and political circles in Madrid and Barcelona as a consultant with a strong European network. In 2014, I was invited to meet the President of Catalonia. I was informed that they wanted to open a new Delegation in Vienna, and I was offered to serve as the Envoy to Austria. The Spanish Constitution grants its autonomous regions the right to develop their own foreign policies, including maintaining diplomatic relations and establishing delegations abroad.

a physical presence and staff abroad. Back then, the Catalan government was advocating for more autonomy within Spain, and political insiders discussed a possible constitutional reform to transform Spain into a federal country. Nations like Germany and Austria have highly stable federal structures that seemed to offer exemplary models. Although there was public discussion about secession, it seemed clear that this was not the ultimate goal. In good faith, after discussing the prospect with my family, I decided to accept the position. In hindsight, this decision was influenced by an optimistic bias.

As a Spanish citizen working for an autonomous administration representing the Spanish State, the first thing I did when I arrived in Vienna was to pay my respects to the Spanish Ambassador. I always acted with honesty and adhered to high ethical standards. I followed the instructions of my superiors in Barcelona, but only if they were within the bounds of the law, always from the perspective of institutional respect and loyalty to our democracy, rule of law, and statehood.

With time, I witnessed how people who initially seemed reasonable — individuals whom I didn’t share many ideas with but deeply respected — became increasingly radicalized. Nationalism, indeed, is a dangerous affliction. It’s when someone tells you that you are better, smarter, or taller, not because of anything specific you have done, but simply because you apparently belong to a certain group. The narrative goes that you work harder, deserve more, while others are lazy and inefficient, enjoying undeserved privileges and allegedly stealing your money. Consequently, you should avoid sharing anything with them. Unfortunately, some individuals are drawn to these overly simplistic and misguided notions. This phenomenon isn’t confined to a specific location; it can happen anywhere. In Catalonia, it did happen, and the contagion extended to other parts of Spain, resulting in an increasingly polarized society.

In 2017, the political climate became unbearable. I felt increasingly upset and uneasy, yet I believed that I would be more useful if I stayed — probably a mistake. After an illegal referendum for independence was organized, I decided to invite international advisors to visit Barcelona, engage with the political leadership, and try to persuade them to adhere to the rule of law and avoid imprudent actions. History shows that we were ignored. A few weeks later, they declared a futile and sterile independence. Subsequently, the Catalan autonomous government was intervened by the Central state and essentially shut down. I lost my job during a press conference held by the Spanish Prime Minister.

The news coverage was extensive. I felt angry, ashamed, and appalled by what had just happened. I promptly reached out to the Spanish Ambassador, with whom I had a close relationship, and I put myself at his service and at his disposal. As a private citizen, I visited others who sympathized with Catalonia, apologizing for failing to prevent the Catalan leadership’s actions. I realized I had lost not only my job but also my career and reputation. When I transitioned from the private sector to a public service position, I never anticipated such a turn of events. I had accepted that role because my specific skills as an expert were needed. Now, some people might think I had lost my mind. How could I reinvent myself? What steps should I take to prove them wrong?

Trying to make a difference

I was shocked by what had happened. It also had a significant impact on my health. I developed a serious medical condition, and they literally saved my life at the hospital in Vienna in 2018. I learned that mistakes had been made, but I also could make a difference in some cases. We were the Delegation of the Catalan Government that tried to implement indicators regarding the performance of such offices concerning taxpayers’ money. We had a Spanish flag in our office,