There are various nationalist and regionalist movements in Spain. “There is such a thing as Spanish nationalism, just as there is such a thing as Catalan nationalism,” said Filipe Vasconcelos Romão, Ph.D. in International Relations and author of the recently published book *Spain and Catalonia: A Clash of Nationalisms*.
“The key difference between nationalisms in terms of political orientation lies in the fact that ‘Spanish nationalism possesses sovereignty, is a consolidated state, and is recognized by the international community, whereas Catalan nationalism lacks these characteristics,’” added Vasconcelos, a professor in the Department of International Relations at the Autonomous University of Lisbon, Portugal, and a visiting professor in theBachelor’s Program in International Studies at Universidad ORT Uruguay.
The event “Spain and Catalonia: The Clash Between Legality and Politics” took place on Thursday, April 12, 2018, and was the second lecture in the series organized by the Department of International Studies of the School of Administration and Social Sciences.
Spanish nationalism
Dr. Vasconcelos noted that Spain is a major country in Western Europe, but unlike the United Kingdom or France, it faced significant challenges in its economic and political development.
“The instability in the first half of the 20th century did not help consolidate a democratic state from an economic and cultural standpoint. Furthermore, a very pronounced dictatorship, with a process of continuity and the non-recognition of identities such as the Basque and Catalan, left a heavy burden on Spanish politics,” the scholar noted.
The continuity of Francoism during the tutelary transition process and the way it permeated Spanish society was very much present, not only in the structures of the Armed Forces, the National Police, and the Civil Guard, but also in the courts, such as the National Court.
In politics, the Partido Popular (PP)—or, as it was formerly known, Alianza Popular (AP)—was a post-Francoist party and, like the National Court, was part of state structures marked by Francoism.
Catalan nationalism
“There is absolutely no possibility of an independent Catalonia, legally speaking,” said the expert. Spain is recognized as a state governed by the rule of law not only in the international context but also as a member of the European Union. This would not be the case for an independent Catalonia.
Furthermore, Catalan nationalism developed an autonomous community with broad powers that had a significant impact. It established language and education policies and built a welfare state.
However, one of the shortcomings of Catalan nationalism was the way in which former President Artur Mas, his party, and the Catalan center-right “changed the rules of the game, prioritizing the national question over ideological position, which is always what must prevail in any consolidated democracy,” said the academic.
"If Catalan citizens’ representation in parliament had been 70% rather than 48%, pressure could have been exerted on the international community and the Spanish state could have been compelled to make some kind of change, but with 48% in practical terms, this fact reaffirms the thesis that an independent Catalonia is impossible."
Full lecture:
https://youtu.be/sedYHkUsMwA?si=b1QU65qBMXHJyyCs