For decades in Spain, the contradictions associated with Catalonia did not stop. The richest and most famous region of the country is persistently seeking independence, and in recent years, the political conflict has developed especially sharply.
The highest point of the crisis
On 1 October 2017, an unprecedented civil conflict erupted in Catalonia.
All the forces of the Civil Guard and the half-militarized central police of Spain were aimed at stopping the crowds of local residents - people who vote against the brutal tactics of the government. Mass clashes almost became the beginning of a civil war: the police fired rubber bullets into the crowd, beat people who arrived at the polling stations.
All this happened after the now ousted head of the Catalan parliament, Carles Puigdemont, held an independent referendum to declare the province an independent republic. The referendum was vetoed by the country's head of government, Mariano Rajoy (held office until June 1, 2018), which was guided by Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution. It is this law that gives the government of the state the right to directly control the provinces. After that, Puigdemont accused Rajoy of "attacking Catalonia" and even compared him with the cruel dictator Franco, who at one time put an end to Catalan autonomy.
These events were the natural result of a long confrontation between Spain and Catalonia, one of its most politically difficult provinces. For decades, the question of separating Catalonia from Spain has not been closed, and the essence of the contradictions is rooted in the distant past.
Was Catalonia independent before?
De jure, Catalonia has never been independent, but the corresponding mood in this province has always been present. The region has prided itself on its distinctive language and cultural heritage throughout history, and has always zealously guarded its autonomy.
However, many Spanish schoolchildren are still being brought up on the myths of the "Reconquista", in which Christian knights gradually ousted Muslim rulers from the peninsula in the Middle Ages as part of a grand plan to unite Spain under Catholic rule.
After Ferdinand and Isabella conquered the last Muslim kingdom of Granada and began building an international empire, their grandson Philip II, husband of Mary Tudor, became the first ruler to declare himself “King of Spain” in place of each individual Spanish kingdom.
That is why Spain is still a conditional union of different territories, each of which has its own heritage and traditions. There are many confirmations of this, but the most striking one speaks for itself: the Spanish national anthem does not have a single text, because the Spaniards cannot agree on what exactly should be said.
Many other regions have their own languages and separate cultural traditions, but in Catalonia, along with the relatively calm Basque Country, the desire to emphasize the difference seems especially pronounced.
The Catalan language comes from the same Latin roots and has much in common with Spanish (as opposed to Basque), but at the same time it is recognized as a separate one.
Catalonia has always considered itself separate from the rest of Spain as it has historically had its own regional government. It maintained a degree of autonomy under the Spanish crown until the early 18th century, when King Felipe V signed a series of decrees establishing the region's independent institutions, language and culture.
During this era, he was the newly ascended monarch from the French royal family who came to power after the War of the Spanish Succession between France on the one side and Great Britain and Austria on the other. The Catalans joined the British and Austrians during the war and declared independence, but were forced to become part of centralized Spain based on a similar model of government in France.
When Spain was declared a republic in 1931, Catalonia was granted an autonomous regional government, but this period was short-lived. Everything was changed by the civil war, which led to the coming to power of the fascist general Francisco Franco.
Franco seized control of Barcelona in 1939 and removed the political leaders of Catalonia, including former Catalan President Luis Companis, in a fortress on the hill of Montjuïc.
For decades, Catalans suffered from Franco's brutal rule as political opposition was violently suppressed. Autonomy, language and culture of the province suffered no less. Their regional government was only restored in 1979, four years after the death of the dictator.
Catalan has also been given equal status with Spanish as the official state language.
Economic reasons
Of course, the main reasons for Catalonia's desire to gain independence lie not at all in historical and cultural differences. The new claim for political independence came at a time when Spain as a whole was facing an acute financial crisis. Today it is one of four heavily indebted countries in the Eurozone, along with Portugal, Ireland and Greece, that have been forced to apply to the European Union for a loan to finance their budget.
This situation led to the beginning of a period of austerity, which was exacerbated by the general dissatisfaction of citizens. The economic realities of the potential separation of Catalonia from Spain may be as follows.
- Catalonia is the richest region in Spain, so if this province is disconnected, the country will lose about 20 percent of its GDP.
- Many Catalans feel they pay high taxes and provide for the country's poorer provinces with which they have little to do.
- A large proportion of the inhabitants of Catalonia believe that they will be richer and more successful if the province becomes an independent republic in the future.
So what's next?
Currently, the situation is far from over. Barcelona and Madrid are locked in an impasse, but the most acute part of the conflict is behind. At least for the near future. After large-scale unrest, only dry facts remain.
- After an unsuccessful referendum (and in fact - a civil rebellion), Carles Puigdemont had every chance of being behind bars for at least 25 years. But for now, the Spanish government has decided to "wait".
- Neither side wants to resort to violence, while Madrid emphasizes in every possible way that it does not encourage similar movements towards independence in other regions, for example, in the Basque Country and Galicia.
- Puigdemont continues to challenge the Madrid government and is not going to end his political career, but now he has a minimum of resources in his hands.
It is impossible to predict what this relative calm will result in.
In fact, it is also unclear how much of the Catalan population really wants to leave Spain, and possibly the European Union, as this would lead to a serious economic shock. In the event of independence, Catalonia will no longer be able to use the euro as a currency and will not have access to financial markets. Against the background of the developing world economic crisis, such serious steps are not the best scenario for the development of events. That is why experts are confident that in the coming years, the situation with Catalonia will remain unchanged.
