One Nation Spaniards: Catalonian self-government

The people of Barcelona and Catalan people in other countries protested yesterday. Their grievance was a constitutional ruling given on Friday in respect of calls for Catalonian self-government. As you might construe from the fact of there being demonstrations, the ruling didn't look that favourably on the idea. The constitutional tribunal rejected the notion that Catalonia could be a "nation" because the Spanish constitution recognises only the Spanish nation and the Spanish nation as the only entity that can claim sovereignty. The tribunal accepted that one can talk of a nation as one with a cultural, historical, linguistic, sociological and religious reality but that what is important is exclusively the nation in a legal-constitutional sense, one that permits only the Spanish nation.

With anything constitutional, the ruling is pretty arcane. I won't attempt to explain any more of it, but I will point out that, under the constitution, the rights to autonomy, as in a degree of autonomous government, and respect of language and religion, were all enshrined following the establishment of democracy. Catalonia, like the Balearics, therefore has its own autonomous administration. Self-government is something altogether different.

If you look at the description of the nation above, there is one glaring aspect - linguistic. Language is a key issue for the Catalonians, and the ruling might therefore appear to be contradictory. But it is not the only issue. The Catalonian question is one that goes back centuries, to the joining of Castile and Aragon in the late fifteenth century, and which has passed through periods of repression and prohibition. There is also an issue of money; Catalonia is one of the wealthiest parts of Spain.

The president of Catalonia reckons that the ruling is offensive and has accused it of being politically motivated with the support of the Partido Popular. Though many Catalonian politicians as well as many in the Balearics (all the left plus the Unió Mallorquina and President Antich) may wish for self-government, a question must be to what extent there is popular support. An answer may lie in a symbolic referendum held in the small town of Arenys de Munt last September. Ninety-six per cent of voters supported an independent Catalonia within the European Union..A further answer may lie in the million protesters that took to the streets in Barcelona

The ruling is hardly surprising. Any other, one that might have looked favourably on self-government, would potentially open the floodgates. The Basques would have been following the judgement closely, as probably would many in Andalucia. But were there to be more impetus towards self-government, it would not play well in most of Spain. It wouldn't necessarily play well in the Balearics, despite what the politicians think (and only 300 people turned up to attend a demo in Palma against the decision). Despite the common(ish) language, Catalonia and the Balearics are two different beasts. One, Catalonia, has traditionally been liberal and even revolutionary; the Balearics are traditionally conservative, albeit that there has been a rise in Catalan radicalism. There is also an issue between the two over financing. Don't expect any serious calls for a greater Catalan state any time soon.

What must though be a concern is the fact that the Zapatero administration has been highly accommodating towards Catalonia, partly because it has needed its support, evidenced by the powers over taxation and law permitted in 2006 and now challenged by the PP, which led to the constitutional ruling. The next elections could be a turning-point for Spain if this ruling garners real popular support for independence and a rejection of Madrid rule and also if, as we must presume would be likely, the Partido Popular were to win the next election.

We might just have experienced a very important moment in Spain's history. Yet, all of this should be seen against the backdrop of something that is happening today. It may have escaped your attention but Spain are in the World Cup final. Strangely enough, there are times when nationalism - Spanish nationalism - assumes command, alongside the Barcelona-biased Spanish team.

Some things are more important than others.


Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.