... Democratic Party, which today is believed to be the leading force in the separatist bloc, will supposedly suffer major losses.
At the other flank, polls predict major success for the Citizens party with its Catalan roots and consistent stance against separatism (it proposed invoking Article 155 much earlier than Rajoy did). At the same time, the possibility of pooling forces to triumph over their rivals is being discussed in both camps. However, the situation in Catalonia is changing at such a breakneck pace that today’s forecasts and scenarios may radically change tomorrow.
Apparently, elections may normalize the situation, but they cannot truly defuse the Catalan problem. Using prohibitive measures alone,...
...., a unitary state with elements of a federation, which should develop towards a genuine federation. Reforming the constitution so that the country takes on aspects of a federation would include recognizing the “distinctive character” of Catalonia as a result of its history, culture and language, with reform being essential for finally “integrating it into Spain” [3].
How will the Mariano Rajoy government respond to the challenge of Catalan separatism? The answer takes on added importance because in less than three months, on December 20, Spain will face perhaps the most important parliamentary elections in its modern history. The ruling party is expected to meet with strong opposition, ...
... be naive to hope that investments would flow to the new entities in a period of political instability. Wage earners and pensioners are not convinced that they would be securely protected against the consequences of the crisis in independent Scotland, Catalonia, the Basque Country, Flanders and Northern Italy.
In addition to differences in the ranks of regional parties and movements, the local national political forces are staunch opponents of separatism. Conservatives, Liberals and the opposition Labour set aside their differences and voted against Scottish independence. In Spain, the idea of a Catalan referendum was rejected by the conservatives in the ruling People’s Party and by the ...
... legislation does not allow membership of regions separating themselves from the member states, it does not prohibit it either. The legal question remains open. That being said, it is hard to imagine all the EU member states agreeing unanimously to accept Catalonia should the region actually apply for membership. Spain itself and other EU members dealing with regional separatism are unlikely to support the application.
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Meanwhile, there are divisions within the winning camp itself. Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida, President of the Democratic Union of Catalonia – one of the CiU’s two constituent ...
... traditional privileges were revoked. The Catalan language was ousted from different spheres of public life and replaced with Spanish (Castilian).
In the middle of the 17th century, dissatisfaction with the policies of Madrid grew into open calls of separatism. Catalonia was swept over by a revolt (the Reapers’ War) aimed at achieving secession from Spain. The rebellion was suppressed in 1652. The folk-song “The Reapers” which appeared during this period has become the symbol of Catalan resistance ...
... dictates the need to increase self-external relations. It is also clear that the collapse of a number of multinational states (USSR, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia) has strengthened the disintegration processes in Spain.
Basque Country: varieties of separatism
In the Basque Country and Catalonia, an important part of the ideological arsenal of the separatists is played by a myth-making process, artificial designed traditions "of an ancient sovereign nation", while rejecting the actually existing traditions that bind these ...
