Will Catalonia break Spain?

mike65

I dunno how many read of the unexpected intervention by a General of the Spain army last week who suggested if Catalonia got more autonomy he'd "invade" it but it looks like the richest region in Spain is pushing for independence as it receives, in principle, the right to decide its own non-EU tax policies. Of course there has long been strong regional identities in Spain
and the Basque conflict continues to burble along at a low level.

Needless to say the right are hopping mad and the left are unsure how to deal with a rising tide of expectation within the region. Catalonia has a population of 6 million and a GDP of €120 billion making its capita per head one of the highest in Europe. Barcelona is Spains economic centre and clearly Madrid could'nt afford to just let it 'slip away' but might it, by degrees?

Mike.

netwhizkid

Of course it should get it independence as should the basque region.

Benedict XVI

netwhizkid wrote:

Of course it should get it independence as should the basque region.

Why ?

Royale with Cheese

I would like to see Catalonia and the Basque region to get independence purely so there'd be a couple more decent European football teams to watch. Good enough reason imo.

keevita

im not very knowledgable about politics im afraid but from a strictly cultural point of view I believe the basque region and catalonia should be independant. I have heard from my ex that a cient hung up on him at work one day last week because he spoke catalan to her. apparently there is a lot of tension at the moment. I really feel strongly about it, barcelona, girona, llieda.ect do not even have the feel of spanish cities. When i am in Bcn i wear a catalan independantist tshirt that gets me strange looks from guardia civil, but they presume im just an ignorant tourist and dont give me hassle. yet catalan and basque friends of mine are quite often given hassle over the way they are dressed, if they are speaking basque or catalan, which lets face it, are completely different languages. as for economics, i wouldnt have a clue, but thats my two cents!

netwhizkid

netwhizkid wrote:

Of course it should get it independence as should the basque region.

Yeah Netwhizkid. Forget what the Catalans actually want, let's impose independence.

Leitrim and Wexford too I say. Make them independent. And Shropshire should be carved out of England.

NWK strikes again. Opinion is much more important than fact, so the fact that Catalans have no great desire for independence is of course irrelevant to him.

keevita

keevita wrote:

yet catalan and basque friends of mine are quite often given hassle over the way they are dressed, if they are speaking basque or catalan, which lets face it, are completely different languages.

But when did Catalans last press pollitically for real independence. Galway doesn't have the feel of an Irish city, hippies dress differently, and some people in the region speak Irish. But that's just not enough. While the Basques have a strong independence movement, to the outside world it simply looks like Catalans are perfectly happy to call themsleves Spanish while there are huge grants going to that area, and will call themselves Catalan when Barcelona play Real Madrid...

Maskhadov

No I dont think it will. There is a lot of posturing by both sides but I cant ever see them breaking away from Spain.

Spain would probably impose excessive border controls on the region and would make access incredibley difficult.

Spain may move towards a federal state but i cant see total independence

LostinBlanch

keevita wrote:

I have heard from my ex that a cient hung up on him at work one day last week because he spoke catalan to her. apparently there is a lot of tension at the moment.

Apparently there is an unofficial boycott of Catalan products throughout the rest of Spain, but probably not in the Basque country though!

Cronus333

As an independent country Catalonia hasn't existed for a good few hundred years, but Navarre (the name for the basque kingdom) was the last part of Spain to be absorbed (it outlasted Granada!)

netwhizkid

If a region wants to be Independent then it should be allowed to regardless of when it was a nation last or if ever. Look at Cornwall, Scotland and Wales.

Sand

More rumblings were reported in the Spanish Army, with a Captain writing a letter saying there was real discontent in the ranks over the potential breakup of Spain. Between this and the unofficial boycotts of Basque and Catalan goods, Id say the socialist government is finding itself in tricky waters. Its not even slightly possible there will be a repeat of the 1981 military adventure, but all the same it makes them look weak, handing an advantage back to their rivals. Actually pushing forward with granting the regions more autonomy would be politically disastrous for them, and not pushing forward makes them look indecisive.

I dont think anyone wants to actually see the breakup of Spain, but backtracking is hard when emotions are high.

Victor

But if the Canaries (actually two provinces) have autonomy, why can't Catalonia.

The objection of the army officers is that the constitution must be protected and in their opinion, can't even be changed.

m1ke

Quite a lot of mistakes from the posters on this thread. Spain is already a federal state. Catalonia is one of the most autonomous regions in Western Europe. Infact, it is possibly the only region in history to ever conduct its own legitimate limited foreign policy. The majority of people in Catalonia want to remain in a federal Spain but just want the option of being indepdent. It would increase their status and bolster their regional economy. Also, there is seems to be no question of a large scale campaign of political violence to achieve this. Of all the regions in Spain, Catalonia was perhaps one of the least concerned about independence until it was actually given autonomy as a federal unit. Pursuing it is a strategic means towards strengthening the regional economy. In my opinion, it is unlikely to ever seceede but it will eventually have so much autonomy it virtually will have.

Sponge Bob

m1ke wrote:

In fact, it is possibly the only region in history to ever conduct its own legitimate limited foreign policy.

Catalonia modelled itself on Bavaria within Germany which conducts its own limited foreign policy too notably under PM Strauss in the 1970s and 1980s.