CATALONIA. DEMOCRACY AND GEMMA GOMEZ DURAN LANGUAGE TUTOR IN CATALAN SPLA 10300

Contents SPLA Theme 7: New Worlds: Democracy, Protest and Pluralism (1975-present) Week 9: Catalonia. Democracy and Independence In Catalonia, since 2010 there is a huge mobilisation clamming for being an independent country, not a Spanish autonomous region. 1st part: the reasons for independence - Identity and language - A bit of history - Legal framework: Spanish Constitution and the Catalan Statute of Autonomy - Economics 2nd part: the process for the independence

1 ST PART: THE REASONS FOR THE INDEPENDENCE

IDENTITY AND LANGUAGE

Catalan language is the essence of the Catalan people. Any injury to the language will be seen as an injury to all the Catalan people. Catalan has a legal position inferior to Spanish. Nowadays Catalan is an endangered language. In some territories, there are more Spanish speakers and less Catalan speakers than ten years ago. However, often the Spanish politicians defend politics in favour of Spanish language (and against Catalan)

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KINGDOM OF SPAIN 1700

: WAR OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION -1469: marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon-Catalonia and Isabella of Castile. The two crowns maintain their autonomy -1700: the king Charles II dies heirless. Castile wants a Bourbon as a king; Aragon-Catalonia wants a Habsburg. They start a war -1707: Battle of Almansa: Valencia falls -1714, 11 th September: Battle of Barcelona: Catalonia falls -1716: Decree of 'Nueva Planta': Catalonia’s ancestral institutions are abolished and Catalan language is banished from the Administration. Castilian laws are incorporated

XX TH CENTURY -1931: 2 nd Spanish Republic. New president of Catalonia, Francesc Macià, proclaims the Republic of Catalonia within the Iberian Federation (it didn’t go ahead, but the fact shows the ideology they had) : Spanish Civil War : Francoism -The worst period in the history of Catalonia. Catalonia was defeated and punished -Highly centralised and uniform image of Spain. Form of nationalism build upon a conservative, centralist and Castilian based ideology. Castile = Spain -Suppression of all regional political institutions and laws -Prohibition of any signs of Catalan identity (language, flag, dances, music, literature, etc.)

1978: SPANISH CONSTITUTION Preamble [To] Protect all Spaniards and peoples (which ones?) of Spain in the exercise of human rights, of their culture and traditions, languages and institutions. Section 2 The Constitution is based on the indissoluble unity of the Spanish Nation, the common and indivisible homeland of all Spaniards; it recognises and guarantees the right to self- government of the nationalities and regions of which it is composed and the solidarity among them all. onstitucionIngles.aspx

Autonomous communities of Spain (source: Instituto Geográfico Nacional)

1978: SPANISH CONSTITUTION -New model of the state that (had to) reject centralism after demonstrations, the most important ones in Barcelona: ‘Llibertat, Amnistia, Estatut d’Autonomia’ -Catalan demands for the transformation of Spain into a democratic state, able to recognize diversity -Symmetric decentralization of Spain: ‘coffee for everyone’. Creation of 17 autonomous communities (some culturally distinct, others artificially created) -This model did not directly respond to the nationalist demands of Catalonia and the Basque Country as nations -This model does not fulfil Catalan aspirations of national visibility (the Constitution makes no distinction amongst communities, it doesn’t say which ones are the peoples)

THE CATALAN STATUTE OF AUTONOMY, 1979 > 2006 Preamble (1979) Catalonia, exercising the right to autonomy as recognised in the Constitution and as guaranteed to the nationalities and regions making up Spain, declares its wish to be constituted as an autonomous community. Preamble (2006) In reflection of the feelings and the wishes of the citizens of Catalonia, the Parliament of Catalonia has defined Catalonia as a nation by an ample majority. The Spanish Constitution, in its second Article, recognises the national reality of Catalonia as a nationality.

: THE CATALAN STATUTE OF AUTONOMY AND THE TRIBUNAL CONSTITUCIONAL 2006: referendum in Catalonia for a new Statute of Autonomy of 135 MP vote in favour - 74% citizens vote in favour The Partido Popular appeals against the contents of the Statute of Autonomy in parliament 2010: Judgment by the Tribunal Constitucional

THE JUDGMENT Preamble to the Statute Catalonia is a nation ResolutionCatalonia is a nationality; the nation is Spain Statuterights of the Catalan people come from the historical rights Resolutionrights come from the Spanish Constitution Statutethe Catalan language is preferential in Administration Resolutionit cannot be, because Catalan would be set above Spanish Statuteknowledge of Catalan is a duty Resolutiononly knowledge of Spanish is a duty (therefore, Spanish is set above Catalan)

ECONOMICS Author of the study Fundació Josep Irla Catalan Government Spanish Government Differences between the taxes paid by the Catalans and the goods and services they receive. = 18 billion € / year

2010. RECAPITULATION -35 years of Democracy, trying to change the idea of 1 country (Spain) = 1 nation -Own identity and language: the Catalan nation -A judgment made against the popular will -Historical fiscal deficit Conclusion: Catalonia and Spain have an impossible relationship

2 ND PART: THE PROCESS FOR INDEPENDENCE

ACTIONS IN FAVOUR OF INDEPENDENCE (VOLUNTEER GROUPS) Arenys de Munt (13th September 2009), village in the North of Barcelona: Consulta sobre la independència de Catalunya -Symbolic referendum -Participation: 41 % of people. Results: 96.2% ‘Yes’ Symbolic referendums in 512 towns (54% of Catalan towns), including Barcelona ( ) Other examples (amounting to hundreds of actions): - Catalonia Calling, book sent to personalities all over the world - Lipdub proindependence (2010): - Motorada (2015):

ACTIONS IN FAVOUR OF INDEPENDENCE (VOLUNTEER GROUPS) 11th September : Demonstration in Barcelona ‘Catalonia, new state in Europe’ ( people; Catalonia has people) : ‘The Catalan Way towards Independence’. 300-mile human chain : ‘Now it’s time’, the V concentration : ‘Free Way to the Catalan Republic’ concentration 9th November 2014: the Catalan government tried to organized a referendum, but the Spanish government rejected it. Because of that the referendum had to be symbolic and performed by volunteers

POSITION OF THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT No debate. No referendum can be held because it is against the law ewsid_ / stm Catalans’ point of view: If the law does not answer the demands of society, it should be changed.

27th SEPTEMBER 2015 ELECTION

Party Total MPs Pro- independence No position Against independence Junts pel sí62 72 CUP10 Catalunya Sí que es pot 11 Ciutadans25 52 PSC16 PP11

THE FUTURE? Carles Puigdemont, new president of Catalonia

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TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS guibernau/ ums,_2009%E2%80%9311