For decades, the controversy surrounding Catalonia has not ceased in Spain. The richest and most famous region of the country stubbornly seeks independence, and in recent years, the political conflict has been developing especially sharply.
The highest point of the crisis
On October 1, 2017, an unprecedented civil conflict erupted in Catalonia.
All the forces of the Spanish Civil Guard and the semi-militarized central police were aimed at stopping the crowds of local residents - people who vote against the brutal tactics of the government. The mass clashes almost began the civil war: police shot rubber bullets at the crowd, beating up people who arrived at polling stations.
All this happened after the head of the Catalan parliament, Carles Puigdemon, who has now been removed from office, held an independent referendum with the goal of declaring a province an independent republic. The referendum was vetoed by the head of the government of the country Mariano Rajoy (held the post until June 1, 2018), which was guided by article 155 of the Constitution of Spain. It is this law that gives the state government the right to directly control the provinces. After that, Puchdemon accused Rahoy of “attacking Catalonia” and even compared him with the cruel dictator Franco, who once put an end to Catalan autonomy.
These events were the logical result of a long confrontation between Spain and Catalonia - one of its most politically complex provinces. For decades, the question of the separation of Catalonia from Spain has not been closed, and the essence of the contradictions has its roots 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. This region throughout history has been proud of its special language and cultural heritage, and has always zealously guarded its autonomy.
However, many Spanish schoolchildren are still raised 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 grandiose 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” instead of each individual Spanish kingdom.
That is why Spain still remains a conditional association of different territories, each of which has its own heritage and traditions. There are many confirmations for this, but the most striking speaks for itself: the Spanish national anthem does not have a single text, because the Spaniards cannot agree on what should be said.
Many other regions have their own languages and distinct cultural traditions, but in Catalonia, along with the relatively calm Basque Country, the desire to emphasize the difference seems particularly pronounced.
The Catalan language comes from the same Latin roots and has much in common with Spanish (unlike Basque), but it is recognized as separate.
Catalonia has always considered itself separate from the rest of Spain, as it historically had its own regional government. She maintained a degree of autonomy under the Spanish crown until the beginning of the 18th century, when King Felipe V signed a series of decrees on the creation of independent institutions, language and culture of the region.
In that era, he was the recently ascended monarch of the French royal family, who came to power after the War of the Spanish Succession between France on the one hand 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 on the basis of a similar model of government in France.
When Spain was declared a republic in 1931, an autonomous regional government was granted to Catalonia, but this period was short-lived. Everything was changed by the civil war, which led to the rise to power of the fascist general Francisco Franco.
Franco took control of Barcelona in 1939 and eliminated the political leaders of Catalonia, including former Catalan president Luis Companis in a fortress on the hill of Montjuic.
For decades, the Catalans suffered from the cruel rule of Franco, as the political opposition was forcibly suppressed. The autonomy, language and culture of the province were no less affected. Their regional government was restored only in 1979, four years after the death of the dictator.
Catalan has also received equal status with Spanish as an official state language.
Economic reasons
Of course, the main reasons for the desire of Catalonia to gain independence lie not at all in historical and cultural differences. A new application for political independence occurred 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, which were 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 aggravated by the general discontent 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 believe that they pay high taxes and provide for the poorer provinces of the country with which they have little in common.
- The big debtors of Catalonia believe that they will be richer and more successful if in the future the province becomes an independent republic.
