1. COULD CATALONIA BECOME INDEPENDENT FROM SPAIN?

2. HISTORY

3. Historical formation of ‘Spain’: Alliance and progressive union of several Christian kingdoms and territories.
Kingdom of Spain = Crown of Castile (Kingdom of Asturias and León, Kingdom of Galicia, Señorío of Biscay, County of Castile, Kingdom of Navarra, etc.) + Crown of Aragon (Catalan Counties, Valencia, Aragon, etc.).
No serious attempt to create a centralized administration until 18th century. Traditional institutions of ‘self-government’ of various territories: Fueros (Castile) and Cortes (Aragon).

4. Early 1800s: Napoleonic invasion and ‘Independence War’ revived the Spanish identity
19th century: Failed process of nation-building.
Conservative liberals: linked to local and regional oligarchies  Not interested in developing a more inclusive concept of citizenship.
Traditionalism (Carlism): Fuerismo, particularism and support of alternative king. ‘National regionalism’: idealization of the medieval ‘regional traditions’, attack of the liberal state.
Republicanism: Centralist and Federalist. Spain as a nation composed of a collection of ‘nationalities’ (territories with their own culture, traditions, languages, laws, etc.). Defence of autonomy: Federal state.

5. The later half of the nineteenth century marks the resurgence of cultural activities in languages
These cultural and linguistic ‘renaissances’ were stimulated by the European-wide Romantic movement and they also promoted nationalist parties
Catalan: Lliga, ERC. History, culture and, especially, language, as the main markers of identity-. During the 2nd Republic Catalonia got their own autonomy and Statute.
Basque: PNV. Race as central identity marker. PNV.
Galician: Race and culture (language) as identity markers.
Francoism was an authoritarian regime and its main features were Spanish Nationalism and Centralism.

6. The Present Constitution established an Autonomic State:
One of the highest levels of decentralization in the Western Democracies.
17 Autonomous Communities (+ 2 Autonomous Cities), with their own parliaments, elections, governments,…and party systems.

8. Near present

11. AUTONOMIC PERIOD
Jordi Pujol (President of Catalonia , father of the homeland and national symbol).
7 years of left-nationalist coalition government.
Artur victory in Promise new fiscal relation with Spain. Negotiations failed
New elections were held in with promise to organize an independence referendum in 2014.
No negotiation on the referendum was possible.

13. Catalonian Parliament has passed a law to implement the referéndum for the independence ON THE 1st of October.
Democratic procedures in the Catalonian Parliament were not fulfilled .
The Constitutional Court has declared this law unconstitutional.
It is too late to negotiate….
WHAT WILL BE NEXT…?

14. - REFERENDUM 2017?
- UNILATERAL DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE?
POLICE WILL STOP THE REFERENDUM?

15. What is your opinion. Should Catalonia be independent
What is your opinion? Should Catalonia be independent? Why yes / why not?