If you've been watching the news lately, Catalonia probably has come up here and there. With the recent referendum there, we at The Watson figured that it was a good opportunity to do a bit of a deep dive into the intricacies of the tumultuous Catalan-Spanish relationship. It's widely known that groups in the region have been agitating for independence from Spain for some years now, but where do the grievances that proponents of independence cite stem from?
It's not a secret that Catalonia has for most of its history bristled at Spanish rule; it was part of the Aragon Confederacy that opposed Spain in the War of Spanish Succession in 1702. Their ensuing defeat saw Catalan banned as a language of government in the region, and their institutions abolished in favour of a unified Spanish system. Although subjugated, Catalonia retained a maverick character. Catalonia refused to join much of continental Europe in adopting civil law codification, opting instead to retain its common law system (Catalonia's rich legal tradition is an entire subject unto itself). Spain would only apply such a code on the region in 1889, and even then it was designed to be "supplementary" to existing Catalan law; it wouldn't be until 1960 under the iron fist of Franco that Catalan law would become formally codified.
But why do they want to leave? Identity plays a role, as many argue that they simply are not Spanish. And it isn't all historical revisionism to serve a political agenda either. Catalan, the language native to the region, is more closely descended from French and Italian than it is Spanish or Portuguese. The cuisine is unique, by virtue of Catalonia's proximity to both the ocean and France, and up until the early modern period Catalonia had largely been political rivals with Spain (Castile), including a brief-historically speaking- stint as a protectorate of France.
More recently, the death of Franco saw simultaneously the resurgence of Catalan nationalism and a Spanish state more receptive to their demands for greater autonomy. Wider ranging freedoms were granted to the region in 2006, including status as a distinct"nation". In 2010 however, this would be overturned by the country's Constitutional Court, triggering renewed anger at the Spanish government. Secessionist forces since then have constituted a loud minority, bubbling just beneath the surface of Spanish politics. This movement was significantly bolstered by regional elections held two years ago, which saw the separatist Catalan European Democratic Party sweep into power. Carles Puigdemont subsequently assumed the Presidency, becoming the first holder of the office to refuse an oath of loyalty to the Spanish constitution and Sovereign.
The recent referendum (90% said yes) represents a boiling point of sorts, as Puigdemont and his party seem determined to push their demands for independence through. Puigdemont for his part insists Catalonia has the right to unilaterally declare independence, while Spanish First Minister Mariano Rajoy has said he will not negotiate so long as succession is on the table. The Spanish Constitution does allow the First Minister to suspend Catalonia's regional government and implement direct federal administration of the region's institutions, a step that would in all likelihood result in the arrest and prosecution of leading pro-separatist leaders. Madrid has already assumed control over policing and revoked Catalan autonomy over its finances, in response to what it denounced as an "illegal" referendum.
Regardless of the outcome (likely to be a negotiated degree of autonomy), Catalan independence is not a sentiment that will likely vanish anytime soon. Resentment of the political subjugation the region experienced for much of its history is so deep-rooted that it resulted in that sentiment becoming characteristic of modern conceptions of Catalan identity. Being Catalan is very much about being not-Spanish. And this is hardly a novel or unique phenomenon; Scotland, Flanders (Belgium) and even Northern Italy represent examples of culturally distinct regions in Europe which maintain an identity independent of the states they find themselves within. All have flirted with independence at one point in time. Getting to the roots of just why these conceptions of a nation endure despite in many cases centuries of political subjugation requires us to examine some pretty fundamental questions about what makes us who we are. Is it a shared set of values? Is it race? Language? You have no doubt encountered the construct of nationalism in your classes (or will, if you're a fresh faced first year), and have no doubt realized that its roots are as diverse as they are deep-seated. History is very much alive.
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