In 2017, Spain was on the brink of divide. Today, while it remains one country, the Catalan independence movement still remains an important political issue.
Spain’s biggest political crisis in almost 40 years came in 2017 when tensions flared between the capital (Madrid) and a semi-autonomous region in the country’s north-east called Catalonia.
On 27 October 2017, the region’s parliament declared independence after a referendum earlier in the month. Spain had already declared the referendum ‘illegal’. The referendum caught the world’s attention as the capital used police force to stop people from voting, injuring hundreds in the process.
To stop Catalonia from seceding, the government of Spain invoked Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution which allowed Madrid direct rule over Catalonia. The region’s parliament was dissolved. Carles Puigdemont, the president of Catalonia at the time of the crisis and largely responsible for pushing for independence, fled to Belgium with part of his cabinet. He is currently there on self-imposed exile as he faces charges of sedition, rebellion, and misuse of public funds in Spain.
A new government was sworn in on June 2, 2018 after which Catalan nationalists regained control of the region from the central government’s ‘direct rule’. The regional government is now led by Puigdemont’s close ally Quim Torra.
The Catalan crisis is based on identity politics. Catalonia is a semi-autonomous region which has its own distinct history that dates back almost 1000 years. The region is much wealthier than other parts of Spain. The population of Catalonia is 7.5million, who have their own language. The wealthy region also has its own parliament, flag, and anthem. They also have an autonomous police force and controls some public services. Catalonia is also one of Spain’s main economic powerhouse and accounts for 1/5th of the national GDP.
Before the Spanish Civil War, Catalonia had broad autonomy which was suppressed after General Franco took over and Spain became a dictatorship.
“The government tried to stamp out all Catalan institutions and the language, and thousands of people were executed in purges. Virtually no Catalan family emerged from that period unscarred,” stated The New York Times.
After his death, the region gained autonomy again under Spain’s 1978 constitution. In 2006, a statute described Catalonia as a ‘nation’, and boosted the region’s financial clout. However, in 2010, the 2006 statute was reversed which angered Catalans.
Two years before the reversal, local resentment was fuelled when Spain went through a financial crash and public spending faced cuts. Catalonia is one of the wealthiest regions, thanks to its booming tourism industry as well as housing the country’s metalworking and pharmaceutical and chemical facilities. Residents pay more taxes than others, but locals feel they receive lesser in return from the central government.
A non-binding independence referendum was held in 2014 by the regional government, with 80% of those partaking voting ‘yes’ for independence. The 2014 referendum was outlawed by Spain, but politicians in support of separatism won the regional election in 2015.
On October 1, 2017, the leaders held a full referendum, which was also declared illegal, with 90% of those voting supporting a split. However, turnout was low in the referendum with only 43 percent of the population voting. There was police crackdown and hundreds were injured by national police as they stopped people from voting in the referendum.
On 27 October, Catalonia declared independence which led to the invoking of Article 155 of the Spanish constitution and Madrid imposing a direct rule. Leaders were sacked, the Catalan parliament dissolved and a regional election was held in December of the same year, which was won by nationalists.
Puigdemont and four others fled the country, accused of rebellion, while other leaders were jailed.
Due to political instability, in 2018 it was reported that international investment had dropped in Catalonia and the region fell behind Madrid when it came to economic output for the first time. 3000 firms also shifted their headquarters to the Spanish capital.
In June 2018, Catalan nationalists regained control of the region with a new government being sworn in.
Tensions between Madrid and Catalonia have died down recently, with Spain’s new Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recognising Catalonia as a nation within Spain and not just a region. However, there still remains the threat that they could flare up as the north-east region is fiercely political and protective of its autonomy.
A 2019 survey showed 47.2 percent Catalans wanted the region to become an independent state with 48.6 percent opposing it. The number has remained stable over the past few years, so even if the majority are not in favour of secession, the issue still divides Spain.
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