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Jul 245 min read

The Modern-Day Catalan Independence Movement


Publication date: 24.07.2024


Spain is globally known for its golden beaches, rich culture, delicious cuisine, and vibrant lifestyle. It is also one of the most diverse nations in Europe, constituting seventeen regions and four official languages - Spanish, Basque, Galician, and Catalan. The unique blend of cultures is what makes Spain a truly unique place to visit. However, it comes with a cost. Spanish society is fundamentally divided across the board on numerous political, cultural, and national identity issues, which is generally unusual for other countries of the old continent. Perhaps the main line of division lies between Spain itself and one of its most prosperous regions, Catalonia.   



A Historic Background:


Catalonia's quest for independence reaches back several hundred years when in 1714, Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia fell to the Borbonic army, representing the Spanish monarchy, and since then, the political and cultural autonomy of the region ceased to exist. This event concluded the Spanish Succession War (1701 - 1714) fought between a Bourbon Spain and a Habsburg Spain. Numerous movements aiming to revitalize Catalonian independence gradually started to appear in the following years but were subsequently suppressed by the dictatorships of Primo de Rivera and Francisco Franco. The relative autonomy was restored after Franco died in 1975 and Spain transitioned to democracy, however, Catalonia never fully regained complete sovereignty. Nevertheless, the pro-independence sentiments progressively arose with Catalonia's growing population and economic importance in the last years, with Catalonia's GDP forming 19% of the total GDP of the entire country in 2017.



Turbulent last years


In the same year, the tensions reached an all-time high when several prominent Catalan politicians and activists were arrested and jailed by the Spanish prosecutor's office in response to the Independence referendum on October 1st. According to the Spanish Supreme Court, the referendum was held illegally and incited unrest and instability. The shocking result of the referendum clearly showed Catalunian's wish for an autonomous state, with 90% of the electors voting for independence, 7,8% against, and 2,03% casting a blank vote. Two major Independence movement leaders, Jordi Sànchez and Jordi Cuixart, were shortly after sent to prison without bail. This decision was sharply criticized by the Senior Policy Advisor for Amnesty International, Daniel Joloy, claiming that Sànchez and Cuixart were put in jail " solely for exercising human rights" and that they " should be released immediately and their sedition convictions should be overturned." However, in 2019, two years after the referendum took place, Spain's Supreme Court sentenced both activists for treason to nine years in prison. In June 2021 though, both Sànchez and Cuixart were pardoned by the government and freed, concluding one of the most turbulent chapters in modern Spain's history.



Calls for autonomy fall silent


Since then, the strains on both sides of the political aisles seemed to cool down. After the havoc of the 2017 referendum and the subsequent events, the desire for an independent state decreased among Catalonians, with only 41% supporting autonomy, 51% opposing it, and 8% undecided, according to the poll data from February 2024. Although pro-Catalan sentiments are still a part of local cultural identity, it does not noticeably project on the political course of the region. Skepticism toward sovereignty was also raised by disputes within the independence parties and the non-fulfillment of their objectives. Another cause may be effective cooperation between the current administration of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and the local government in Catalonia, which was trying to run its campaign by picturing Spanish leaders as intolerant and oppressive toward Catalonian values. A recent example of a mutual alliance between the two camps sparked a right-wing outrage in Madrid and other major Spanish cities. In November 2023, Pedro Sánchez struck a deal with pro-independence parties Together for Catalonia (JxCat) and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), to gain sufficient numbers in the parliament and form a new administration for his new mandate. In exchange for their needed support, Catalonia's independence parties demanded an amnesty of dozens of politicians and activists involved in the previously mentioned 2017 referendum, including a leader of the JxCat, Carles Puigdemont who fled to Belgium to avoid charges and imprisonment. Sánchez's decision to consent to these requirements caused public unrest and a sharp backlash from right-wing political parties claiming that the deal disrupted the country's stability and facilitated Catalunia's bid to separate from the rest of Spain.


What would Catalonia’s Independence look like?


Although the fears of Catalonia becoming independent are in the face of all challenges the movement is currently battling misplaced, the question of how would Catalonia and Spain look like if the northeastern region became autonomous is still worthy of asking. According to numerous economists and other experts, If Catalonia secured a peaceful transition to autonomy, having the consent and support of both Spain and the EU, it would quickly recover from the financial losses related to the process of separation and get back on track to become a prosperous European country. Even today, its economy is larger than that of most countries in the eurozone, has one of the lowest rates of unemployment in Spain, and constitutes over one-quarter of inward investment to the country. However, a prosperous independent Catalonia would only be possible with the support of, and good relationships with Madrid, which is more than unlikely to be the case given that the Spanish government refuses to allow any referendum on the matter. If Catalonia decided to break free, besides probable military intervention, Spain would cut funding for the region and foreign investment would be severely diminished due to the chaotic conditions of the transition period, resulting in enormous economic losses.



Whether the possibility of independence is realistic or it is just a far-distant dream is probably yet to be determined. Although Catalonia appears to be able to recover from the negative implications of separation, it would be at the cost of the political stability of the whole country, and therefore, Catalonia itself. The hope of the northeastern region to become a recognized, independent state one day, however, seems still alive among millions of Catalonians.


 

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